Itch is a common symptom of many dermatological conditions (e.g. eczema, urticaria and lichen planus) but can also be a manifestation of underlying systemic, neurological and psychological disorders, or an adverse reaction to medication. The assessment of patients with generalised itch but no rash requires a detailed history and examination to narrow the spectrum of potential causes. Examination should include inspection of the entire skin. Physical examination should include palpation for lymphadenopathy and organomegaly.

Actinic, or solar, keratosis is caused by chronic ultraviolet-induced damage to the epidermis. In the UK, 15-23% of individuals have actinic keratosis lesions. Dermatoscopy can be helpful in excluding signs of basal cell carcinoma when actinic keratosis is non-keratotic. It is always important to consider the possibility of squamous cell carcinoma. The principal indication for referral to secondary care is the possibility of cutaneous malignancy. However, widespread and severe actinic damage in immunosuppressed patients also warrants referral.

The clinical features of sepsis are: fever; tachycardia, with no other explanation; tachypnoea, with no other explanation; leukocytosis or leucopenia. To meet the International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference definition, a patient should have two of these features, one of which should be fever or abnormal white cell count, in the presence of infection. Every time a child who has symptoms or signs suggestive of infection is assessed, it is important to consider whether this could be sepsis. This may seem obvious in a child presenting with fever, but not all children with sepsis present with high fever or focal signs.

Type 2 or complex trauma results from multiple or repeated traumatic events occurring over extended periods. Complex trauma is often associated with other adversity and stressors such as neglect, loss or deprivation. For many individuals these traumas occur at a developmentally vulnerable time with the perpetrator often in a caregiving role. Patients who have experienced complex trauma should be assessed for the core symptoms of PTSD. In addition, patients should be assessed for disturbances in the three domains of emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept and interpersonal disturbances.

Nocturnal epilepsies account for 10-15% of all epilepsies, and 80% of nocturnal epilepsies in adults are focal. They present a diagnostic challenge as they can be difficult to differentiate from normal movements and behaviour during sleep and also from several non-epileptic, sleep-related, motor and behavioural disorders. More than 90% of the seizures in sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE) occur during sleep. Seizures in SHE are simple partial seizures which easily wake the patient so that they will usually be able to recall the seizures, often describing auras of somatic sensations or feeling unable to breathe. SHE seizures have a rapid onset and offset, a short duration (usually < 2 min), and a stereotyped motor pattern for that individual.