RCGP eLearning Podcast

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presents as a disease spectrum. Fatty change is a common and frequently benign condition, present in 20-30% of the population and up to 90% of the morbidly obese.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU2017.1) podcast explores the NICE guideline on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It discusses epidemiology of the condition as well as assessment, diagnosis (including severity) and management in primary care. 

Sepsis is responsible for 44,000 deaths per year and 150,000 hospital admissions. At present the UK mortality from sepsis is 30%.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU2017.1) podcast highlights the definition and mortality of sepsis and provides information and guidance on the recognition, diagnosis and early management of the condition. 

The mean age of women who have a natural menopause is 51 years, although there is wide variation between women.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU18) podcast explores the diagnosis, treatment and management of the menopause. It also discusses the peri-menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), symptoms of the menopause and more. 

Alcohol use disorders are most common among those in young adulthood (18-29 years), a group that are relatively low at consulting primary care.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU18) podcast discusses the global burden of the disease and the main groups at risk of alcohol use disorder. It explores the diagnostic terms, identification, investigations, interventions and management in primary care and also highlights the area of driving and the DVLA.

Statistics for England in 2011 showed approximately 320,000 adults with epilepsy were receiving anti-epileptic drugs (AED), but it is estimated that only two thirds of these adults have it adequately controlled.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU17) podcast explores history taking including eye witness accounts of seizures, differential diagnoses, support from and referral to secondary care including diagnosis in hospital settings. It also discusses the treatment of seizures, driving and epilepsy and epilepsy in pregnant women and people with learning disabilities. 

Recent research (Ahmad 2015) has shown an increase in lifetime cancer risk from approximately 1 in 3 for those born in 1930 to 1 in 2 for those born after 1960. 

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU17) podcast provides information on the NICE guideline in which the EKU module was based including the recommendations for site specific cancers and also by symptom/findings of primary care investigations in both adults and children. It also discusses the referral criteria and how to explain the reasoning for the referral to a patient.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults in the UK. Over 100,000 people in the UK have MS and it effects over 2,000,000 more. It is not considered a terminal illness and it is not contagious.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU16) podcast discusses the prevelance, presentation and assessment, symptom relief, relapses and exacerbations, referral and management (including ongoing information, advice and support) of MS. It also highlights MS in pregnancy.

It is estimated that patients with MUPS represent up to 20% of GP contacts, and 30% of patients presenting with physical symptoms.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU16) podcast explores the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for somatoform disorders and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS).

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a potentially life long condition characterised by episodes of mania or hypomania, and episodes of depressed mood. The peak age of onset is 15-19 years, and life time prevalence is about 2% of adults. 

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU15) podcast discusses the recognition, assessment and management (including prescribing of medication) of Bipolar Disorder in adults, children and young people. It also highlights the prevelance of the condition.

Dyspepsia is common, affecting about a fifth of people at some point in their lives and is estimated to cost the UK more than £1bn each year.

This Essential Knowledge Update (EKU15) podcast explores the topic of Dyspepsia and Gastro‑oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD). It discusses the assessment (including the testing for H Pylori), treatment and management within primary care and referral to a specialist service.