General Medical Questions and Answers # 5

Welcome to a place for your medical questions answered correctly. Please consult a doctor or a medical clinic before using any of the information present on this page.

1.  How often do patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis develop peripheral arthritis?
Approximately 20% of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis will develop associated peripheral arthritis

2.  What is Bruns syndrome?
Bruns syndrome is headache, vomiting, vertigo, and falling associated with a change in head position in patients with lesion(s) in the 4th ventricle

3.  What is the 80% rule for neck masses?
    * 80% masses in children are benign
    * 80% masses in adults are malignant

4.  What is the half-life of C-reactive protein?
Approximately 5-7 hours

5.  What conditions result in a FENA of <1%?
Prerenal azotemia, acute glomerulonephritis, hepatorenal syndrome, and renal transplant rejection are associated with a FENA of less than 1%

6.  Which types of ovarian cancer have the highest and the lowest frequency of being associated with an elevated CA 125.
Serous histology is associated with the highest frequency of elevated CA 125 and mucinous tumors with the lowest incidence of associated elevated CA 125

7.  What is the most common cause of acute osteomyelitis?
Staphylococcus aureus

8.  Which people most commonly developed modified smallpox?
Modified smallpox generally was a less severe form of the disease that occurred in people previously vaccinated for smallpox

9.  What is the Brown-Sequard Syndrome?
The Brown-Sequard syndrome is associated with a cord lesion that bisects one half of the spinal cord. It is characterized by loss of touch, position, and vibration with ipsilateral paralysis and contralateral loss of temperature and pain

10.  What are the three categories of primary dysmenorrhea?
    * Essential
    * Psychogenic
    * Sporadic

11.  Describe the coagulopathy that can be seen in patients with systemic amyloidosis?
Patients can develop vitamin K deficiency secondary to decreased gastrointestinal absorption. In addition they can also develop a factor X deficiency because of adsorption of factor X by amyloid fibrils

12.  Why is the factor VIII level performed?
To evaluate for hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease

13.  Is metoprolol found in human breast milk?
Metoprolol is excreted in breast milk

14.  Although viral culture of a herpes zoster (shingles) skin lesion is possible, what is the preferred method of diagnosis?
Using direct immunofluorescence is more sensitive, has a quicker turn around time, and costs less than a viral culture

15.  The free thyroxin index (FTI) corrects for any abnormal T4 values related to protein binding. How do you calculate the FTI?
    * FTI = T4 x T3RU / 100
    * Normal values are 2-5

Email to a friend