OnlineMedEd: Intern Content - Weakness Flashcards
1
Q
Which two electrolytes cause true weakness if low?
A
Magnesium and potassium
Hypocalcemia and hyponatremia cause altered mental status, which are not true weakness.
2
Q
What four points can weakness arise from?
A
- Brain
- Spine (upper motor neuron)
- Peripheral nerve (lower motor neuron)
- Myoneural end plate
3
Q
List the five causes of weakness that arise from the brain.
A
- Stroke
- Bleed
- Cancer
- PML
- Multiple sclerosis (can be spinal, too)
4
Q
List the six causes of weakness from the spine.
A
- Spinal stenosis
- Spinal/epidural abscess
- Spinal trauma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Transverse myelitis
- ALS
5
Q
Why are the eyes and throat commonly affected in myasthenia gravis?
A
The eyes and throat are almost always being used, which exhausts the stores of acetylcholine.
6
Q
Go through the mnemonic for polyneuropathy.
A
DANG THERAPIST •Diabetes • Alcohol • Nutrition (B12 deficiency) •Guillain-Barré •Trauma • Hereditary (CMT, HNPP) •Environment (lead poisoning) •Remote cancer •Autoimmune • Porphyria • Inflammatory • Syphilis • TB
7
Q
What three infections cause myositis?
A
- TB
- Fungus
- Bacteria
8
Q
How does myositis present?
A
Weakness and tenderness
