Important things that you should know Flashcards
Define tone
tone is the state of contraction in the muscles at rest
- so normal muscles are floppy at rest
what kind of lesion is increased muscle tone
UMN lesion
what kind of lesion is decreased muscle tone
LMS lesion
what is clonus
- it is associated with UMN lesions involving descending motor pathways
- it is a series of involuntary rhythmic muscular contractions and relaxation
what is fascinations
this is a brief spontaneous contraction affecting a small number of muscle fibres, this often causes a flicker of movement under the skin
describe Lower motor neurone lesions
- loss of alpha motor neurone or peripheral nerve
- decreased tone
- decreased reflexes
- leads to muscle wasting
- fasciculation - the spontaneous contraction of denervated muscle
describe upper motor neurone weakness
- loss of descending control
- increased tone and clonus
- increased reflexes
- abnormal reflexes
what is the cause of clubbing and what diseases does it occur in
- the amount of soft tissue beneath the nail bed increases
- it occurs in disorders such as lung cancer, lung abscess, pulmonary fibrosis and some ongeitnal heart disorders and liver disorders
what are the common symptoms of clubbing
- nail beds soften - nails seem to float instead of being firmly attached
- nails form a sharper angle with the cuticle
- last part of the finger may appear larger or bulging and it may also be warm and red
- nail curves downwards so it looks like the round part of an upside down spoon
why do you check the lymph nodes in a respiratory examination
cervical lymph nodes for evidence of metastatic disease
why do you check the apex beat in a respiratory examination
cor pulmonale - this is abnormal enlargement of the right side of the heart as a result of disease of the lungs or the pulmonary blood vessels
what does chest expansion check for
lung collapse or pneumonia
what is muscle wasting a sign of
nerve damage
what can cause the temperature change in an joint examination
cellulitis
inflammatory arthritis
why do you hold the joint as they are moving it
crepitus - creaking at the joint
where do flexors and extensors attach in the elbow
flexors - these attach medially
extensors - these attach laterally
what tests examination for effusion in the knee
- patellar tap
- bulge test - this is to detect smaller effusions
where does the ACL attach
anterior of the tibia to the posterior of the femur
- stops tibia moving forwards on the femur
where does the PCL attach
- posterior of the tibia to anterior of the femur
- stops the tibia moving back of the femur
how do you test visual acuity
Broadly check acuity by asking patient to cover one eye and read a
line off a sheet of paper/ID card, and repeat with the other one.
Mention you would assess this properly with a Snellen chart.
what is the test called in which you test for visual fields
confrontation
how do you check colour vision
- you check colour vision with islihara plates
what does damage to the occumotor nerve do
Damage to the oculomotor nerve leads to unopposed actions of trochlear and abducens nerves, leading to a ‘down and out’
appearance.
what does the oculomotor nerve innervate
medial rectus, inferior rectus, superior rectus, inferior oblique.