Medical science, drawn into focus.

Mitral Regurgitation (Incompetence)

Overview Mitral regurgitation (MR), which is also known as mitral insufficiency, is a common heart valve disorder. When MR is present, blood leaks backwards through the mitral valve when the heart contracts. This reduces the amount of blood that is pumped out to the body. Patients with acute mitral regurgitation (MR) are often gravely ill with…

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Overview Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies and the deposition of immune complexes in various tissues. It predominantly affects women of childbearing age, with a female-to-male ratio of approximately 9:1. The disease is more prevalent among individuals of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent, and its…

Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)

Overview Transient ischemic attack is defined as transient neurologic symptoms without evidence of acute infarction. It is a common and important risk factor for future stroke. TIAs are produced by temporary ischemia to a vascular territory, usually caused by thrombosis or embolism and less commonly by vasculitis, hematologic disorders such as sickle cell disease or…

Acute Heart Failure

Overview Heart failure is a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to meet all the needs of the body. It is caused by heart muscle damage or dysfunction, valve problems, heart rhythm disturbances and other rarer causes. Acute heart failure can present as new-onset heart failure in people without known cardiac…

Anklylosing Spondylitis (AS)

Overview Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the axial skeleton, especially the sacroiliac joints and spine. It is a subtype of the seronegative spondyloarthropathies and is characterised by inflammatory back pain, morning stiffness, and eventual spinal fusion in severe cases. AS often presents in young adults, typically males, and…

Cystic Fibrosis

  Overview Cystic fibrosis causes the dehydration of the mucus lumen causing thick sticky mucus to build up. This occurs mainly the lungs, causing productive cough and increasing rates in respiratory infections, and the pancreas causing pancreatic dysfunction. Cystic fibrosis occurs due to a mutation in the CFTR gene. Salty sweat is also another important characteristic…

Maternal infections

Overviews Maternal infections is a broad term for any infection that is acquired by a pregnant woman antepartum, intrapartum or postpartum. These infections may have detrimental impacts on the mother and the foetus/newborn. 1 Maternal infections covered in this page include TORCH infections as well as Group B Streptococcal infection and chorioamnionitis.  TORCH infections are…

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