First Morning Specimen

The first morning urine is the ideal screening specimen because it is more concentrated than the random specimen.

Furthermore, the first morning urine is also important for preventing false-negative pregnancy tests and for evaluating orthostatic proteinuria.

How to collect it? The patient is instructed to immediately collect the specimen upon arising and deliver it to laboratory within one hour.

Related Topic: Medical Technology (Calcium Oxalate in Urine)

Assessing Consciousness

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is used to assess the level of consciousness of the patient after head injury.

Best motor response (upper extremity)
6 Obeys command
5 Localizes pain
4 Withdraws from stimulus
3 Abnormal flexing
2 Extensor response
1 None

Best verbal response
5 Oriented (makes sentences)
4 Confused speech (words)
3 Gibberish (vocal sounds)
2 Incomprehensible sounds
1 None

Eye Opening4 Spontaneous
3 To speech
2 To pain
1 None

The scale is now used by EMS or Emergency Medical Services.

Related Topic: Health (Cranial Nerves)

Calcium Oxalate in Urine

Calcium oxalate is one of my favorite crystals in urine because they can be recognized easily. Further, the shape resembles an envelope but dumbbell and oval forms may also occur.

Calcium oxalate crystal is one of the normal crystals that can be found in acidic urine.

I just can't forget calcium oxalate… it is one of the reasons why I passed the internship. How? It's a secret I can never tell.

Related topic: Medical Technology (Nursing VS Medical Technology)

13's Huntington

[cumc.columbia.edu]

If you're a big fan of House M.D., the TV show, you'd know Thirteen, who's suffering from Huntington's disease or Huntington Chorea. Thirteen, a bisexual, is portrayed by Olivia Wilde.

Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle rigidity and dementia accompanied by chorea (abnormal involuntary movement disorder) and often seizure.

The onset of the disease is by age 40 and (may be) in childhood.

And death occurs in 5 to 15 years.

Related topic: Human Diseases (Parkinson's disease)

Nursing VS Medical Technology

[Cache.daylife.com]

There were at least 90,000 examinees all over the Philippines who took the nursing licensure examination last weekend compared to only 1,329 examinees who took the medical technology licensure examination last September 2008.

Out of that 90,000, I am pretty sure a big percentage of examinees are already licensed medical technologists.

The demand of nurses abroad lured professionals to study nursing. Even medical doctors ceased practicing their profession to be nurses abroad…to earn greener pastures.

But the question is--"are we producing highly competent nursing professionals?"

Related topic: Medical Technology (Where Art Thou)

Parkinson Twitch

[cache.eb.com]

Millions of people, including Michael J. Fox and Cassius Clay (a.k.a, Muhammad Ali) are suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurologic disorder causing muscle tremor and rigidity. Until now, the exact cause is still unknown.

In this disease, the neurologic symptoms are caused by the deterioration and dopamine depletion in the brain. Furthermore, the disease is common in men.

During the physical examination, patients are "usually noted to have an immobile, mask-like face with infrequent blinking and reduced automatic movements such as swinging the arms while walking."

I just remembered Michael J. Fox in his 1985 movie, "Back to the Future." And he was diagnosed to have Parkinson's disease in 1991.

Related Topic: Health (Memorizing Cranial Nerves)
Reference: Human Diseases