Auto-brewery Syndrome

 I heard about auto-brewery syndrome today!

It is a condition in which ethanol is produced through endogenous fermentation by fungi or bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Algorithm 2 : CSF report | Step 2 CK

Algorithm 1: Acute Pharyngitis

Topiramate mnemonic

How I remember that the anti-epileptic drug (AED) topiramate is associated with kidney stones:
To-pee-ra-mate can cause you "to pee rocks, mate." Rocks = stones, pee = urine.

How I remember that the AED topiramate is associated with mild cognitive impairment:
toPIRAmATE can make you a "pirate" and make you forget "Tom"! (This one is a stretch but can work lol)

-IkaN

Mnemonic for Thanatophoric dysplasia (thanatophoric dwarfism)

Welcome! 

A lethal skeletal dysplasia. It is the most common lethal skeletal dysplasia followed by osteogenesis imperfecta type II. 

Mutation of fibroblast growth receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene 

Type 1 : telephone handle like femurs

Type 2 : presence of a cloverleaf skull. Limb shortening milder and bowing is not there. 

Mnemonic : PCR

P = Platyspondyly (flattened vertebral bodies) 

C = Cloverleaf skull

R = Rhizomelic dwarfism , Rib cage is small 

Rhizomelic dwarfism Proximal (i.e. femoral, humeral) limb shortening.

Present as Nonviable fetus ....so do spontaneous vaginal delivery!

Thank you!

Medications contraindicated in Myasthenia gravis | Mnemonic | Step 2 CK

The moderator band of the right ventricle

The moderator band is an intra-cavitary structure in the right ventricle (RV) spanning from the lower limit of the inflow tract of the RV anterior septum to the base of the anterior papillary muscle of the RV free wall.

It carries a fascicle of the right bundle that allows for rapid activation of the RV free wall.

That's all!

-IkaN

Why von Willebrand disease has normal aPTT sometimes ?

VWF acts as a carrier protein for factor VIII.  Factor VIII is more rapidly degraded when unbound, and VWF deficiency can therefore lead to impairment of the intrinsic coagulation pathway leading to a prolonged activated PTT.  

Etiology of Fetal hydrops Mnemonic

Mnemonic for pregnancy complications with short inter pregnancy interval

Definition : <6-18 months from delivery to next pregnancy

During pregnancy, maternal folate and iron are depleted for fetal development, and the resulting maternal anemia is exacerbated by normal blood loss during delivery (eg, up to 10%-20% of blood volume).  In breastfeeding women, continued nutritional demands from the newborn prevent repletion of normal folate and iron stores, resulting in prolonged anemia!

Anti-epileptics in pregnancy mnemonic

 The choice of antiepileptic drugs for women with epilepsy of childbearing age who are planning a pregnancy are

High Yield mnemonics | Pulmonary System | Uworld | Step 2 CK

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) mnemonic

Medications that can cause depression

Did you know that the medications we prescribe can be associated with depression?

Beta-blockers and reserpine should also be considered as the cause of depression in those newly started on the medication.

Other such medications include:

Tripod position mnemonic

Hi everyone!

Short mnemonic is here..

“Tripod TONE is forwarding air into the Lungs” 

Mnemonic | Major risk factors for Ventilator associated pneumonia | Step2 CK

 

Mnemonic for an opioid intoxication | Step 2 CK

Mnemonic for LAB evaluations for SSRI overdose

Hii! 

Short mnemonic!

Isolated SSRI overdose = Asx / mild CNS Depression 

If symptomatic SSRI overdose with altered mental status & abnormal physical findings. 

Then Check for “ECG” 

Mnemonic = ECG! 

E  = ECG ( As Citalopram & Escitalopram can cause QT prolongation ) 

MOST IMPORTANT 

C = Coingestants (Ethanol , Benzodiazepines, Acetaminophen )& biCarbonate Levels ( assess for Metabolic acidosis ) 

G = Glucose levels ( rule out hypoglycemia as a cause of altered mental status) 

Mnemonic for Caustic Esophageal injury

Hi everyone! 

Here is a short mnemonic! 

ACidic Substance = Coagulation Necrosis ( Protein denaturation) - 

results in Eschar - prevents further acid penetration & thereby severe injury.

ALakaline Substance = Liquefactive Necrosis (Cell membrane dissolution) - deeper penetration results in more severe injuries. 

1st step = Serial CXR & abdominal x-ray to identify perforation

If no perforation or respiratory distress then Upper GI endoscopy within 24 hours to assess severity for esophageal damage. 

Thank you! 

The Moderna Vaccine: End of Pandemic?

 

The Moderna (mRNA-1273) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is the second vaccine to receive emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the FDA. Like the Pfizer vaccine, it is also a lipid nanoparticle encapsulated mRNA vaccine, and therefore has the same mechanism of action. Please read about the brief mechanism from the Pfizer vaccine article: https://www.medicowesome.com/2020/12/the-bnt162b2-covid-19-vaccine-pfizer.html I will try to avoid big numbers and statistics in this article. 

Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines start protecting their recipients 10 days after the first dose, with maximum protection two weeks after the second dose. They both have efficacy ranging from 94-95% in protecting against symptomatic Covid-19. However, studies haven't yet evaluated their role in preventing asymptomatic Covid-19, a substantial missing link. 

Can Covid-19 vaccines mitigate the pandemic? 

People picture vaccines as a way back to normalcy, as before the pandemic; unless these mRNA vaccines' role in controlling asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is studied, normalcy is out of our reach. The other issues concerning the above question are -

1. Since the phase 3 studies of these vaccines are relatively 'young', we don't have sufficient knowledge about the nature and duration of immunological protection. Animal studies have shown that neutralizing antibodies confer protection and CD4 and CD8 T cells also amplify the immunological response. We don't know how long will the neutralizing antibodies last in our plasma after receiving the vaccine. 

2. With both these vaccines, there is an inevitable study flaw. Vaccine recipients faced more systemic adverse events, such as fever, fatigue, headache, myalgia than the placebo group. These symptoms can also occur with Covid-19. Therefore, it is not unlikely that vaccine recipients could have designated their symptoms to the 'shot', and hesitated to refer themselves to be tested for Covid-19.

3. The third issue is quite popular in the daily news. What if the virus mutates and renders itself 'immune' to the vaccine? Some new strains have come up worldwide, and expectedly, the diaspora has started panicking. People need answers quickly while science takes time. So we cannot rule out the possibility that the virus devises a way to escape from the vaccine-induced immunological response. 

4. Vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED). Earlier preclinical studies with SARS and MERS have demonstrated that low-level neutralizing antibodies in the plasma can trigger a severe form of the disease. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are 100% effective in protecting against severe Covid-19, notwithstanding this fact, the regulatory authorities should monitor these and other vaccine candidates for this adverse event. 

5. Anti-Vaxxers! The anti-vaccine sentiment is appalling, and there have been 'anti-vaccine' protests in many parts of the world, including the US, Germany, Poland, and others. There are numerous fake news and misinformation in social media platforms that misguide people and tarnish their perspective about the vaccines. And this phenomenon has even affected the medical professionals. The healthcare authorities have an onerous task to incite confidence in the general public and safeguard them from misinformation. 

Safety

The adverse effect profile of both the vaccines is similar, with the most common being local injection-site reactions. Systemic side effects are more common in the vaccine group and comprise mainly of fatigue and headache. Bell's palsy occurred in three (out of 15,210) vaccine recipients within 28 days of administration. This anecdotal risk would be studied in the planned two-year follow-up. 

Being a physician in the Indian subcontinent, there are various reasons to mistrust this vaccine. Both the mRNA vaccines have been studied primarily in the US population (mainly whites), and we don't have any data on its long-term effects. Recently, I have come across various tweets and posts in my social media feed with the headline - " Doctors and nurses are declining the vaccine." I am unaware of these posts' credibility; however, this isn't false in my experience. Well for what it's worth, we haven't seen a whole lot of polio, diphtheria or smallpox recently. 

Thanks for reading!

-VM

 

 

Perspective: My ideology and philosophy about medicine