Presentations
- Abdominal mass / Hepatosplenomegaly
- Bloody stools / Melaena
- Haematuria
- Oncological presentations
- Proteinuria
- Raised serum creatinine
- Swelling:
Conditions
- Bronchiectasis
- Connective tissue diseases
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Encephalitis
- Heart disease:
- Inflammatory arthropathies
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Kidney failure
- Myopathy
- Oncological disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Pregnancy
- Rheumatological disorders
- Sleep disorders, including narcolepsy
- Thyroid disorders
Synthesise
- recognise the clinical presentation
- identify relevant epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical science
- take a relevant clinical history
- conduct an appropriate examination
- establish a differential diagnosis
- plan and arrange appropriate investigation
- consider the impact of illness and disease on patients and families, and their quality of life
Manage
- provide evidence-based management
- for less common or more complex presentations and conditions the trainee must also seek expert opinions
- prescribe therapies tailored to patients’ needs and conditions
- recognise potential complications of disease and its management, and initiate preventative strategies
- involve multidisciplinary teams
Consider other factors
- identify individual and social factors and the impact of these on diagnosis and management
- Aetiology and natural history for common and uncommon medical conditions of adolescents and young adults (AYA)
- Best practice guidelines
- Common causes of mortality and morbidity, such as:
- chronic illness
- disability
- infectious diseases
- injuries:
- intentional
- unintentional
- malignancy
- mental health problems
- sexual health problems
- Epidemiology of chronic illness in adolescents
- Pharmacology of medications prescribed for AYA
- Psychosocial contribution to physical symptoms in adolescence
Investigations
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Imaging, such as:
- bone age
- bone mineral density scan (DEXA)
- x-rays
- Initial assessment and examination of victims of sexual assault
- Overnight oximetry
- ‘Second line’ and evolving investigative approaches to diagnose undifferentiated diseases
- Sexually transmitted infection investigations
- Tests and biopsies, such as:
- blood, such as:
- hormones
- nutritional screen
- skin
- stool
- urine
- Chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis, investigations, and principles of multidisciplinary management, including pacing
- Chronic illness considerations, such as:
- impact on cognitive, emotional, physical, sexual, and social adolescent development
- management in a multidisciplinary team
- management of comorbidities, such as alcohol and other drug use, and mental health
- Chronic pain management, such as:
- appropriate medical investigations
- non-pharmacological and pharmacological management of chronic pain and comorbidities
- role of allied health and patient education
- Comorbidities in overweight and underweight patients
- Complexities of optimising management for patients with multiple comorbidities
- Concepts of motivational interviewing
- Costs and benefits of:
- diagnostic interventions
- management plans
- therapeutic interventions
- Difference between curative, palliative, and rehabilitative approaches to disease management
- Effective ways of working with families
- Impact of family function and dysfunction
- Indications for referral to specialised units and/or subspecialists
- Investigating and managing atypical presentations with other subspecialists
- Issues around school non-attendance
- Principles of palliative care / end-of-life care
- Specific considerations needed for the following groups:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori adolescents
- adolescents whose parents have a mental illness or substance misuse
- adolescents with a disability
- LGBTQIA+ adolescents
- neurodiverse young people
- refugee and asylum seeker families
- socioeconomically disadvantaged young people
- unhoused young people
- victims of physical and/or sexual abuse
- young people in custody or out-of-home care
- The role of the family in the assessment and management of health issues
