The Clinician

Neuropsychiatric manifestation of HIV/AIDS Think in this line: What a person goes through at a time of testing? Mostly anxiety. Why? That's for you to find out lol What can happen when results come out reactive? Anxiety, beginning of depression, suicidal. Again why? Think.. During the course of ART, what conditions can arise due to the psychological part of a disease? Depression is still coming back and anxiety. What psychiatric sequelae directly related to the virus itself? HIV associated dementia on top. What about conditions related to ART drugs? Psychosis (mostly hallucinations), which drug? Think... Most of conditions (AIDS) that arise due to high viral load are not psychiatric. E...

Referred Pain The pain sensation produced in some parts of the body is felt in other structures away from the place of development. This is called referred pain According to dermatome rule, Pain is referred (transferred) to a structure. This structure is developed from the same Dermatome from which pain producing structure is developed. I know! It’s confusing 😝 Let me make it easy for you, There is a pain in your heart and this pain is transferred to your left arm. How is this happening 😐 This is because the heart and inner aspect of the left arm is developed from the same dermatome. Now, you must be thinking, what about other areas of the body! •Pain in testis is referred to the...

Diuretics in Congestive Heart Failure I read this really cool thing I would love to share it with you guys 😝 Did you know? Before diuretics were available, rotating tourniquets were use to diminish venous return by ligating the lower extremities. Less venous return, decreased preload. This obviously lead to pooling of blood in legs. This procedure was effective because it diminished the intravascular volume that would otherwise accumulate in the lungs. Amazing, ain't it? We have diuretics now! 🤗 Diuretics decrease preload and increase ventricular efficiency by reducing circulating volume, remove peripheral edema and pulmonary congestion. That's all! The Clinician

ABOUT ABDOMINAL X-RAY ANATOMY ⁣ ⁣ 📌This is something I found challenging as a student but by using a structured system it became more straightforward. I highly recommend using a system, the system I use is the mnemonic AC POP:⁣ ⁣ AIR⁣ ✅ Track every lucency you can see on the X-ray. Does every focus of gas look like it is in the bowel? If not there could be a perforation. Triangles of gas are bad news and commonly reflect extraluminal gas⁣ ✅ Is there a Rigler sign? Ie can you see both the inner and outer bowel wall - this can be tricky in more subtle cases ⁣ ✅ Is the bowel dilated? Small bowel can measure up to 3 cm, large bowel 5 cm and caecum up to 9 cm. If dilated we need to decide whe...

What comes to your mind, when a gravid patient with normal Bp, presents to you with signs of Bilateral pitting Oedema?

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: Corticosteroids Anticonvulsants (specifically gabapentin, lamotrigine, and topiramate) Anti-Parkinson medications Proton pump inhibitors H2-receptor antagonists Did you know? Interferon causes depression in most patients and the risk is reduced by the prophylactic administration of paroxetine. That's all! The clinician

About Termination of pregnancy in Zambia Under the Termination of Pregnancy Act, Cap 304 of the Laws of Zambia, termination of pregnancy (TOP) relates to an induced abortion when a pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner if he/she and two other registered medical practitioners, one of whom has specialised in the branch of medicine in which the patient is specifically required to be examined before a conclusion could be reached that the abortion should be recommended. The Act provides the general framework under which a pregnancy can be terminated. According to the Act, an abortion in Zambia can be conducted under the following circumstances: i) Risk to the life of t...