Diseases Of The Nervous System Important Notes

Diseases Of The Nervous System Important Notes

  1. Bell’s palsy
    • It is idiopathic paralysis of facial nerve
    • Etiology
      • Rheumatic – Cold
      • Ischaemia
      • Immunological
      • Viral
    • Clinical features
      • Pain in post auricular region
      • Sudden onset
      • Unilateral loss of function
      • Loss of facial expression
      • Absence of wrinkling
      • Inability to close eye
      • Watering of eye
      • Inability to blow
      • Obliteration of nasolabial fold
      • Loss of taste sensation
      • Hyperacusis
      • Slurring of speech
  2. Grand mal epilepsy
    • Phases
      • Prodromal phase
      • Aura
      • Tonic and clonic phase
      • Postictal phase
  3. Nerve lesionDiseases Of The Nervous System Nerve Lesion
  4. lower motor neuron v/s upper motor neuronDiseases Of The Nervous System Lower Neuron Or Upper Motor Neuron
  5. Types of seizuresDiseases Of The Nervous System Types Of Seizures
  6. Pyogenic meningitis
    • Etiology
      • Cram negative bacteria
      • Croup B streptococci
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • H. influenza
      • N. meningitides
      • M. tuberculosis
      • Drug of choice – ceftriaxone
  7. Features of Horner’s syndrome
    • Miosis
    • Ptosis
    • Anhydrosis
    • Enophthalmos
  8. Drug of choice in different seizuresDiseases Of The Nervous System Drug Of Choice In Different Seizure
  9. Disorders of basal ganglia
    • Parkinson’s disease
    • Wilson’s degeneration
    • Chorea
    • Athetosis
  10. Parkinsonism
    • It is syndrome consisting of akinesia and bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremors
    • Anticholinergics are used for it
  11. Migraine
    • It is characterised by an episodic hemicranial or unilateral throbbing headache and is often associated with nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances. It is most common vascular headache
    • Causes pain of face and jaws
    • Occurs due to vasoconstriction of intracranial vessels followed by vasodilation
  12. Status epilepticus
    • It is a condition in which a series of seizures occur in the patient without regaining consciousness in between successive attacks
    • Precipitating factors
      • Sudden withdrawal of drugs
      • Irregular use of anticonvulsants
      • Following major intracranial pathology
    • Treatment
      • Immediate treatment
        • Rest the patient on the bed
        • Loosen the clothes
        • Maintain airway
        • Administration of high concentration of 02
        • Administration of 20-25 ml dextrose
        • Transfer the patient to ICU
    • Late treatment
      • Diazepam 10 mg IV repeat once only after 15 min
      • Lorazepam 4 mg IV repeated after 10 min
        • If the patient does not respond then drip of phenytoin 15 mg/kg at the rate of 50 mg/min
        • If still not controlled then 4 drip of thiopentone sodium 20 mg/kg at 50-100 mg/min.

Diseases Of The Nervous System Nervous System

Read And Learn More: General Medicine Question and Answers

  1. Trigeminal neuralgia
    • Occurs due to paralysis of the trigeminal nerve
    • Clinical features
      • Site: right lower portion of the face, usually unilateral
      • Duration: a few seconds to a few minutes
      • As time passes duration between the cycles decreases
      • Nature: stabbing or lancinating
      • Aggravating factors: activation of TRIGGER ZONES
      • These are the Vermillion border of the lip, around the eyes, ala of nose
      • Interference with other activities:
      • The patient avoids shaving, washing face, chewing, and brushing, as these may aggravate pain
      • These lead to a poor lifestyle
      • Extreme cases: leads to “FROZEN OR MASK-LIKE FACE”
  2. Syncope
    • It refers to generalized weakness of muscles, loss of postural tone, inability to maintain an erect posture, and loss of consciousness
    • Syncope Causes
      • Decreases cerebral perfusion
        • Inadequate vasoconstrictor mechanism
        • Hypovolemia
        • Reduction of venous return
        • Reduced cardiac output
        • Arrhythmias
        • Cerebrovascular disturbances
      • Noncirculatory causes
        • Hypoxia
        • Prolonged bed rest
        • Hypoglycaemia
        • Anaemia
        • Anxiety neurosis
        • Hyperventilation
    • Syncope Types
      • Vasovagal syncope
      • Postural hypotension with syncope
      • Micturition syncope
      • Cardiac syncope
      • Carotid sinus syncope
      • Cough syncope
      • Syncope of cerebrovascular disease
  3. Petit mal epilepsy
    • Typically seen in children
    • It is brief, and lasts only for seconds
    • They may left unnoticed by the people
    • Later it may develop into tonic-clonic seizures in adulthood

Occurs due to developmental abnormality of neuronal control

  1. Babinski’ sign
    • Extension of the great toe with fanning of other toes is called Babinski’s sign
  2. Headache
    • Classification
      • Migraine headache
      • Tension type of headache
      • Cluster headache
      • Miscellaneous headache
      • Traumatic headache
      • Headache due to vascular causes- hematoma
      • Headache due to nonvascular causes- due to increased pressure
      • Headache due to substance abuse- alcohol
      • Headache due to systemic infection
      • Headache due to metabolic disorders
      • Headache due to referred pain- from the ear, etc.
      • Cranial neuralgia- trigeminal neuralgia
      • Unclassified headache

Respiratory Diseases Long Essays

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Long Essays

Question 1. Describe the causes of bronchitis and chronic bronchitis and their clinical features, complications, and management.

Answer:

Bronchitis:

  • It is an inflammation of the bronchi leading to increased bronchial secretions and airway obstruction

Bronchitis Causes:

  1. Smoke, atmospheric, and industrial pollutants
    • These are atmospheric pollutants
    • They damage the protective mucosal barrier of the nose
    • Results in hypertrophy of mucus-secreting glands
  2. Infection
    • It acts as a precipitating factor
  3. Physical factors
    • Sudden change in temperature and exposure to fog leads to acute attacks of bronchitis
  4. Genetic and familial
    • Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency leads to bronchitis

Bronchitis Management:

  1. Removal of etiological factors
    • Avoid smoking
    • Avoid exposure to pollutants
  2. Treatment of infection
    • Antibiotics used are:
      • Oxytetracycline or ampicillin 250-500 mg after every 6 hours for 5-7 days
      • Cotrimoxazole- 960 mg tablets for 5-7 days
  3. Bronchodilators
    • Oral theophylline- 150 mg BID is used
    • Inhaled beta-2 adrenoreceptor stimulants- salbutamol 200 mg every 6 hours is used
    • In severe cases, ipratropium bromide- 40-80 meg every 6 hours is used
  4. Mucolytic agents
    • These include bromhexine and carbocystein
  5. Corticosteroids
    • Prednisolone 30 mg/day for 2 weeks is used
  6. Oxygen therapy

Chronic Bronchitis:

  • It is defined as a cough with expectoration on most days at least three consecutive months in a year for more than two consecutive years

Bronchitis Clinical Features:

  • Productive cough
  • Dyspnoea
  • Wheezing
  • Occasionally chest pain, fever, and fatigue
  • Hemoptysis- the presence of blood streaks in sputum
  • Complications:
  • Type 1 and 2 respiratory failure
  • Pulmonary arterial hypertension and corpulmonale
  • Secondary infections
  • Secondary polycythemia

Question 2. Describe clinical features and management of bronchial asthma.
(or)
Discuss the etiology, clinical features, investigations, and management of bronchial asthma.

Answer:

Bronchial Asthma:

  • It is a disease of the airway in which there is chronic inflammation and increased responsiveness to a variety of stimuli leading to reversible airway obstruction.

Etiology:

  • It is caused by various allergens, which are
  1. Most common
    • Pollens, house dust, feathers, animal dander, insect web, fungal spores, etc.
  2. Less common
    • Ingestion in predisposed individuals like fish, meat, milk, yeast, and wheat

Bronchial Asthma Clinical Features:

  • Symptoms may be episodic or persistent
  1. Episodic asthma
    • Sudden in onset
    • Triggered by allergens, exercise
    • Attacks may be spontaneous
    • Duration varies from a few hours to days and even two weeks
    • Characterized by wheezing, cough, and dyspnoea
    • Between attacks, the patients are usually asymptomatic
  2. Acute severe asthma
    • It is a severe life-threatening attack of asthma
    • The patient may have tachycardia, cyanosis, and active accessory respiratory muscles
  3. Chronic asthma
  • Triad of symptoms- chest tightness, wheeze or cough, and exertional dyspnoea occurs
  • Cough is productive
  • A prominent wheeze is audible
  • Breath sound is harsh vesicular with prolonged expiration

Read And Learn More: General Medicine Question and Answers

Bronchial Asthma Investigations:

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Bronchial Asthma Inverstigation

Bronchial Asthma Management:

  1. Management of acute asthma
    • Avoidance of allergens
      • Avoid allergens that may aggravate asthmatic attack
  2. Hyposensitisation
  3. Prevention of mediators of bronchoconstriction
    • Sodium cromoglycate is administered by inhalation
    • Useful in some cases of non-atopic asthma
  4. Drug treatment
    • Use of salbutamol or terbutaline 100-200 meg is used
    • Use of beclomethasoneupto 800 meg twice a day is used along with it
    • A high dose of corticosteroids is used along with bronchodilators.

Respiratory Diseases Respiration Events

Question 3. Describe the etiology, clinical features, and management of ARDS.

Answer:

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome- ARDS:

  • It describes the acute, diffuse pulmonary inflammatory response to either direct or indirect blood-borne insults.

Etiology:

  1. Direct-Inhalation
    • Aspiration of gastric contents
    • Toxic gases/ bum injury
    • Pneumonia
    • Blunt chest trauma
  2. Indirect-Blood Borne
    • Necrotic tissue
    • Multiple trauma
    • Pancreatitis
    • Severe bums
    • Drugs
    • Major blood transfusion reacion
    • Anaphylaxis
    • Fat embolism

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Clinical Features:

  • Neutrophil sequestration in pulmonary capillaries
  • Increased capillary permeability
  • Protein-rich pulmonary edema
  • Alveolar collapse
  • Progressive pulmonary fibrosis
  • Multiple organ failure

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Management:

  1. General
    • Mechanical ventilation through
      • Oro-tracheal intubation
      • Tracheostomy
        • Antibiotic therapy to treat infection
  2. Mechanical ventilation
    • For it, three parameters are used
      • Positive end-expiratory pressure- to maintain maximal recruitment of alveolar units
      • Mean airway pressure- to promote recruitment and predictor of hemodynamic effects
      • Plateau pressure- predictor of alveolar overdistention
  3. Fluid management
    • By diuresis or fluid restriction
  4. Corticosteroids
    • Methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg daily is used for 3-5 days
    • The dose is then tapered to 0.5-1 mg daily

Question 4. What is pneumothorax? What are the causes of pneumothorax? How do you manage tension pneumothorax?

Answer:

Pneumothorax:

  • The presence of air in the pleural cavity is known as pneumothorax

Pneumothorax Causes:

  • Rupture of subpleural blebs at the lung apices
  • Rupture of emphysematous bullae
  • Rupture of a subpleural tuberculous focus
  • Rupture of lung abscess
  • Pulmonary infarction
  • Bronchial asthma
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • Sarcoidosis

Pneumothorax Management:

  • Introduction of a wide-bore plastic cannula, one end is attached to a long rubber tubing, and the other is placed underwater in a bottle
  • Another method is the introduction of an intercostal catheter connected to a water seal drainage system

Question 5. Describe pneumonia, Bacterial Pneumonia, complications, clinical features, and treatment of community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia.

Answer:

Pneumonia:

  • It is defined as an inflammation of the parenchyma of the lung.

Pneumococcal Pneumonia

  • It is characterized by the homogeneous consolidation of one or more lobes or segments

Bacterfial Pneumonia:

  • Etiology:
    • Streptococcal pneumonia Staphylococcal Aureus
    • Mycoplasma
    • Streptococcus pyrogens

Bacterial Pneumonia Complications:

  • Para pneumonic pleural effusion or Empyema
  • Lpbar collapse
  • Pneumothorax
  • Lung abscess
  • Hepatitis, meningitis
  • Pericarditis
  • Myocarditis
  • Septicaemia

Bacterial Pneumonia Clinical Features:

  • It is sudden in onset
  • Fever with chills and rigors occurs
  • Vomiting
  • Convulsions
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache
  • Breathlessness
  • Chest pain
  • Central cyanosis
  • Haemoptysis
  • Weakness
  • Tachycardia, tachypnoea
  • Productive cough
  • Rust-colored sputum
  • Rapid and shallow breathing

Bacterial Pneumonia Management:

  1. Oxygen therapy
    • Delivered in high concentration through masks
  2. Analgesics
    • Pethidine-50-100 mg or morphine 10-15 mg is given intramuscularly
  3. Antibiotics
    • Oral amoxicillin 500 mg 8 hourly or
    • Erythromycin 500 mg 6 hourly or
    • Oral cephalosporin 250 mg 8 hourly
    • Cotrimoxazole 960 mg 2 times daily orally
  4. Physiotherapy
    • The patient is encouraged to cough and take a deep breath

Question 6. Describe etiopathology, clinical features, complications, diagnosis, and treatment of lobar pneumonia

Answer:

Lobar Pneumonia:

  • Lobar pneumonia is a radiological and pathological condition referring to the homogenous consolidation of one or more lung lobes associated with pleural inflammation

Etiopathology:

  • It is caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites

Lobar Pneumonia Clinical Features:

  • Sudden or insidious onset
  • Fever with chills and rigors
  • Headache
  • Productive cough
  • Breathlessness
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
  • Myalgia, arthralgia

Lobar Pneumonia Complications:

  • Para pneumonic pleural effusion
  • Emphysema
  • Lung abscess
  • Acute Respiratory
  • Distress Syndrome
  • Pneumothorax
  • Hepatitis
  • Multiorgan failure
  • Formation of ectopic abscess

Lobar Pneumonia Diagnosis:

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Lobar Pneumonia

Lobar Pneumonia Treatment:

  1. Oxygen therapy
    • High-concentration oxygen is delivered through masks
  2. Intravenous fluid administration
  3. Antibiotic therapy
    • Duration of treatment-10-14 days
    • Drugs used are:
    • Ceftriaxone 1-2 g/day plus macrolide or fluoroquinolone

Question 7. Define and classify pneumonias. Describe the investigations, complications, and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.

Answer:

Definition: It is defined as an inflammation of the parenchyma of the lung.

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Classification:

  • Pneumonia is classified into four types
  1. Lobar pneumonia
    • Generally, the entire lobe of the lung is involved
  2. Bronchopneumonia
    • There is neutrophilic exudate in the bronchi and bronchiole with the peripheral spread of infection to alveoli
  3. Interstitial pneumonia
    • There is predominant involvement of the in-interstitium, alveolar wall, and connective tissue around the broncho-vascular tree
  4. Military pneumonia
    • Occurs due to the homogenous spread of pathogens to the lungs

Community-Acquired Pneumonia:

  • It is acquired by inhalation of infected oropharyngeal secretions
  • Caused specifically by highly virulent organisms

Community-Acquired Pneumonias Classification Investigations:

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Pneumonias Investigation

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Classification Complication:

  • Persistent fever
  • Emphysema
  • Proximal bronchial obstruction
  • Recurrent aspiration

Question 8. Describe the clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis, and write short-term chemotherapy.

Answer:

Pulmonary Tuberculosis:

  • Tuberculosis is a chronic infective disorder produced by mycobacterium tuberculosis characterised by the formation of granulomas and the development of cell-mediated hypersensitivity
  • The involvement of the lungs by tuberculosis is called pulmonary tuberculosis

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Clinical Features:

  • Loss of weight
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fever with night sweats
  • Tiredness, malaise
  • Amenorrhoea
  • Cough with purulent sputum
  • Haemoptysis
  • Chest pain
  • Breathlessness
  • Finger clubbing
  • Distended neck and chest veins
  • Pleural effusion

Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Chemotherapy Of Tuberculosis

Question 9. Describe the diagnosis, complications, and management of post-primary tuberculosis

Answer:

Post-primary tuberculosis:

Post-primary tuberculosis Complications:

  • Haemoptysis
  • Pneumothorax
  • Secondary infection of the cavity
  • Pleural effusion
  • Emphysema
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Scar carcinoma
  • Respiratory failure
  • Amyloidosis
  • Anaemia

Post-primary Tuberculosis Investigations:

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Post Primary Tuberculosis Inverstigation

Question 10. Describe the etiology, clinical features, and treatment of bronchial obstruction.

Answer:

Bronchial Obstruction:

  • It is called bronchiectasis
  • It is defined as an abnormal and irreversible dilatation of bronchi

Etiology:

  1. Infective causes
    • Bacterial- H. influenzae, staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Tuberculosis, mycoplasma
    • Viral- measles, adenovirus, influenza virus
    • Fungal
  2. Obstructive causes
    • Endobronchial benign neoplasm
    • Foreign body aspiration
    • Chronic bronchitis
    • Enlarged lymph nodes
  3. Noninfective causes
    • Allergic
    • Cystic fibrosis

Bronchial Obstruction Clinical Features:

  • Chronic cough with massive expectations
  • Haemoptysis
  • Recurrent pulmonary infection
  • Dyspnoea
  • Fever, weight loss, anemia, and weakness
  • Oedema
  • Sepsis

Bronchial Obstruction Treatment:

  1. Physiotherapy
    • To keep bronchi dilated
  2. Antibiotic therapy
    • Ampicillin- 500 mg 8 hourly or
    • Amoxycillin 500 mg 8 hourly or
    • Oral cefaclor 250 mg 8 hourly
  3. Bronchodilators and nuicolytics
    • Bronchodilators used are theophylline or terbutaline
    • Mucolytics used arc bromhexine, carboys- teenie
  4. Surgery- indications
    • Those who do not respond to medical therapy
    • Those who have repeated massive hemoptysis
    • Young patients
    • Unilateral bronchiectasis

Question 11. Describe the pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnosis of lung abscess.
(or)
Write etiopathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment of lung abscesses.

Answer:

Bronchial Obstruction Lung Abscess:

  • It is a collection of purulent material ilocalizedised necrotic area of lung parenchyma

Etiopathogenesis:

  1. Infection without obstruction
    • Aspiration of nasopharyngeal contents
    • Involvement of various organisms like staphylococcus, Kleibsella, gram-negative and anaerobic organisms
    • Formation of abscess
    • Metastatic spread of infection
  2. Obstruction with or without infection
    • Bronchus obstruction due to tumor, foreign body, lymph node
    • Bronchial collapse
    • Abscess formation

Bronchial Obstruction Clinical Features:

  • High-grade fever with chills and rigors
  • Pleuritic chest pain
  • Dry cough
  • The presence of copious purulent discharge
  • Haemoptysis
  • Weight loss, anorexia
  • Emphysema

Bronchial Obstruction Investigations:

Diseases Of The Respiratory System Lung Abscess Inverstigation

Bronchial Obstruction Management:

  1. Postural drainage and chest physiotherapy
  2. Antibiotic therapy
    • Oral amoxicillin 50 mg 8 hourly for 5-7 days
    • Cotrimoxazole 960 mg twice daily
    • Oral metronidazole 400 mg 8 hourly
  3. Surgery
    • Resection of part of the lung is done
    • Indications:
      • Massive hemoptysis
      • Localized malignancy
      • Associated symptomatic bronchiectasis
      • Persistent abscess cavity

Question 12. Describe the etiology, clinical features, investigations, and management of pulmonary eosinophilia.

Answer:

Pulmonary Eosinophilia:

  • It is a lesion in the lungs associated with blood eosinophilia

Etiology:

  • Parasitic infections- hookworm disease, ascariasis, strongyloidiasis
  • Allergic conditions- Hay fever, asthma, drugs like aspirin, aspergillosis
  • Skin disorders- eczema, dermatitis herpetiform
  • Tumors- lymphoma
  • Collagen vascular disorders- rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritisnodosa
  • Hypereosinophilic syndromes- Loeffler’s syndrome, idiopathic
  • Miscellaneous- Sarcoidosis, Addison’s disease

Pulmonary Eosinophilia Clinical Features:

  • Dyspnoea or orthopnoea
  • Wheezing
  • Cough with mucoid expectoration
  • Haemoptysis
  • Types
    • Cryptogenic eosinophilic pneumonia
    • Idiopathic eosinophilic syndromes- includes
      • Loeffler’s syndrome
      • Hypereosinophilic syndrome
      • Churg Strauss syndrome
    • Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia

Pulmonary Eosinophilia Diagnosis:

  • Blood examination- High blood eosinophils count
  • Sputum shows eosinophilia
  • X-ray of the chest shows diffuse miliary mottling of the lungs

Pulmonary Eosinophilia Treatment:

  • Diethylcarbamazine- 2 mg/kg three times a day is used
  • Allergic reactions are controlled by the use of antichrist-mimics and steroids