Medicine Hack

Definition: Chickenpox is a benign viral disease of childhood, characterized by an exanthematous vesicular rash. It is an extremely common and contagious condition. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which is a herpes virus and contains a double stranded DNA in its center. Epidemiology: Age group affected- 5 to 9 years. The infection can be there at other ages too but it is less frequent. It is highly contagious and it affects all races and both sexes equally. The attack rate is around 90% among seronegative persons. Pathogenesis: Incubation period- 10 to 21 days but is usually 14 to 17 days. Patients are infectious around 48 hours from onset of vesicular rash, during the period of vesicular formation (around 4-5 days) and until all vesicles are crusted. Transmission occurs by respiratory route. The virus is believed to be localized in the nasopharynx, in the reticulo-endothelial system. It then enters the blood. This stage of viremia is characterized by diffused ski

The thermostat for body temperature is located in the hypothalamus. When the body temperature falls below normal, the posterior hypothalamic sympathetic centre directs via nerve impulses the blood vessels of the skin to constrict. This conserves heat.  Sympathetic stimulation also causes piloerection i.e. hair to stand erect and trap a layer of air that act as an insulator. However, this does not play a great role in humans. If body temperature falls even lower, the regulatory centre sends nerve impulses to the skeletal muscles, and shivering occurs. Shivering generates heat, and gradually body temperature rises to 37°C. Metabolic systems are also activated to produce more heat. When the temperature rises to normal, the regulatory centre is inactivated. When the body temperature is higher than normal, the regulatory centre directs the blood vessels of the skin to dilate. This allows more blood to flow near the surface of the body, where heat can be lost to the environmen

The skin is sometimes called the cutaneous membrane or the integument. It has 2 regions notably the epidermis and the dermis. The hypodermis is a subcutaneous tissue and is found between the dermis and any underlying structure like muscles.  Epidermis It is the outer and thinner layer of the skin.  It is made up of stratified squamous epithelium divided into several layers; the deepest layer is the stratum basale, and the most superficial layer is the stratum corneum. The deepest layer is constantly producing new cells and pushing them to the surface. The stratum corneum, on the other hand, gets keratinised to form a waterproof layer and also acts as a mechanical barrier.  Dermis It is a thicker and denser region than the epidermis. It is composed of dense and irregular connective tissues. Its upper layer has structures called as dermal papillae that project into the epidermis to cause ridges. These form unique patterns and give the characteristic fingerprint to all indi

Definition: It is defined as the introduction of a fluid drug under pressure using a syringe equipped with a hollow needle into the loose connective tissue below the dermis i.e. into the hypodermis. It has a low absorption there because of the low vascularisation but since it contains pain receptors, injection can be painful depending on the volume administered. For structure of skin, consider this page :  Skin structure Sites: 1) outer sides of arm, 2) front of upper outer thigh, 3) above and below the spine of scapula, 4) abdomen extending from the costal margin to the iliac crest except 5 cm all around the umbilicus. Angle of insertion of needle: 1) 90 degrees with a short needle, 2) 45 degrees with a longer needle. Techniques: 1) Pinch skin slightly to make 3 cm fold, 2) Insert needle quickly and firmly, 3) Release skin, 4) Aspirate and make sure that needle is not in a vessel, 5) Remove needle by gentle pressure with antiseptic swab, 6) Massage

Recent studies have found that allergic people tend to have more symptoms at the beginning of the season. This is regardless of the medications taken. The following are the proposed explanations: 1) Sufferers get used to the symptoms and are therefore not bothered by them. So they did not report the symptoms. 2) Allergen-specific regulatory T cells may down regulate the inflammatory response after high exposure to the pollen at the beginning of the season. 3) Pollen at the later part of the season are less allergenic.

Erythropoiesis refers to the formation of erythrocytes. Tissue oxygenation is the most essential regulator for this continuous process. Thus conditions like anemia, high altitudes, pulmonary disorders or heart failure cause tissue hypoxia. As a result of this, erythropoietin (EPO) is released from kidneys. It is glycoprotein in nature and 90% of it is produced in the kidneys. The remaining 10% is produced in the liver. This is why in cases where the kidneys have been removed or damaged by diseases, anemia results. The hypoxic sensor is believed to be the high oxygen-consuming renal tubular cells. If the hypoxic blood is unable to deliver enough oxygen from the peritubular capillaries, then the renal tubular epithelial cells are thought to release the erythropoietin. There may also be a non renal sensor because at times localised hypoxia elsewhere in the body can also lead to erythropoietin secretion. The effect of EPO is that it stimulates the production of proerythroblasts from

1) Hydrocodone combined with acetaminophen, 2) Simvastatin, 3) Lisinopril, 4) Levothyroxine, 5) Amlodipine, 6) Omeprazole, 7) Azithromycin, 8) Amoxicillin, 9) Metformin and 10) Hydrochlorthiazide.