Author: Andrew

The Secret Origins of Eldred of Harding

The much anticipated second installment of our SECRET ORIGINS series …

Come meet the members of the Medical VS class in these exciting features. Learn their stories, their medical training, their combat skills AND find out how each one met their unfortunate demise.

Eldred of Harding

Eldred was born in the year 847 AD in Berkshire, England. The third son of a Saxon nobleman of the house of Harding, he was originally given a religious education at Cookham Abbey which included a great deal of medical instruction. However, he was forced to abandon this in 867 AD as his family fled the invading Viking hordes of the Great Heathen Army. Continue reading “The Secret Origins of Eldred of Harding”

Fever VS Hyperthermia

Bottom Line:

Fever is a kind of hyperthermia where the physiological “set point” in the brain has been increased and the body attempts to maintain a high temperature (>38.3°C or 101°F) as though it were normal body temperature. Other kinds of hyperthermia i.e. heat stroke, malignant hyperthermia, etc. are increases in body temperature despite efforts by the thermoregulatory centres of the body trying to cool it down.

Memory Aids:

Fever is a kind of hyperthermia characterized by an increase in the “set point”. Continue reading “Fever VS Hyperthermia”

Creatinine VS Creatine

Bottom Line:

CreaTINE is converted in the body to phosphocreatine which is used to make ATP in high energy requiring tissues like the brain and skeletal muscle. CreaTININE is the breakdown product of creatine and is used as a biomarker of kidney function.

Memory Aids:

CreaTINE turns into creaTININE. Continue reading “Creatinine VS Creatine”

Direct Coombs Test VS Indirect Coombs Test

Bottom Line:

With the direct Coombs test you just add the anti-Ig antibodies (Coombs reagent) to your test solution and watch for agglutination. With the indirect Coombs test you have to add RBCs first, then you add the anti-Ig antibodies, and then watch for agglutination. So there is an extra step with the indirect Coombs test.

Direct Coombs is also called DAT (direct antiglobulin test).

Memory Aids:

Indirect has an extra step. Direct lets you go directly to the result. Continue reading “Direct Coombs Test VS Indirect Coombs Test”

Primary Infertility VS Secondary Infertility

Bottom Line:

Primary infertility is the inability to ever bear a live child. Secondary infertility is the inability to bear a live child after having done so at least once before.

Memory Aids:

Secondary infertility means can’t have second child (or third, or fourth …). Continue reading “Primary Infertility VS Secondary Infertility”

The Secret Origins of Charles D Anderson

Welcome to the first post in our SECRET ORIGINS series

You can meet and greet all the members of our class in these posts which can also be found under “Combatants” in the menu. More posts are coming soon, but in the meantime, here is …

Charles Devon Anderson

Born in New York City just before the turn of the 20th century, Charles spent his youth reading deeply into the nascent field of particle physics. One day, while thumbing through a back issue of Electrical Review, he stumbled upon a description of burns suffered by Dr. H.D. Hawks of Columbia University during a medical x-ray demonstration. He became obsessed with the idea that an “as-yet-undiscovered” particle could expand the boundaries of non-invasive medical imaging beyond simple x-rays. Continue reading “The Secret Origins of Charles D Anderson”

GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) VS DM (Diabetes Mellitus)

 

Bottom Line:

GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) is a carbohydrate intolerance with onset OR first recognition during the present pregnancy. It does not matter if insulin is used as treatment, it does not matter if the intolerance continues post-pregnancy, and it does not preclude that the intolerance may have existed prior to the pregnancy. However, it would not be appropriate to label women with KNOWN pre-existing diabetes as having GDM. They would be said to have pre-gestational DM.

Memory Aids:

GDM is diabetes mellitus discovered during pregnancy. Continue reading “GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) VS DM (Diabetes Mellitus)”

Hepatitis B: HBsAg VS Anti-HBs

Bottom Line:

HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) is the one you are most likely to see on routine screening bloodwork for Hep B. If it is positive the person is likely actively infected with Hep B either chronically or acutely.

Memory Aids:

Surface Antigen is the one you want to remember. Continue reading “Hepatitis B: HBsAg VS Anti-HBs”