Medical science, drawn into focus.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Overview ARDS is an acute, diffuse, inflammatory lung injury that leads to increased pulmonary vascular permeability, increased lung weight, and a loss of aerated tissue. Clinical hallmarks of ARDS are hypoxemia and bilateral radiographic opacities, while the pathological hallmark is diffuse alveolar damage. Pathophysiology Aetiology Indirect lung injury: sepsis, shock, trauma, pancreatitis, drug OD, intracranial haemorrhage,…

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…

Bladder Carcinoma

Mainly focusing on Transitional cell tumours Overview Three main types of bladder carcinoma Transitional cell carcinoma (Most common) Squamous cell carcinoma Adenocarcinoma (Rare) Transitional cell tumours can affect any part of the urinary epithelium. It is the second most common urological malignancy (Renal Adenocarcinoma is the most common, bladder adenocarcinoma is rare ) and is one…

Hyperparathyroidism

This section will mainly focus on Primary Parathyroidism Overview Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is generalised disorder calcium, phosphate and bone metabolism due to increased secretion of parathyroid hormone normally leading to hypercalcaemia and hypophosphatemia. PHPT may present with recurrent nephrolithiasis, peptic ulcers, mental and muscle changes and less frequently bone resorption. Frequently, routine blood tests will…

Arrythmias

Overview An arrythmia refers to any disturbance in cardiac electrical activity that is not normal sinus rhythm with normal atrioventricular conduction. This may include changes in rate, rhythm or site of origin of the electrical signal for contraction. 1 Normal conduction of the heart For the heart to pump normally 2 : SA node initiates…

Multiple Sclerosis

"Each patient ought to feel somewhat the better after the physician's visit irrespective of the nature of the illness." -Warfield Theobald Longcope Overview Multiple sclerosis (MS) is defined as an inflammatory demyelinating disease characterised by the presence of episodic neurological dysfunction in at least 2 areas of the CNS (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves)…

Hypertension

Summary of Hypertension Hypertension can be divided into primary (essential) and secondary hypertension (a result of an underlying condition, ie. renal artery stenosis). It is important to identify wether this is an underlying cause of the hypertension based on history, risk factors and by ordering appropriate tests. Untreated, undiagnosed and poor compliancy can result in…

Full resource library