Pearls

As Aortic Dissection Awareness Day approaches, would we spot the signs? Acute aortic syndrome is rare, life-threatening and easily missed, with presentations that can overlap common causes of chest, back or abdominal pain. Whilst rare, it's one we wouldn't want to miss.

Few consultations carry greater uncertainty or a greater sense of responsibility than those where we identify potential suicide risk. With World Suicide Prevention Day today, 10 September, our latest free Pearl explores how to approach suicide risk assessment in a way that is structured, compassionate and grounded in the evidence.

Do you know your QIP from your QIA? Your LEA from your SEA? We’ve demystified these and more in our article on Workplace-based Assessment (WPBA). We’ve even mapped out a 3-year plan, based on the RCGP guidance, to help you pace your training.

Supporting people to change their behaviour to improve their health and wellbeing is part of the continuum of supported self-management and health-coaching approaches. Interventions in primary care can be brief or extended, but using specific techniques and skills can make a real difference to patients.

As our new Older People, Frailty and End-of-Life Care course launches, we're sharing a free Pearl on agitation, restlessness and delirium at the end of life from our library of 900+ articles. This can be distressing for patients, families and clinicians, and can be a complex home visit to untangle.

Our latest free Pearl explores how understanding ACEs can help us make sense of complex presentations, build trust with patients and provide more effective, compassionate care.

This week's Pearl explores how to assess suspected penicillin allergy more confidently, distinguish true allergy from side-effects or intolerance, and understand the impact inaccurate allergy labels can have on antibiotic prescribing and patient care.

Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, with incidence continuing to rise. It can be easy to miss, and early recognition and treatment make a huge difference. Could you spot melanoma early? Refresh your knowledge with our latest Pearl

This week's free Pearl takes a practical look at where gabapentinoids can help, where the evidence is less convincing, and the concerns around dependence, misuse and safety. We also explore why regular review and shared decision-making are essential to ensuring they're still the right choice for your patient.

This month’s GPST Pearl focuses on the recognition and referral of suspected neurological conditions. You’ll see that the British weather isn’t responsible for every weird twitch, altered gait or tingling finger.

Young people may be unsure what is normal, or reluctant to seek medical advice. So, when they do consult, these conversations really matter. In this week’s Pearl, we offer a clear, practical guide to menstrual problems in adolescents.

Carers are a quiet constant in our consultations. Many do not even recognise themselves as carers, and their own health can take a back seat. Take a few minutes to read this and consider: is there a hidden carer in your next consultation?

When patients ask about travel vaccines, it’s easy to focus on the familiar. But for those planning walking holidays or outdoor adventures across Europe and beyond, there’s a less-commonly considered risk that deserves a place on our radar: tick-borne encephalitis.

With summer travel in full swing, ‘mystery rashes’ are appearing more often in general practice. Could bedbugs be the cause? This week’s Pearl offers a practical guide to recognising and managing bedbug bites in primary care.

This month is a double treat because we are also sharing our article on communication skills to tackle those tricky presentations where physical and mental health collide. 

Our article on what makes a good PDP will help you move beyond acronyms to turn your PDP into something that works for you. Just as well because PDPs aren’t just for GP training – they’re for life!

Inflammatory bowel disease has been one of the most popular topics this season on the GP Update course. As it’s often diagnosed in younger patients, reproductive health and pregnancy are key considerations in primary care. In this week’s Pearl, we share our article on IBD and reproductive health.

World Wellbeing Week is a timely reminder that caring for others has to start with caring for ourselves. In primary care, whatever our role, this isn’t always easy. This week’s Pearl is all about ‘Communicating our needs and setting boundaries’.