Drug Induced Edema : Mnemonic

Hi everyone. Here's a short post highlighting drugs causing edema.

Remember : SWOLLEN

S - Steroids
W (V) - Vasodilator drugs
O - Oral Hypoglycemic drug - Glitazones
L - CycLosporine
L
E - Endocrine - Growth Hormone
N - NSAIDs

1. Steroids -
Due to the Mineralocorticoid action of reabsorbing the Sodium from the kidneys, they act as volume expanders.

2. Vasodilator drugs -
Especially CCB's like Amlodipine  are known to cause this. Other Vasodilator drugs used for hypertension can also cause edema like Alpha Methyl dopa, Hydralazine, etc

3. Oral Hypoglycemic drug : Glitazones -
The Glitazones act on the PPAR gamma receptors. These receptors are also present in the kidneys and vascular system. They somehow modulate the kidneys to reabsorb Na+ and also act on the level of blood vessels via PPAR receptors.
This is one of the reasons why they are c/i in Heart failure and Liver cirrhosis ( as they cause fluid overload).

4. Cyclosporine -
Reduces the GFR , thus more fluid retention.

5. Growth hormone. I don't understand why. Do tell me if you find out !

6. NSAIDs -
NSAIDs inhibit PG synthesis in kidneys causing renal vasoconstriction and this reducing the GFR.
This causes excess fluid accumulation eventually causing edema.

That's all!
Happy studying. Stay awesome. :)

~ A.P.Burkholderia

Adult ADHD : A Clinical Overview

Hey Awesomites

Attention - Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) is a mental health disorder that usually occurs in childhood and continues into adulthood. The symptoms in adults may not be as clear as in children. In India, there are more than 10 million cases of adult ADHD per year.

In adults, the symptoms of hyperactivity may decrease, but the characteristic features of decreased attention span, mood swings, impulsive behavior, difficulty in communication and language skills, restlessness may still continue to appear.

Now lets talk about the signs. The WHO has lately released a set of six questions to test the adults for signs of ADHD - Adult Self - Report Scale Screener (ASRS) is a self - screening questionnaire that you can use to determine if you might have ADHD. The answers to these questions predict the people suffering from this disorder and is a simple way of screening :

1. How often do you have difficulty in concentrating on what the other person is saying to you, directly as well as indirectly ?

2. How often do you leave your seat when you are in a group or meetings in which you are expected to remain seated?

3. How often do you have difficulty in unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself ?

4. When you are in a conversation, how often do you find yourself finishing sentences of the people you are talking to before they can finish them themselves?

5. How often do you put things off until the last minute?

6. How often do you depend on others to keep your life in order and attend to details?

- The answers to these set of questions can be 'never', 'rarely', 'sometimes', 'often', or 'very often'.
- If the answer to four of the six questions is 'sometimes', 'often' or 'very often' , the person may be considered to have ADHD!

Note that this is a simple way of screening the people for signs of ADHD, and not the diagnostic criteria.


Thats all
- Jaskunwar Singh

Croup mnemonic

If croup crops up in the exam, here are some high yield points you should know:

Croup CROPS!

Corticosteroids
Racemic epinephrine
Oxygen

Parainfluenza virus

Seal barking cough
Stridor
Subglottic stenosis
Steeple sign

#TLDR
Parainfluenza virus type 1 is the most common cause of croup.

The onset of symptoms in laryngotracheitis is gradual, beginning with nasal irritation, congestion, and coryza. Fever, hoarseness, barking cough, and stridor usually develop during the next 12 to 48 hours. 

In children with croup, a posterior-anterior chest radiograph demonstrates subglottic narrowing, commonly called the "steeple sign" 

Children with croup are treated with dexamethasone, nebulized epinephrine and humidified oxygen depending on severity.

Remember, intubation is rarely required in croup, so think of other etiologies if the patient needs intubation.

That's all!
-IkaN

Edge of an ulcer : An overview

Hello

An overview on how edge of an ulcer appears with characteristic identification features depending on the underlying causes: (SPURE)

Sloping edge - Venous ulcer, also seen in traumatic cases. It is red - purplish in color and consists of new healing epithelium. ( spreading type )

Punched out edge - Arterial and Neuropathic ulcer. Edges are punched out at right angles. ( non spreading type )

Undermined edge - Decubitus and Tuberculous ulcer. It spreads rapidly to destroy the surrounding tissue !!

Rolling back - Basal cell Ca. It is characterised by raised, pearly white beaded edge with central necrotic tissue.

Everted edge - Squamous cell Ca. It is a rapidly growing invasive ulcer with heaped up and everted edges.

Thats all
Hope this helps :)

- Jaskunwar Singh

Submission: Internal Illiac artery branches mnemonic

submitted by Mayank Kesharwani

Submission: Direction of growing end of bone, opposite to direction of nutrient artery

submitted by: Mayank Kesharwani

Upper limb joints types mnemonic

Hey Awesomites

From proximal to distal, the joints and its types are:

Shoulder joint - Ball and socket type
Elbow joint - Hinge joint
Radio carpal ( wrist ) joint - Ellipsoidal and biaxial type
Carpo metacarpal joint - Saddle joint
Metacarpo phalyngeal joint - Ellipsoidal ( condylar ) joint
Interphalyngeal joint - Hinge joint

Mnemonic to remember the types, from proximal to distal : BaSu ( Ball and Socket ) writes Hindi ( hinge ) in elliptics ( Ellipsoidal ) but is sadly (Saddle ) condemned ( Condylar ) without hinges .


Thats all
- Jaskunwar Singh

Submission ( notes and mnemonic ) by Mayank Kesharwani - ( PS: This is a Hindi Urdu mnemonic )
Bhaiya Hum ESE Hain

Bhaiya - Ball and Socket joint
Hum - Hinge joint
E - Ellipsoidal
S - Saddle
E - Ellipsoidal
Hain - Hinge

Thanks Mayank for sharing :)

Submissions : Tonsillar Bed mnemonic

Hello

Tonsillar bed mnemonic ( from within outwards ) :

P(b) S S B(p)

Pharyngo Basilar fascia
Superior constrictor
Styloglossus
Bucco pharngeal fascia

- Submitted by Mayank Kesharwani

Submissions : Important vertebral levels

Hello

Important vertebral levels for bifurcations:
- Common carotid artery bifurcation - C4 vertebra
- Tracheal bifurcation - T4 ( may ascend or descend upto two vertebrae higher or lower with breathing )
- Abdominal Aorta bifurcation - L4

Important vertebral levels for formations:
- Cricoid cartilage-  C5- C6
- Thoracic duct crosses right to left - T5 ( and enters left IJV )
- Inferior Vena Cava formation - L5 ( from two common iliac veins )

Submitted by Mayank Kesharwani

Submissions: Rolando fracture mnemonic

Hello

TATA truck ROLLS on wheels

The shape of this fracrure is T- shaped or Y ( bent- T ) shaped, which resembles the sign of the Tata motors truck, and Roll is for "Rolando fracture"

Mnemonic submitted by Mayank Kesharwani

Diagram by Jaskunwar Singh 

Medicowesome secret project: Let's talk about unpleasant changes

What is the "Let's talk" project? How can I talk about mental illnesses?

Medicowesome secret project: Let's talk about providing psychological support

What is the "Let's talk" project? How can I talk about mental illnesses?

Bartonella henselae and Pasteurella multocida infection mnemonic

Hello!

Sometimes I confuse the clinical manifestations of these two cat related diseases - Cat scratch disease caused by Bartonella henselae and Pasteurella multocida infection caused by cat bites. 

I probably wouldn't have confused these two in my step 1 days, but the older you get, the more confusing rare diseases become,

Sooo... Mnemonic!