Health Tips - Heart Disease

Friday, January 27, 2012

This is the chief cause of permanent heart block. This may result in functional coronary insufficiency or the degenerative Process responsible for the stenos are may extend into the in ventricular septum and thus interfere with the conducting tissues. This is commonly responsible for latent Heart block and rarely for more severe grades. This drug is a frequent cause of the milder degrees of impaired conduction. This action is, of course, beneficial when it is used to reduce the rapid ventricular rate accompanying atrial fibrillation. Complete heart block may be a late manifestation of digitalis Poisoning. Diphtheria and Syphilis are now rare causes of heart block. Complete heart block occasionally results from a congenital development of the bundle. The condition is benign and the degree of bradycardia often less marked than in other forms. Extreme tachycardia, e.g. from atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter of paroxysmal tachycardia, may lead to fatigue and refractoriness of the A-V node and bundle. Complete heart block should be suspected when the pulse rate is slow (30-40) and regular, and does not vary with exercise. There is a complete dissociation between the waves in the jugular pulses and the carotid pulses.

Ventricular wall

As a rule myocardial infarction occurs in the wall of the ventricle and in the interventricular septum: the wall of the right ventricle is usually only affected in areas adjacent to a large sepal infarctions of the wall of the right ventricle can seldom be diagnosed electrocardiographically. The electrocardiographic changes of myocardial ischemia and infarction depend on the site extent, severity and age of the damage. The QRS complexes are affected only when an area of infarction involves the full thickness of the myocardium. In such cases the dead tissue, which cannot be activated but can still conduct impulses, acts as a hole or window in the myocardium. An overlying electrode therefore reflects the electrical events which are occurring in the septum and the opposite wall of the heart shown in the electrocardiogram as a negative wave (deep Q) for the reasons explained above. This is the characteristic sign of an infarct which involves the entire thickness of the ventricular wall.

Health Tips - Positive blood culture

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The differential diagnosis of rheumatic fever in the absence of any cardiac abnormality must sometimes be considered when fever and joint pains are principal manifestations of illness. It is a fallacy to assume that rheumatic fever may be excluded because only one joint is involved. It is, however, true that rheumatic fever is unlikely to be responsible for joint symptoms which are not markedly alleviated by salicylates within 48 hours. Diagnosis may be difficult and must include the consideration of acute rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis, tuberculosis, allergic conditions, undulant fever, gonococci arthritis, disseminated lupus erythematosus, bacterial endocarditic and septicemia. In rheumatoid arthritis the onset is rarely so acute, the small joints are principally affected and often assume characteristic abnormality morning stiffness in the affected parts is usual and flitting pains are uncommon. In cases of osteomyelitis careful examination will reveal that pain and tenderness are maximal over the neighboring bone rather than joint. The diagnosis will subsequently be confirmed by radiological examination. In gonococci arthritis the condition is usually monarticular and there is either a history of a discharge or positive smears will be obtained from the urethra or cervix. Brucellosis may be suggested by the temperature chart, a history of a possible source of infection and a positive blood culture or agglutination reaction.

Health Tips - Polyarthritis

This manifestation is more marked in adults than in children. The big joints are principally affected, e.g. knees, ankles shoulders and wrists, but almost any joint may be involved. Characteristically there is a migrating polyarthritis, that is to say the pain tends to move from one joint to another, one getting better as another becomes worse. In severe cases the joints become hot, swollen red and exquisitely tender. The periarticular tissues are principally involved. Sterile effusions may develop however there are no residual effects in the joints once the acute attack is over. These are seen most often inchildhood and their principal importance lie in the almost invariable association with active cordites. They are situated subcutaneously, are painless, not attached to the skin and tend to occur over bony prominences or be attached to tendons. Elbows, backs of hands, knees, malleable skull, scapulae and vertebrae are the most common sites. Rheumatic nodules are seen far less frequently than 20 years ago. Reddish patches appear mainly on the trunk and rapidly enlarge to form irregular crescent shapes which join together to form larger areas. The margins are slightly elevated. The lesions tend to disappear and reappear over a short period of time.