Following Medicowesome

"I really want to read all your posts from time to time. How can I follow you?"

I feel that email is the best option.
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As for social media, I regularly update Facebook and Twitter.
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For those of you who use Whatsapp, the Broadcast list is a wonderful idea.
I add contacts to my broadcast list and send links to blog posts (new and old) on a daily basis.
Broadcast list: http://medicowesome.blogspot.in/2015/09/medicowesome-broadcast-list.html

Submissions: Anti-diarrhoeal and drugs used for constipation notes

These awesome notes were written by Kiki!

Triad of pheochromocytoma mnemonic

To remember the classic triad of pheochromocytoma, remember 3 P's.

Study group discussion: Pharmacology of drugs used in Parkinsons disease

Why does bradykinesia and rigidity occur in Parkinson's disease?

Bradykinesia is due to deficiency of dopamine.
Rigidity is due to uncompensated increase in acetylcholine.

Why levodopa is always given in combination with carbidopa and entacapone? 

Carbidopa is given to protect levodopa against dopa decarboxylase enzyme which causes its peripheral breakdown. Peripheral conversion of dopamine is harmful.. Can cause cardiac arrhythmias and postural hypotension.

Entacapone is given to block COMT.

Difference between entcapone and talcapone?

Study group discussion: Why are platelets low in hepatic disease?

Why are platelets low in hepatic disease?

You need cytokines to tell the marrow to synthesis platelets. They are synthesized chiefly by liver.

It is also been associated with the concept of hypersplenism leading to sequestration of thrombocytes in the enlarged spleen.

Submissions: Anti-diabetic drugs and insulin

Written by kiki <3 p="">

Anti-diabetic drugs classification

Upper segment to lower segment ratio (US:LS ratio) mnemonic

Hey!

I was asked to measure the US:LS in a child. My professor was suspecting Rickets. So let's learn the normal ratios is various age groups!

Submissions: Respiratory drugs classification notes

These notes were written by kiki :)

ACE inhibitors that are not prodrugs mnemonic and dysgeusia

Before I tell you about the mnemonic, lemme tell you about Titanic.

The captain of Titanic was not a pro in sailing because he sank the ship xD

Or because he listened to Bruce, "The press knows the size of Titanic, now I want them to marvel at her speed, too. We must give them something new to print. This maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines!" 

Haste is waste, Bruce. Lol.

So now you know what I am talking about, here's the mnemonic:

"Captain who Listens and acts hastily is not a pro."

Scaphoid fracture mnemonic

This was sent to me by a friend, Akshay Dhaiya! I modified it a little bit :D

He likes to call the scaphoid fracture as the Spiderman fracture. Why?

Because it's caused by supination and dorsiflexion of wrist.
(Just like how spidey throws his web!)

Spiderman - Supinating and dorsiflexing the wrist xD

How to remember the function of anconeus muscle (Screwing movement at elbow joint)

Short anatomy post for the day!

I remember about Scrat the squirrel form Ice Age, always screwing around for an acorn.

Why is gout more common in men?

Hey everyone!

I was trying to find out is hyperuricemia in Von Gierkes disease gender specific.. I didn't get the answer to my question (If you do, please let me know!), but I did found out that hyperuricemia, in general, is more common in men.

Why?

Pterygium is more common on the nasal side: Why?

Why do pterygia occur more commonly in nasal side?

Environmental factors, such as a warm climate, dust and UV light, are the main causes of pterygia.

Major And Minor Blood Cross Matching Compatibility Tests

Hello awesomites! Jay ™ here today, once again with a new blog post. Yayy! ^_^

Today we will discuss about Major and minor blood cross match compatibility test. This is usually performed before the transfusion of blood from a donor to a recipient in a hospital setting.

Before we get to this we need to get known to a table which we will use in the following tests.

Blood Type	Agglutinogen (Antigen)	Agglutinin (Antibody)
A	A	Anti b
B	B	Anti a
AB	A + B	None
O	None	Anti A + Anti B

In major compatibility test we mix Donor Cells (Dc) with Recipient Serum(Rs).

In minor compatibility test, we mix Recipient Cells (Rc) with Donor Serum (Ds)

For the Cells we check the Column of Agglutinogen and for Serum we check the Column of Agglutinin for obvious reasons of the place of presence of each.

So for an Example – 

Granular contents of neutrophils mnemonic

This post was requested by someone.. So I made a mnemonic.

Medicowesome broadcast list

I have created a broadcast list on Whatsapp for those who want to recieve links to recent blog posts.

It's not a group, you'll just receive updates about new blogs from me regularly through a personal message.

If you would like me to send you links instead of you checking the blog or Twitter.. Just email me your number with proper country code at medicowesome@gmail.com with "Broadcast list" in the subject. I'll message you in a week.

Study group experience #18

Here's what we discussed so far:

Decerebrate and Decorticate rigidity

Drunken crab syndrome

Polygonal cells

Contraindications of ACE inhibitors

Acromegaly

Antianginal drug classes mnemonic

Why more phenytoin is prescribed at night

HSV encephalitis and musical hallucinations

Monroe Kenri's Law

ECCE

Fluids in inferior wall myocardial infarction

Serum ascites albumin gradient

Suprapubic cystostomy experience

Referred pain

Hot vs Cold fomentation

Cystogastrotomy for pseudopancreatic cyst

Wow. 6 groups. I don't know what to say so I'm going to tell you what others said:

"The group has been good. I've learnt a lot through here. Especially spot diagnoses."

"I mean people asking questions, even though repeat, sometimes helps just to consolidate."

"Hey.. Just wanted you to know that my grades have gone up since the group :)"

These were so nice to read!

-IkaN

Volume of ascitic fluid, abdominal assessment in ascites and my viva incident

Hey everyone!

A colleague asked this question on the study group  - What volume of ascitic fluid are the following tests positive: Puddle sign, Shifting dullness, Fluid thrill?

What I found out - Minimum amount of fluid required for detection of ascites by various methods are:

Diagnostic tap 10 - 20 ml

Ultrasonography 100 ml

CT scan 100 ml

Puddle sign  120 ml

Shifting dullness 500 ml
Fluid thrill 1000 - 1500 ml

I would also like to add an incident that happened in my viva:

I had a patient with liver cirrhosis in my exam. The examiner asked me that which physical examination signs I knew for the detection of suspected ascites and what my findings were.

Why does thiazide, a diuretic, cause a paradoxical anti-diuretic effect in Diabetes insipidus?

Hey everyone!

I have explained this before (In one of my earlier posts on free water clearance) but someone found my language too complicated to understand. So I decided to write this post.. An explanation which is "free" of complicated terms like free water clearance. Yaay! :D

ADH absorbs water. In nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, the kidney is unresponsive to ADH.

What do you then?

You use a drug called thiazide.

Thiazide diuretics inhibit the NaCl co-transporter  in the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
The DCT is water impermeable.. So the DCT action is NOT how thiazides preserve water.

Then what is preserving water?

Submissions: Mature defense mechanisms mnemonic

Mature defense mechanisms mnemonic

SMASH
Suppression
Mature defenses
Altruism
Sublimation
Humor

This mnemonic was submitted by mist amidst

Ethosuximide mnemonic

Greetings everyone!

This little pharmacology pearl was written by Keto :)

eThosuximide is the T drug.

It blocks the T-type Ca2+ channels:
T stands for Transient which can be found in the Thalamus.

Remember, that thalamus is a relay nucleus with a lot of subnuclei. Everything travels through, EXCEPT smell. So a patient with "Transient" absence (peTiT mal) seizure, you can let them smell something to bring them back. And... eThosuximide is the drug they need.