Peri-operative Medicine & Anaesthesia2 UKMLA questions

Polypharmacy — UKMLA Revision Notes

Polypharmacy is an important clinical condition in Peri-operative Medicine & Anaesthesia that is tested in the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test (AKT). Medical students and doctors preparing for the UKMLA or PLAB 1 must understand the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, investigations, and evidence-based management of Polypharmacy as outlined in current NICE guidelines.

Key Facts

Polypharmacy is a key condition on the GMC UKMLA Content Map
Commonly tested in the Peri-operative Medicine & Anaesthesia section of the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test
Understand the pathophysiology, clinical features, investigations, and management
NICE guidelines provide the evidence base for management decisions
Consider differential diagnoses and red flag symptoms in clinical scenarios

Investigations

FBC, U&E, clotting
ECG
CXR
Echocardiogram (if indicated)
Lung function tests
Blood group & save

Management

Pre-operative optimisation
Anaesthetic assessment and consent
Intra-operative monitoring
Post-operative analgesia plan
VTE prophylaxis
Enhanced recovery pathway

Practice 2+ Polypharmacy Questions

Test your knowledge with SBA questions on Polypharmacy and all 430 UKMLA Content Map conditions. Instant feedback, NICE guideline explanations, and spaced repetition included.