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Clinical Atlas Prestige · Evidence-first

Psych VivasSpecialty psychiatry — eating disorders

Psych Vivas · Specialty psychiatry — eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa — structured clinical viva

Fellowship viva on adult AN: medical instability, Attia olanzapine evidence, CBT-E/MANTRA/SSCM, refeeding, capacity and coercion ethics.

clinical
On this page & tools

Target exams

FRANZCPMRCPsychABPNMD-DNB

Target exams

FRANZCPMRCPsychABPNMD-DNB
Prompt
You are the psychiatry registrar on call. A 24-year-old woman with a 6-year history of anorexia nervosa (current BMI 15.2 kg/m², binge-purge subtype) refuses admission. ECG shows sinus bradycardia 46 bpm and borderline QTc. She wants 'just olanzapine at home' and says therapy 'never works.' Her partner asks about compulsory feeding. Discuss medical risk, limits of olanzapine, adult psychotherapy options, refeeding if admitted, and capacity/compulsory care.

Interpretation

Reveal interpretation

This is adult binge-purge AN with medical risk (bradycardia, QTc concern, purging, chronic course). “Olanzapine at home only” is inadequate: medication is at best an adjunct with modest BMI effect in adult RCT evidence and does not replace medical monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, or specialist psychotherapy.[1][4]

Medical plan. Same-day senior medical review; likely admission for monitoring, electrolytes (phosphate/K/Mg especially if refeeding), ECG observation, and supervised nutrition under MEED/MARSIPAN-type principles. Purging adds electrolyte risk.[4][6]

Psychotherapy. Adult options with trial lineage include CBT-E, MANTRA, and SSCM; SWAN and earlier three-psychotherapy trials support structured specialist approaches. Prior “therapy never works” needs fidelity check (was it ED-specific? was weight restoration attempted?).[2][3]

Olanzapine. Attia 2019: modest BMI advantage vs placebo in outpatients; psychological symptom superiority not the main story; counsel sedation/metabolic effects; start low if used, never as sole plan while unstable.[1]

Capacity/compulsory care. Decision-specific assessment for admission/NG feeding. If incapacity and life-threatening risk, jurisdiction-specific compulsory frameworks with least restrictive means, second opinion, ethics — partner cannot alone authorise adult compulsory treatment without legal process.[5]

Key points

Bradycardia is a medical red flag

Do not manage unstable AN with outpatient olanzapine alone.

Olanzapine is adjunctive

Modest BMI effect in adult RCT; not a cure for AN psychopathology.

Adult therapies are plural

CBT-E, MANTRA, SSCM — structured specialist care, not generic counselling.

Capacity is decision-specific

Compulsory care follows local law and least-restrictive ethics.
[1] [2] [5]

References

  1. [1]Attia E, Steinglass JE, Walsh BT, et al. Olanzapine Versus Placebo in Adult Outpatients With Anorexia Nervosa: A Randomized Clinical Trial Am J Psychiatry, 2019.PMID 30654643
  2. [2]Byrne S, Wade T, Hay P, et al. A randomised controlled trial of three psychological treatments for anorexia nervosa Psychol Med, 2017.PMID 28552083
  3. [3]McIntosh VV, Jordan J, Carter FA, et al. Three psychotherapies for anorexia nervosa: a randomized, controlled trial Am J Psychiatry, 2005.PMID 15800147
  4. [4]Sachs KV, Harnke B, Mehler PS, et al. Cardiovascular complications of anorexia nervosa: A systematic review Int J Eat Disord, 2016.PMID 26710932
  5. [5]Touyz S, Aouad P, Carney T, et al. Clinical, legal and ethical implications of coercion and compulsory treatment in eating disorders: do rapid review findings identify clear answers or more muddy waters? J Eat Disord, 2024.PMID 39425146
  6. [6]Garber AK, Cheng J, Accurso EC, et al. Short-term Outcomes of the Study of Refeeding to Optimize Inpatient Gains for Patients With Anorexia Nervosa JAMA Pediatr, 2021.PMID 33074282