THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR IN SURGERY

- Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.

- "Accept this sacrifice, O Great Lord of Darkness!"

- Wait a minute, if this is his spleen, then what's that?

- Hand me that ... uh ... that uh..... thingie

- Oops! Hey, has anyone ever survived 500ml of this stuff before?

- There go the lights again...

- "Ya know, there's big money in kidneys… and this guy's got two of'em.

- Everybody stand back! I lost my contact lens!

- Could you stop that thing from beating? It's throwing my concentration off.

- What's this doing here?

- I hate it when they're missing stuff in here.

- That's cool! Now can you make his leg twitch?!

- Well folks, this will be an experiment for all of us.

- Sterile, shcmerile. The floor's clean, right?

- The “5-second rule” applies to organs, too – right?

- What do you mean he wasn't in for a sex change...

- “Oh, you mean HIS right…”

- OK, now take a picture from this angle. This is truly a freak of nature.

- This patient has already had some kids, am I correct?

- Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?

- Don't worry. I think it is sharp enough.

- What do you mean "You want a divorce"!?!

- FIRE! FIRE! Everyone get out!

- Damn! Page 47 of the manual is missing!

Warts Up, Doc?

Doctors were at a loss for explanations when an Indonesian fisherman grew warts out of his arms and feet that resembled tree branches. But according to Britain's The Sun newspaper, Dede's growths are going away, thanks to the help of an American dermatologist.


--SUPRI, Reuters / Corbis

NCLEX Tips

NCLEX is quite easy if you know what to study and you prepare really well for it. NCLEX is designed to pass the student rather than to fail them.

Its purpose is to test your understanding of what you already learned, it all boils down on what you know, and that’s why preparation is the sole most important factor of passing the test.

That’s why my advice is for you to read and read and read…

Unfortunately, memorization doesn’t work out that well in this case since if you’re going to memorize everything you will end up as one dazed and confused examinee.

Rather it is the way you prepare and approach the issue. Instead of memorizing those kilometric explanations and descriptions in the book, it will do you more good to take notes of what you deem are important in every topic/ system that you encounter in your review. Familiarization and repetition of critical concepts in Nursing will surely help you pass the exam.

Thus, making some flash cards will be of much help in this particular case.

Here are some topics that I found on the net which will help you in passing the NCLEX. Learn about them and they will make your life come examination day really easy.


* Types of Nosocomial Infections
* Principles of Surgical Asepsis
* Medical Testing and Labs
* TURP Procedure
* Romberg’s Test
* Lithotripsy Procedure
* Levels of Consciousness
* Mental Exam Basics
* Grading of Deep Tendon Reflexes
* Glascow Coma Scale
* Normative Values
* Methods of Oxygen Delivery
* Dementia and Delirium
* Types of Injections
* Ethical Duties of Nurses
* Patient Rights
* Bioethical Principles
* Changes Associated with Aging
* Drip Rate Calculations
* Barriers to Communication
* Nutrition and TPN
* Attributes of Nutrients
* Methods of Absorption
* Metabolism and Nutrition
* Medical Nutrition Therapy
* Cultural Aspects of Diets
* Placenta Previa
* Stages of Labor
* Assessing Fetal Lung Maturity
* Pathology of Eclampsia
* PMS and Menopause
* Attributes of Battered Women
* Apgar Scores
* Types of Cardiomyopathies
* Opportunistic Infections
* Classifications of Cancer
* Medical Nutritional Therapy
* Staging of Pressure Ulcers
* Disease Pathology
* Types of Shock
* Lipid Profile Labs
* Coagulation Studies
* CBC Components
* Acne Treatment Medications
* Phases of Adolescence
* Three Types of Jaundice
* Pain Assessment
* Lymphoma Characteristics
* Sexually Transmitted Diseases
* Tanner Staging
* Vaccinations and Immunizations
* Symptoms of Child Abuse
* Performing Newborn Assessments
* Motor Development
* Development of Language
* Pharmacology
* Types of Adrenergic Receptors
* Properties of Decongestants
* Classifications of Drugs
* Antipsychotic Classifications
* Drug Interactions
* Major Injection Sites
* Calcium Channel Blockers
* Phases of Burn Management
* Types of Burns
* Wound Healing Phases


Here's an example of what a flash card should look like (Click on the photo for a closer look)--

To TPA or not to TPA?

That is the question.




Tissue Plasminogen Activator or more commonly TPA is a genetically- engineered blood clot dissolver that was first used to prevent heart damage after a heart attack since the late 1980s and through the years have been one of the mainstays in the treatment of Stroke because of its ability to reduce the long- term disability that usually result from the disease.

TPA is usually given within three hours of a Stroke which is usually known in legal parlance as the “window- period” or “golden hour” to be effective and beyond that there‘s the clear and present danger of bleeding in the brain which is the TPA’s worst complication .

However recent findings by researchers and scientists in the medical field are now reconsidering that old belief and are now concluding that it is still safe to give TPA beyond the so- called “three- hour” window period.


Here's the news from the Associated Press- Study: Extending time of stroke drug treatment OK



And here's the article of the study from the New England Journal of Medicine - Thrombolysis with Alteplase 3 to 4.5 Hours after Acute Ischemic Stroke

Easy ECG

Even in the advent of modern diagnostic machines in the world of medicine, ECG or EKG remains the fastest and simplest way to look into the heart. It is still very useful especially in the Clinical or Emergency Room settings where a quick determination of the heart’s function is paramount especially in cases of Acute Myocardial Infarction or Heart Attack.

The Electrocardiogram can determine a heart block, enlarged heart muscles and rhythm disturbances. It also helps determine previous cases of heart attack. Thus, the ECG is a valuable tool because it helps diagnose irregularities and changes in the heart as well as to establish a baseline for subsequent ECGs.

Here are some videos that will help you further understand the concept and importance of the Electrocardiogram--








video credits:

Dr. Dean Keller and Dr. Melissa Stiles
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Assessing Lung Sounds

Normal Breath Sounds
The correct sequence of auscultation of the posterior chest is shown in the picture below. The sequence is from the apex to the base of the lungs from one side to the other including the lateral areas of the lungs.

Credits: Dr. Pat O'Leary
David W. Woodruff, MSN, RN- BC, CNS, CEN

Gastric bypass anatomy leads to diabetes control

The Reuters article below which is about the relationship between gastric bypass and diabetes control further reinforce the phenomenon that many physicians are now encountering in their practice.

I have seen a lot of people who has diabetes and high levels of blood glucose but are now symptom- free after undergoing a gastric bypass. Now, this article will further explain the mechanism behind this new phenomenon.

So, read on…

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rapid and substantial control of diabetes seen after gastric bypass surgery is due, at least in part, to the intestinal rearrangement involved in the procedure, the results of an animal study suggest.

Besides removing a substantial portion of the stomach, gastric bypass also attaches the output of the stomach to the lower intestines. The lower portion of the gut usually produces little glucose, but because of the direct input from the stomach it increases its production, French researchers report in the research journal Cell Metabolism.

The liver senses the higher level of glucose and reduces its own production of the sugar. Since the liver contributes much more to the body's overall glucose production than do the intestines, the net effect is enhanced glucose control, say Dr. Gilles Mithieux, from Universite de Lyon, and colleagues.

The increase in intestinal glucose formation was only noted with gastric bypass, not with gastric banding, which doesn't re-route the intestines. This may explain why only gastric bypass has been associated with enhanced diabetes control, the investigators conclude.

Furthermore, they note, sensors in the liver detect the elevated glucose and send an appetite-suppressing signal to the brain, which contributes to the satiety and weight loss seen with gastric bypass.

SOURCE: Cell Metabolism, September 3, 2008.