Clinical sciences Flashcards
(166 cards)
What is the relative risk reduction?
Relative risk reduction (RRR) or relative risk increase (RRI) is calculated by dividing the absolute risk change by the control event rate
What is the process by which atherosclerosis occurs?
Endothelial dysfunction is triggered e.g. by smoking, HTN and hyperglycaemia
Results in changes to the endothelium
Fatty infiltration of the sub-endothelial space by low-density lipoproteins (LDL)
Monocytes migrate from the blood and become macrophages. These macrophages then phagocytose the LDL and turn into large ‘foam cells’ (fat laden macrophages). As these macrophages die the result can further propagate the inflammatory process
SM proliferation + migration from the tunica media into the intima results in formation of a fibrous capsule covering the fatty plaque
Result of C3 deficiency?
causes recurrent bacterial infections
Results of C5 deficiency?
predisposes to Leiner disease
recurrent diarrhoea, wasting and seborrhoeic dermatitis
Results of C5-9 deficiency?
encodes the membrane attack complex (MAC)
particularly prone to Neisseria meningitidis infection
The MAC essentially punches holes in the surface of the cell. When the happens enough times, the cell is killed. So without these complement subunits this cannot happen.
Results of C1, C2 and C4 deficiency?
Form part of the classical complement pathway. A deficiency in any of these complements makes patients susceptible to immune complex diseases including SLE
What to give alongside ferrous fumarate in iron deficiency and why?
Ascorbic acid (vit C) - think about being told to drink orange juice
Iron is best absorbed in the small intestine in the ferrous form (Fe2+). Ferric iron (Fe3+), however, is more difficult for the intestinal mucosa to absorb. By the addition of Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to oral iron therapy, there is increased conversion of Fe3+ to Fe2+ in the gastrointestinal tract. This increases the proportion of Fe2+ iron, which is more readily absorbed, thus improving the response to treatment.
Where is iron absorbed?
upper small intestine especially the duodenum
How is iron transported around the body?
carried in plasma as Fe3+ bound to transferrin
What decreases the absorption of iron?
A more alkaline environment: PPIs, gastric achlorhydria (no gastric acid)
tetracycline
tannin (found in tea)
Which type of renal stones form in acid/alkaline urine?
Acid - uric acid
Alkaline - struvite
Struvite = magnesium ammonium phosphate (ammonia is alkaline)
What is the inheritance pattern and cause go homocystinuria?
Homocystinuria is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by a deficiency of cystathionine beta synthase
What are the features of patients with homocystinuria?
Everything points downwards, looking at legs
Fine, fair hair - pointing to the floor Arachnodactylyl - hands hanging by sides Learning difficulties - LOW IQ DOWNWARDS dislocation of the lens Increased risk of VTEs (DVT in leg)
Investigations in homocystinuria?
increased homocysteine levels in serum and urine
cyanide-nitroprusside test: also positive in cystinuria
Treatment of homocystinuria?
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements
(Google image for pictures)
B6 is needed in the conversion of homocysteine -> cysteine. Therefore providing more should clear the body of more homocysteine.
What are the stages of the cell cycle and what regulates it?
Regulated by cyclins
G0: resting phase
G1: cells increase in size, under influence of p53, this stage determines cell cycle length
S: synthesis of DNA, RNA, histone, centrosome duplication
G2: cells continue to increase in size
M: mitosis, cell division (shortest phase)
What is the inheritance pattern of mitochondrial diseases?
none of the children of an affected male will inherit the disease
all of the children of an affected female will inherit the disease
inheritance is only via the maternal line as the sperm contributes no cytoplasm to the zygote
What might you see on a muscle biopsy in mitochondrial diseases?
muscle biopsy classically shows ‘red, ragged fibres’ due to increased number of mitochondria
What foods contain folic acid?
Liver, green vegetables and nuts
Which conditions are associated with collagen type 1, 3, 4 and 5?
1 = Osteogenesis imperfecta 3 = Vascular variant of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome 4 = Goodpastures, alports 5 = Classical variant of Ehler-Danlos syndrome
What are the different sleep stages?
N1 → N2 → N3 → REM
Non-REM stage 1: Light sleep, associated with hypnic jerks
Non-REM stage 1: deeper sleep = 50% of all sleep
Non-REM stage 1: deep sleep - night tremors, bed wetting and sleep walking occur here
REM: dreaming occurs, loss of muscle tone/erections
REM can dysfunction - if the patient is DREAMING - must be REM regardless of whether there is hypotonia or not
On ECG:
Theta (N-REM1) → Sleep spindles/K-complexes (N-REM2) → Delta (N-REM3) → Beta (REM)
The Sleep Doctor’s Brain
What is specificity and how is it calculated?
A test’s specificity is the proportion of people without the disease who will have a negative result.
Specificity = True Negatives / (True Negatives + False Positives)
What is the p value?
A measure of the probability that an observed difference could have occurred just by random chance, assuming that the null hypothesis is true
Therefore = to a T1 error
Or, equal to the chance that the value of our study or one at least as extreme as it, could have occurred by chance if the null hypothesis is true
What is the difference between a T1 and T2 error?
T1 = the null hypothesis is rejected when it is true T2 = the null hypothesis is accepted when it is false