Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by the loss of lower motor neurons (anterior horn cells) in the spinal cord and brainstem nuclei, resulting in progressive muscle weakening and atrophy. The severity and age at onset differ considerably. SMA was initially documented in the 1890s by Guido Werdnig of …
Gram staining of expectorated sputum is a simplistic, easy-to-perform, commonly available, and low-cost diagnostic for pneumonia patients. Sputum Gram stain may detect many infections at the same time, and the test has a quick turnaround time. With adequate specimens, the sputum Gram stain can aid in establishing the right bacterial diagnosis and guiding suitable antibiotic …
Lactic acidosis is caused by high levels of lactic acid (lactate) and protons in the bodily secretions and is usually associated with poor clinical outcomes. The intensity and clinical setting of lactic acidosis influence its impact. Lactic acid, a carbohydrate metabolism intermediate, is mostly produced by white skeletal muscle, the brain, the skin, the renal …
Thalassemia is a spectrum of genetic conditions in which one or more globin genes are defective, resulting in reduced or deficient synthesis of the related globin chains. Patients with minor genetic abnormalities are usually asymptomatic. Patients with more severe abnormalities have symptoms caused by one or more of the following: low formation of normal hemoglobin, …
A blood clot arises as a result of any injury to the body tissues. Blood clots, on the other hand, can trigger severe complications like strokes or MI in heart related dysfunction. Anticoagulants such as aspirin or warfarin are often administered for life as prophylaxis. These medications reduce clot formation by extending the bleeding period. …
Smartphone app can vibrate a drop of blood to evaluate its clotting efficiency Read More »
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has a molecular mass of 75.1 daltons and belongs to the family of amine oxides. It is commonly found in the tissues of a wide range of marine creatures, particularly marine elasmobranchs, where TMAO is known to protect against the negative effects of temperature, salinity, high urea, and hydrostatic pressure. Urea, for …
Atherosclerosis, also known as coronary artery disease (CAD), is the most common type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with the main component being lipid accumulation and inflammation of the large arteries, which can eventually lead to clinical complications such as myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Clinically significant atherosclerosis is a slow-progressing disease that mostly affects the …
Rotavirus is a widely recognised cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children all around the world. Almost every child under the age of five is at risk of contracting group A rotavirus (RVA). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Rotavirus causes around 450,000 fatalities, more than 2 million hospitalizations, and 25 million outpatient cases …
Samuel Darling, a physician practicing at the Canal Zone Hospital in Panama, initially reported histoplasmosis and named the bacterium in 1904. He mistook the bacterium, which resembled Leishmania in tissues, for a parasite. Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus that occurs as a mold in the environment and at temperatures below 35°C, and as …
Von Behring and Kitasato discovered an agent in the blood capable of neutralizing diphtheria toxin in 1890. The term ‘Antikörper,’ or antibodies, was used in investigations the following year to describe the agent’s capacity to distinguish between two immunological compounds. As a result, the substance that causes the creation of an antibody was dubbed the …
