Henoch Scholein purpura notes and mnemonic

Hello! Here are my notes + mnemonic on HSP.

IgA-mediated vasculitis of small vessels (IgA and C3 in skin, renal glomeruli, and gastrointestinal tract).

Most common cause of nonthrombocytopenic purpura in children.

Usually follows an upper respiratory infection.

Clinical features are:
Maculopapular rash below waist (Progresses to petechiae to palpable purpura).
Abdominal pain.
Arthritis.
Glomerulonephritis.

That's all!
-IkaN

Rheumatoid arthritis mnemonic

Hello!

Here's an old mnemonic on some of the clinical features of Rheumatoid arthritis.
Well, the name itself tells it.. RHEUMATOID ;p

R- Respiratory distress (Interstitial lung disease, bronchiolitis, pleural effusion)
H- Haematological manifestations (anemias, thrombocytosis, neutropenia)
E- Extra- articular RA (ExRA)
U- Urinary tract infections (mainly drug- induced)
M- Median nerve compression/ Morning stiffness
A- Amyloidosis
T- Tenosynovitis and bursitis
O- Ocular manifestations (Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, scleritis, episcleritis)
I- Immunologic manifestations (Sjogren's, Felty's and Caplan's syndrome)
D- Deformities (boutonniere, swan- neck, button- hole)

Thats all :)

- Jaskunwar Singh

A case on Medical ethics

Hello Awesomites!

Today I am gonna discuss with you a simple case based on medical ethics. A Forensic Medicine professor asked me in final viva last year. So here it goes...

3 month old with hypotonia

3 month old baby with history of honey intake (Given by grandpa) presents with constipation, feeding difficulty, hypotonia. What is the cause of the baby's symptoms?

1. Ingestion of preformed toxin
2. Ingestion of pesticide
3. Ingestion of bacterial spore
4. Bacterial infection of the meninges
5. Urinary tract infection

Answer given below:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

If you picked 1, you're wrong.

Infant botulism is caused by botulinium spores in honey, corn syrup that germinate and multiply in the intestinal tract and produce toxin.

Adult botulism is caused by ingestion of preformed toxin.

I just wanted to make that point clear. And emphasize how tricky any exam can get with word play.

Don't stress.

That's all! =)

Oh and the answer is 3.

-IkaN

How to apply for USMLE exams

Hello!

Many medicowesomites have asked about how to apply for their USMLE exams. Finally, here is the procedure. Sorry this took so long

I have answered all the queries in the end.

If you have any more questions, comment in the commments section below and I'll try to reply :)

Descriptive Epidemiology

Hello everyone !
Here's a video telling you a little bit of the Descriptive Epidemiology.
Let me know how you like it and I can continue to make some more to finish it up and tell you more about Epidemics!

Stigmata of infective endocarditis

Hey Awesome people!

Here is another stigmata apart from those mentioned previously by IkaN in a post here,

Stigmata of infective endocarditis:-
(Remember- It's all in the hands)

- Janeway's lesions: non- tender, erythematous macules on the palms and soles.
- Osler's nodes: ephemeral spots of painful nodular erythema on hands and feet.
- Splinter haemorrhages: seen on the nails.

Thats all!

- Jaskunwar Singh

Glaucoma

For all those who don't know what is glaucoma here is the quick review :-

There is damage to the optic nerve, etiology of glaucoma is yet to be known.

Generally, there is increase in intraocular tension , intraocular pressure above 25-30mm Hg which can cause loss of vision. In acute inflammation, WBCs and tissue debris can block exit of intraocular fluid through channel of Schlemm and in chronic conditions, especially in older individuals, fibrous occlusion of the trabecular spaces appears to be culprit!

Buerger's disease

Hey awesomites!

Here's a short post on important points in diagnosis of Buerger's disease (don't confuse the name with Berger's disease which is IgA nephropathy) also known as Thromboangiitis obliterans.

- Recurrent inflammation and thrombosis of small and medium sized vessels
- Hands and feet are affected the most
- Vasculitis and ischemia (causing blackish discoloration of skin)
- Chronic smoking (a definite predisposing/ risk factor)

Clinical features and diagnostic criteria:
            - male patient 30-40 years of age
            - history of chronic tobacco use
            - Angiography: - cock- screw appearance of arteries of wrists and ankles
                                      - tree root/ spider leg appearance due to collateral circulation
            - Exclusion of other vascular diseases ( Raynaud's phenomenon, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, endocarditis, hypercoagulable states, auto-immune disorders) is important.
            - Skin biopsy (rare)

Note: A possible Rickettsial infection (mostly Rickettsia rickettsiae) could be there which adds on to the pathology of the disease!  (usually in cases of  amputation of the affected area)

Thats all!

- Jaskunwar Singh

Supracondylar fracture of the humerus

Supracondylar fracture of the humerus

- Transverse fracture of the distal part of the humerus.
- Bruises of anterior elbow (Proximal fragments buttons through the brachialis muscle)
- Posterior fat pad sign is seen in non displaced fracture of the humerus.

IMPORTANT: Assess radial and ulnar pulses because brachial artery can be compromised.

That's all!
-IkaN

Submissions: Selenium deficiency mnemonic

"Selena Gomez and Ke$ha both are young and have big hearts."

Selenium deficiency causes Keshan disease which is cardiomyopathy in young children. Also, singers like to dye their hair (Loss of hair pigment is seen in Selenium deficiency aka Keshan disease).

Submitted by Krutika.

Interesting fact: Keshans disease is thought to be caused by Selenium deficiency and coxsackie virus. It's common in places where selenium content in soil is low (China).

That's all!
Thanks Krutika for the mnemonic =)
-IkaN

How to browse through knowledge on Medicowesome

So we have written over 1000 posts. It's absolutely crazy! :D

About me

Hey Awesomites!

Well, I am not a new author here. I am honored to write so many posts for the blog . Let me introduce myself so that all of you can know about me...