Many communities around the country are faced with the reality that an alarming number of young people are trying tobacco, alcohol and other dangerous drugs. Many others are using them regularly. The numbers can be startling. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that by the 8th grade, 30% of…
Tag: Pediatrics
Section Editor: Dr. Sujit Kumar Shrestha, MD Pediatrics, Fellowship Neonatology
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Aplastic Anemia : Review notes
Definition Failure of bone marrow to produce peripheral blood cells and its progenitors Etiology The following illustration gives a brief idea about the etiological factors of aplastic anemia Now going into each etiological factor: – Autoimmune diseases: – Either they affect all the lineages (autoimmune aplastic anemia) or a single…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) – Mnemonic
ASBURY CRITERIA FOR GUILLAIN BARRE SYNDROME (GBS) Required Criteria Mnemonic: AIDP 1. Areflexia 2. Include in differential and rule out other causes 3. Duration < 4 weeks 4. Progressive weakness of 2 or more limbs due to neuropathy Supportive criteria Mnemonic: AIDPS 1. Afebrile 2. Involvement: Mild sensory involvement Facial…
Emergency Medicine 
Severe Malaria : Quick revision
Criteria for Severe and Complicated Malaria Positive peripheral blood smear for P.falciparum + ≥1 of the CHAPLINS (Mnemonic) Convulsions: >2 in 24 hour Cerebral edema (Consciousness impaired) Hypoglycemia (glucose <40 mg/dl) Hemorrhage (DIC) Hemoglobinuria (Black water fever) Anemia (hemoglobin <5 gm/dl or PCV <15% in children; hemoglobin <7 gm/dl or…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Bedside Cold Agglutinin Test for Mycoplasma
Definition of Cold Agglutinin Cold agglutinins are polyclonal IgM that have specificity against the I-antigen on red cells, and often there is light chain restriction, with kappa being predominant. The infections associated with cold agglutinins are: Mycoplasma pneumoniae Epstein Barr virus Cytomegalovirus HIV Rubella Steps for Bedside Cold Agglutinin Test…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Rib Notching
Normal Rib Notching A small notch near the costo-vertebral joint is normal, so pathologic rib notching is more likely if the notching is more lateral. Types of Pathological Rib Notching 1. Superior rib notching 2. Inferior rib notching (more common) Inferior Rib Notching (Roesler’s sign) Mechanism: Enlargement of one or…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Hemolytic Anemia – Quick review
Although, we classify as intravascular and extravascular hemolysis, “diseases” don’t read the book. These disorders may be described as causing extravascular hemolysis, but your case may be the uncommon exception with intravascular hemolysis that was not mentioned. Diseases may cause anemia by both intravascular and extravascular hemolysis. Extravascular hemolysis typically…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Lysosomal Storage Disorders Made Easy
Among the common lysosomal storage disorders: Two of them are Mucopolysaccharidoses (Hunter and Hurler syndrome) Pompe’s disease is Glycogen Storage Disease. Others are Sphingolipidoses. Inheritance of Lysosomal Storage Diseases All are inherited as Autosomal Recessive (AR) condition except: Hunter syndrome (X-linked recessive) Fabry’s disease (X-linked recessive) Higher risk in Ashkenazi…