More vocab

Sometimes I think we make up words just to make ourselves sound smart. I think during anatomy they said we learned 7000 new terms. It worked out to be about 100 new things a day. Well, how about a few more words to drop at your next cocktail party?

hematochezia- bright red blood streaked stool. thats right, we actually have a word for that.

prostatism - lower urinary tract symptoms.

meconium - first stool of an infant.

and today's personal favorite...

dyspareunia - painful intercourse. this is a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.

Why do we have a word for an infant's first stool, or a word for "painful intercourse"? I guess it's because as future doctors, we like to sit around and talk about poop and sex. at least this way we can discuss it at the dinner table and it sounds grown-up.

Vocab Lesson

Occasionally in medical school we learn cool new vocab words for a condition or symptom. For example, the ever popular condition of coughing up blood as seen in every episode of House is called hemoptysis.

Todays cool word:

Trichobezoar - hairball Yes, these are occasionally found in the GI system, they are indigestible, and can cause problems.

Todays lesson: Don't swallow hair.

Pharm phun

Two drugs, almost identical molecular structure, very different actions.

Before there was viagra, there was alprostadil. This is a prostaglandin (PGE 1). It is given by penile injection to cause vasodilation and erection. Ouch...

Another drug, dinoprostone, another prostaglandin (PGE 2), is administered vaginally. Given in early pregnancy, it is abortifacient, meaning it causes an abortion. Given in late pregnancy, it causes uterine muscle contraction and induction of labor.

Two drugs, almost identical chemical structure, very different results. Interesting.

Long awaited return

I must apologize to those who have been checking this blog daily only to find that they will not get their random medical fact fix. But alas, i return, only to issue a grave warning.

Haemophilus influenza - this small gram negative coccobacilli has all but been eliminated from the united states. But, like so many other diseases, this one to tends to prey on those other countries unalbe to afford vaccinations. The full name, Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius, is alive and well in South America. It causes Brazilian purpuric fever. Symptoms begin with conjunctivitis that develops into a fever, petechiae (small pinpoint bleeds), then purpura (larger hemorrhages) and eventually septic shock. This has a high mortality rate.

So, if you happen to know three lost travelers making their way through South America, do tell them to stay clear of the dreaded Hemophilus influenza biogroup aegyptius!!!

sebatical

neuroscience is behind me, and the purple mountain majesty is before me. i'll be taking a week off, so for those of you who check the blog first thing in the morning, you'll have to find something else to get yourself out of bed.

peace!

cataplexy

cataplexy (a form of narcolepsy) is a rediculus disorder i thought i would share with you. symptoms: you fall asleep when you get really excited. got nothing to do for the next few minutes? check these out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1_yS6_5T4&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyzeCiW-nn0&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkckq9pfoE&NR=1

so, as most of you guessed, the safest place to have a heart attack is not in a hospital. in fact, its one of the most dangerous. why? so many people are trained in CPR and there are AED's hung in every public place (try to find it next time you go the the grocery store, i'll bet they have one). it actually matters more on how many people are around to see you go down that relates to how likely you are to survive.
the rank:
best place to have a heart attack - casino, then airport (60% survival) then mall, then hospital (only 20% chance of survival).

its because your usually all alone in your room and the nurse is attending to many patients and only checks in once in a while.

I have some pretty smart readers.