Random 3 Flashcards
What is the first line investigation in heart failure?
NT-pro BNP. It has a longer half life than BNP and is stable in the bloodstream for longer. Therefore, a more accurate level.
What is orthopnoea?
It refers to the difficulty in breathing that occurs when an individual lies flat (supine) and is relieved when they sit up or assume an upright position.
How do you remember the drugs that should be stopped in an AKI?
DAMN AKI
Diuretics
Aminoglycosides and ACEi
Metformin
NSAIDs
What is the treatment for severe hyperkalaemia (greater than 6.5mmol/L) or with ECG changes?
IV calcium gluconate(30 mL, calcium gluconate 10%) and insulin/dextrose infusion
The calcium gluconate is for stabilising the myocardium and the insulin/dextrose is used to shift the potassium from the extracellular compartment to the intracellular compartment.
What is the normal anion gap range?
10-18mmol/L
What does a raised anion gap indicate?
If the anion gap is raised, this suggests that there is increased production, or reduced excretion, of fixed/ organic acids e.g.
Lactic acid (sepsis, tissue ischaemia)
Urate (renal failure)
Ketones (diabetic ketoacidosis)
Drugs/ toxins (salicylates, methanol, ethylene glycol)
What does a normal anion gap indicate?
If there is a metabolic acidosis with a normal anion gap, then this is either due to loss of bicarbonate, or accumulation of H+ ions. Causes include:
Renal tubular acidosis
Diarrhoea
Addison’s disease
Pancreatic fistula
How does fluid resuscitation cause hyperchloraemic metabolic acidosis?
A very high chloride in the blood causes bicarbonate to be pushed intra-cellularly.
What is azotemia?
Azotemia is a medical term used to describe a condition where there are elevated levels of nitrogen-containing compounds, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood.
What is brugada syndrome?
Genetic condition that causes faulty sodium channels, predisposes to fatal arrhythmias.
Right bundle branch block and raised ST segments in V1-V3
Teicoplanin
Part of the glycopeptide group of antibiotics, gram positive.
Effective against MRSA
What are some causes of hydronephrosis?
- kidney stones
- ureteral stricture
- pregnancy
- tumors
- Urinary retention
- blood clots
Treatment for HUS?
Normally resolves spontaneously.
Dialysis may be needed
What is railroading when inserting a catheter?
The physician inserts a guide wire through a vessel
The catheter is then ‘rail roaded’ over the guidewire, meaning it is advanced carefully along the wire, allowing it to navigate the challenging areas more easily.
Used for a PICC line
Peripherally inserted central catheter
What are some examples of organisms that cause atypical pneumonia?
Atypicals: so called because of the more gradual onset of symptoms, which may be non-specific initially (fever, myalgia, dry cough). The organisms are also intracellular;
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Chlamydia pneumoniae
- Legionella pneumophila
- (Coxiella burnettii
- Chlamydia psittaci)
What is achalasia?
Achalasia is a rare disorder of the esophagus, the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. In individuals with achalasia, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus, fails to relax properly during swallowing. As a result, food and liquids have difficulty passing through the esophagus and into the stomach, causing symptoms and potential complications.
What are some complications of pneumonia?
Pleural effusion
Empyema (suspect if persistent, swinging fever with leucocytosis found after antibiotic therapy)
Abscess (can be caused by S. pneumoniae, Klebsiella, staph aureus). Can develop pyopneumothorax.
Pneumothorax
Septicemia
Atrial fibrillation
Post-infective bronchiectasis
What is Lambert-Eaton syndrome?
Lambert Eaton syndrome (LES) is a rare autoimmune disorder in which antibodies are formed against pre-synaptic voltage-gated calcium channels in the neuromuscular junction. A significant proportion of those affected have an underlying malignancy, most commonly small cell lung cancer. It is therefore regarded as a paraneoplastic syndrome.
What does methemoglobin mean?
Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin in which the iron atom within the heme group (the part of hemoglobin responsible for binding oxygen) is in the ferric (Fe³⁺) state rather than the normal ferrous (Fe²⁺) state. This altered state of hemoglobin cannot bind oxygen effectively and, therefore, cannot transport oxygen to body tissues.
Describe the NICE hypertension guidelines.
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