ABSTRACT
This chapter, written for undergraduate medical students and post-graduate doctors in training, presents information on how to manage malaise — a case which they are likely to encounter in the future in a general practice setting. It presents the case of a 16-year-old school girl who returns to the surgery with her mother. One week previously, she had been seen by the nurse practitioner and was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis. The nurse practitioner noted a history of sore throat with swallowing difficulties, severe malaise, muscle aches all over the body, shivering, swelling around the eyes and headache. The chapter provides details of the patients' medical history and the key findings of clinical examination, together with initial investigation results data for evaluation, and helps them develop their skills of clinical reasoning. Key questions then prompt the student to evaluate the patient, and reach a decision regarding their condition and the possible treatment plan.
