Project and Paediatrics

Sorry for my long absence! Tonight's post is dedicated to one of my blogging friends - Amy (http://summersunblog.blogspot.com/) - as she prompted me to write something. =)

I'll tell you what I've been upto then...

Since starting second year of Med school in October, I've been busy with my SSC, that is my Student Selected Component, for this semester (I think I've mentioned this in a previous post).

I chose the topic "The Value of Vestibular Testing in Patients Presenting with Dizziness", now that's a mouth-full! The anatomical picture of the ear to your left is therefore very relevant - if you were wondering what it was doing there. I volunteered to do a presentation in front of five others doing the same topic and our two SSC tutors (audiology Docs). I covered the anatomy and physiology of the inner ear - concentrating on the Vestibular system which is responsible for our sense of balance and the orientation of our head - and also covered Vestibular disorders, Vestibular Examination and Testing. It took me two half hour sessions and I was pleased with the positive feedback I received.

In a nutshell, I will have to gather a group of 20-30 healthy volunteers from the Med School and make them take a Stepping test (Fukuda/Unterberger Test) in different conditions. The test involves them marching on the spot with their eyes closed, and measuring the angle of deviation (left or right) compared to their original orientation. In a patient presenting with dizziness due to a vestibular disorder, the side that they digress to would be the side of the lesion. So essentially, by doing the test on "normal" individuals, I'm evaluating the deviation range within that group.

I'm currently on my Paediatrics attachment until Friday and will be on Geriatrics (health care of the elderly) starting Monday for another week. What can I say...? I'm loving it! I'm learning so much in the clinical environment and love being able to talk to the patients and their families.

I'll tell you one of the cases anonymously (or else I'd be breaching confidentiality). Patient X is a 10 year old male, a few months ago he presented with fatigue (to the extent of falling asleep in class), extreme thirst and constant passing of urine. He was diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus, a condition resulting in large amounts of diluted urine.

Well, after doing an MRI scan it turns out that patient X has a tumour in his pituitary gland, leading to Hypopituitarism - the pituitary gland (which sits in the brain) not secreting particular hormones. His story or "History" I should say, truly touched me emotionally, as my brother is only three years older than he is. After speaking to his mum, I understood that he was yet to learn about his diagnosis. She was trying to find a way - with the help of experts - of telling her son that he had the "C" word. How do you explain to a child that they have cancer?

I have come across many more interesting cases in the three days that I've been on my attachment, which I'm sure you're very eager to read about. However, I'll leave them for another time.