Basicmedical Key

Headaches are common in young folks but not in the elderly. A new headache in mid to old age should always be taken seriously. In the elderly a new headache…

When an exhaustive search for infection is negative occult malignancy is the usual cause of prolonged unidentified fevers. It should be pointed out, however, that some patients recover completely with…

Hypoxemia has serious adverse consequences and must be treated aggressively to avoid pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure (cor pulmonale). When PaO2 falls below 60 mm Hg, significant desaturation of…

The three basic cell types of carcinoma of the lung – small cell (about 15%, of all lung cancers), adenocarcinoma (40%), and squamous cell (35%) – have distinct clinical features…

The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a better indicator of uremic symptoms than the serum creatinine which is a better indicator of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The BUN reflects protein…

Hypertension is the most important risk factor for stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF), and an important contributor to the risk of myocardial infarction. The cardiovascular risk imposed by high…

Chronic alcoholism is associated with a high incidence of peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy; sensory changes usually predominate. Axonal degeneration, induced by alcohol or the alcohol metabolite acetaldehyde, or by nutritional deficiency,…

Obesity may be viewed as the direct consequence of traits evolved to avoid starvation. These traits affect appetite and energy expenditure ensuring adequate intake during periods of abundance and diminished…

The HPI is the key to the diagnosis, starting with the chief complaint. The clinical evaluation (history plus physical examination) guides the selection of tests, which are obtained to confirm…

Temperature in humans is controlled by the hypothalamus around a set point of about 37 °C (98.6 °F), by a complex series of mechanisms that permit the generation, conservation, and…