ECAB Reviews in Neurology 2013 - E-Book

ECAB Reviews in Neurology 2013

Common vestibulocochlear disorders presenting with vertigo contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. The challenge is to identify the underlying cause of dizziness so as to streamline the treatment and improve quality of life. In day-to-day ENT practice, incidence of dizziness is reported to be 10–15%. It is often associated with a range of otological, neurological and psychiatric disorders. There are fewer subjects in medicine which keep us more confused than vertigo. Dizziness and vertigo may be disturbing and incapacitating causing problems to people doing regular or specialized tasks such as driving, operating heavy machinery or flying. As the sensations are hard to describe, patients often use the words "dizziness" and "Vertigo" interchangeably and inconsistently. Patients with the same underlying disorder might describe the symptoms very differently and might also differently describe the same "dizzy" event depending upon how the question is directed. The aim of this book is to explore the experience and learning of some of the eminent medical professionals, develop relevant updates, and make them easily available for utilization by the Indian clinical practitioners.

This volume examines why hospitals collaborate with each other and with other health care actors across borders in Europe. Cross-border hospital collaboration is not a new phenomenon but began to receive increased attention in the first decade of the 21st century in the context of European debates on patient mobility, the impact of European Union (EU) integration on national health systems and the particular situation of border regions. In this context, the role of health care providers stands out: while physically anchored in the health system that funds and regulates them, hospitals in border regions often witness or initiate cross-border movements of patients and health professionals.

Patients with diabetes are predisposed to infections. The risk ratio for infectious disease-related hospitalization for diabetic versus nondiabetic persons is more than 2, and almost 2 for death attributable to infection. Infections in diabetes may precipitate metabolic derangements and, conversely, the metabolic derangements of diabetes may facilitate infection. Abnormalities in the microvascular circulation of individuals with diabetes may result in decreased tissue perfusion, which facilitates the acquisition of infection and impairs response to therapy. The incidence of TB among diabetic patients is 2–5 times higher when compared to the general population, which recently has raised the concern that a combination of DM and HIV infection might lead to a further increased incidence of TB in India and in other developing nations. However, it is unclear whether diabetes is an independent risk for common upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Urinary tract is also reported to be the most prevalent site of infection in patients with diabetes. These infections are known to account for a relatively smaller percentage of reported patients probably due to the fact that most patients, including diabetics, with urinary tract infection are treated as outpatients. A number of long-term effects of diabetes mellitus on the genitourinary system predispose diabetic patients to bacterial urinary tract infections. In addition, complications of urinary tract infection (e.g., bacteremia, renal abscesses, and renal papillary necrosis) are more common in patients with than without diabetes. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis and emphysematous pyelonephritis are some of the less commonly reported conditions seen in diabetics though being important pathologies. The primary goal of this book is to provide a high-quality, evidence-based text on the various aspects of the associations of various infections in diabetics with prime focus on TB and diabetes, rare conditions such as rhinocerebral mucormycosis and emphysematous pyelonephritis and also the various acute infections commonly reported in the condition. The book includes in-depth analysis of the diagnostic and management issues considering the same.

Cell health depends on a steady supply of fuel from glucose and free fatty acids. Both these major fuels are regulated by insulin. Cells in the muscle, liver, and fat need insulin to receive glucose, and hence do not become exposed to high blood glucose levels when the blood sugars are high and insulin levels are low. The lack of insulin slows the movement of glucose into these cells, and probably spares them from damage when blood sugars are high. However, other cells such as those in the brain, nervous system, heart, blood vessels and kidneys pick up glucose directly from the blood without using insulin. These cells, except the brain, are more prone to damage from high blood sugars because they become exposed to high internal levels of glucose. This to quite an extent explains why damage tends to occur in specific organs such as in nerve and kidney cells, and in small blood vessels like those in the eyes. This project on the organ damage in diabetes is an attempt to elaborate on the various factors to be considered in managing these patients, the pointers for early diagnosis and prevention of the same.

When a child has a health problem, parents want answers. But when a child has cerebral palsy, the answers don't come quickly. A diagnosis of this complex group of chronic conditions affecting movement and coordination is difficult to make and is typically delayed until the child is eighteen months old. Although the condition may be mild or severe, even general predictions about long-term prognosis seldom come before the child's second birthday. Written by a team of experts associated with the Cerebral Palsy Program at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, this authoritative resource provides parents and families with vital information that can help them cope with uncertainty. Thoroughly updated and revised to incorporate the latest medical advances, the second edition is a comprehensive guide to cerebral palsy. The book is organized into three parts. In the first, the authors describe specific patterns of involvement (hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia), explain the medical and psychosocial implications of these conditions, and tell parents how to be effective advocates for their child. In the second part, the authors provide a wealth of practical advice about caregiving from nutrition to mobility. Part three features an extensive alphabetically arranged encyclopedia that defines and describes medical terms and diagnoses, medical and surgical procedures, and orthopedic and other assistive devices. Also included are lists of resources and recommended reading.