General anxiety disorder: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

Home General anxiety disorder: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

General anxiety disorder: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 45-year-old female presents to your clinic saying that she has felt fatigued, irritable, and restless for the past 10 months. She says she often worries about her finances, kids, and health. On physical exam, she appears nervous and keeps tapping her feet. Her labs are unrevealing. Which of the following is the best first-line treatment for the patient’s most likely diagnosis?

A. Haloperidol
B. Amitriptyline
C. Chlordiazepoxide
D. Paroxetine
E. Quetiapine

Answer and topic summary

The answer is D. Paroxetine

General anxiety disorder is characterized by severe anxiety or worry about multiple topics, events, or tasks that occur on most days. To make a diagnosis the anxiety/related symptoms have to last for over 6 months. The patients have to have 3 or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, trouble keeping thoughts focused, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep problems. 1st line pharmacological treatment is SSRIs, SNRIs, or buspirone. Benzodiazepines can be given short term.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Psychiatry ⇒ Anxiety Disorders (Pearls) ⇒ General anxiety disorder

Also covered as part of the Psychiatry EOR topic lists

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