Medical science, drawn into focus.

Post‑splenectomy Immunodeficiency

Overview Post‑splenectomy immunodeficiency refers to the increased susceptibility to infection following removal (or functional loss) of the spleen. The spleen plays a critical role in filtering bloodborne pathogens, especially encapsulated bacteria, and in mounting both innate and adaptive immune responses. Loss of splenic function leads to impaired opsonisation, reduced IgM production, and defective clearance of…

Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria +/- angioedema

Overview Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a mast-cell–driven skin disorder defined by recurrent wheals (hives), angioedema, or both for >6 weeks without a specific external trigger , with a point prevalence around 0.5–1% and a female predominance; median disease duration is ~2–5 years, but a subset persists longer and markedly impairs quality of life and…

Inguinal Hernia

Overview Higher incidence among men 40 to 59 years of age. Although there are many different types of hernias, they are usually related to the abdomen, with approximately 75% of all hernias occurring in the inguinal region. Hernia contains omentum (90% of cases) or intestine (10% of cases). Inguinal hernias are at risk of irreducibility or incarceration, which…

Pertussis

Author Megan Miner Armando Faigl Overview Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough”, is a contagious, acute respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. In babies, the infection can sometimes lead to pneumonia and occasionally brain damage and can even be life threatening. Older children and adults can get whooping cough and can spread it…

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…

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…

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

DSM V categorise these as seperate disorders Depressive disorders Bipolar disorders Anxiety disorders Anxiety Disorders Generalised Anxiety Disorder Specific Phobia Agoraphobia Social Anxiety Disorder Panic Disorder This will mainly focus on Generalised Anxiety Disorder and touches on Panic Disorder . Overview Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be defined as anxiety and worry about several events…

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