Medical clinical officer's platform

13/02/2025

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Most common form of chronic inflammatory joint disease affecting mainly women.

Unknown origin, probably autoimmune.

Presents with;
*Stiffness and pain in the joints
*Joints are swollen,warm, inflamed and sensitive to touch
*Fingers are most affected especially the metacarpophalangeal/proximal interphalangeal but all small and medium size joints can be affected
*Extra articular manifestations: mild fever, weakness, lethargy,anorexia,weight loss,rheumatoid nodules
*It's a chronic disease with flare up, remission and exacerbations
*In advanced cases, joint deformities may occur

Clinical judgement can be backed up with doing other investigations like CBC,ESR, RF, antinuclear factor. X-ray of affected joints.

The MANAGEMENT goals are;
*Relief of symptoms
*Preservation of joint function
*Suppression of active disease and slowly progression of disease
* Maintenance of patients normal lifestyle

That is
Visiting the medical center for professional help with investigations.

Weight loss and appropriate exercise/physiotherapy.

Thank you

23/09/2024

23/09/2024

HICCUP
These are repeated involuntary intercoastal muscle contractions.

Hiccups for upto 48 hours are termed as Acute, those lasting more than 48hours are termed as persistent and those lasting more than 2months are intractable.

They are caused by gastric distention,Gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, diaphragmatic irritation by supraphrenic metastasis,phrenic nerve irritation, metabolic disorders, infections(oesophageal candidiasis), brain tumour,stoke and stress.

Most hiccups are self limiting and short lived
If it persists;
NON MEDICINE TREATMENT
1. Direct stimulation of the pharynx by swallowing dry bread or other dry foods.
2.Rapidly ingest two heaped teaspoons of sugar.
3.Stimulation of the vagus nerve by ingesting crushed ice or valsalva maneuver
4.Indirect stimulation of the pharynx (C3-5 dermatome stimulation by tapping or rubbing the back of the neck).
Note. All these should be done in the health center if the hiccups are persistent.

23/09/2024

NEUROPATHIC PAIN
This is the pain that occurs as a result of damage to nerve tissue.
Which present in two ways that is Stabbing pain and burning type of pain.

ANOREXIA.
Is loss of desire to eat.

CACHEXIA.
Is a complex metabolic syndrome, characterized by profound loss of lean body mass especially is terminal illness.
Can be caused by sore mouth,mouth tumors, malodour, uraemia,liver failure,some medications, Depression, Constipation, gastrointestinal obstruction, hypercalcemia, hyponatremia, nausea and vomiting