case 9 Flashcards
what are the parathyroid glands responsible for?
calcium homeostasis
what is ectopia/ectopic tissue?
the growth of normal tissue in the incorrect anatomical location
what is a potential effect of thyroidectomy?
can damage recurrent laryngeal nerves causing a weak or hoarse voice-patients are consented for this prior to surgery
what vertebral levels is the thyroid gland found on?
C5-T1
what forms do thyroid hormones travel round in in the body and what roles do the forms have?
- 1%: free, unbound, active
rest: bound to thyroid transport proteins, act as reservoir.
where are thyroid transport proteins produced?
liver
what stimulates thyroid transport protein production and what are the effects of this?
oestrogen-so levels of the transport proteins can be affected by pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy.
what is the main ‘biological’ theory of the cause of depression?
the monoamine theory
what are serotinergic pathways?
pathways whose neurones use serotonin as their main neurotransmitter.
what’s an example of an indirectly acting sympathomimetic amine?
ephedrine nasal decongestant
what is an anxiolytic?
anti anxiety drug.
what is menopause?
the time when there has been no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months and no other biological or physiological cause can be identified-the end of fertility.
what is somnolence?
sleepiness
is zolpidem a benzodiazepine?
no but it is used as a hypnotic.
name 4 benzodiazepines.
Clonazepam
Chlordiazepoxide
Diazepam
Midazolam
exam q: define empathy. (2 marks)
empathy is the capacity to understand the patient’s situation, perspective and feelings, [1 mark] and to communicate that understanding back to the patient [1 mark].
what happens in OCD?
Recurrent thoughts that come into the patient’s consciousness that they recognize as their own that are obsessional and intrusive-usually associated with compulsive acts-eg cleaning excessively if your intrusive thoughts are about contamination.
what is a hallucination?
perception in the absence of a stimulus felt in the same strength as what the stimulus would be-eg hearing a voice when there’s no one there.
what are delusions?
fixed beliefs despite evidence to the contrary.
where in the brain are there glucocorticoid receptors?
hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus
what is a feature of 40% of domestic homicides?
stalking.
what is the toxic trio for child safeguarding?
domestic abuse
substance abuse
mental ill health
about how often do the raphe cells fire?
5 times a second
remember they have pacemaker like potentials
define medically unexplained symptoms. (2 marks)
physical symptoms persisting for more than several weeks [1 mark] and for which adequate medical examination has not revealed a condition that adequately explains the symptoms [1 mark]
