Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Medicine and health sciences

Laboratory Diagnosis of COVID-19

Accurate and timely diagnosis of COVID-19 is crucial for effective patient management and public health control. Various laboratory methods are employed to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 or the body's immune response to it.

Specimen Collection for COVID-19 Testing

• Preferred Samples: Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs are the primary specimens for viral detection.
• Other Specimens: In severe cases, sputum, lower respiratory tract secretions, and saliva may also be collected.

Molecular Tests: RT-PCR

• Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is considered the gold standard test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA.
• This method identifies viral RNA by amplifying specific genetic regions of the virus, such

Understanding Diabetes Insipidus and Renal Calculi

1. What is a Clinical Biomarker? Name Biomarkers Used to Diagnose DI & Renal Calculi.

A clinical biomarker is a measurable indicator of a biological state or condition.

For Diabetes Insipidus (DI):

• Serum sodium
• Osmolality
• ADH levels
• Urine osmolality

For Renal Calculi (Kidney Stones):

• Serum calcium
• Uric acid
• Oxalate levels
• Urine pH

2. What Does a Low Level of ADH Indicate?

A low level of Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) indicates Diabetes Insipidus (DI) or pituitary gland dysfunction.

3. Explain the Role of Vasopressin in DI.

Vasopressin regulates water reabsorption in the kidneys. In DI, either vasopressin is deficient (central DI) or the kidneys do not respond to it (nephrogenic DI).

4. Explain the Role of Vasopressin

Vocabulary Compilation

Travel and Accommodation

• Accommodation (alojamiento)
• All of a sudden (de repente)
• Back and forth (de acá para allá)
• To find one's way (ubicarse)
• Guided tour
• To land
• One-way ticket
• Out of the way (inaccesible)
• Path (camino)
• Suitcase (maleta)
• Landscape (paisaje)
• To pack
• Departure (salida)
• Cozy (acogedor)
• To go sightseeing
• Fare (precio)
• Backpacker (mochilero)
• Sights (lugares de interés turístico)
• Tip (propina)
• Arrival (llegada)
• Tent (tienda de campaña)
• Youth hostel
• Travel insurance

Environmental Concerns

• Floods (inundaciones)
• Waste (desperdicio)
• Toxic waste
• Exhaust fumes
• Pesticides
• Acid rain
• Greenhouse effect
• Ozone layer
• Sea level
• Deserts
• Uninhabitable
• Air quality
• Drought (sequía)
• Earthquake
• Tidal wave
• Crop (cultivo)
• Famine (hambruna)
• Hunting (caza)
• Hole (agujero)

Essential English Vocabulary

Common Terms and Expressions

• Alike - Semblant
• Adequate - Appropriate
• Awkward - Complicat
• Culture gap - Bretxa cultural
• Fit in - Encaixar
• Foreign - Estrany
• Misconception - Idea equivocada
• Outlook - Punt de vista
• Narrow-minded - Mentalitat tancada
• Roots - Origen
• Straightforward - Sincer/Directe
• Unheard of - Insòlit/a
• Come what may - Passi el que passi
• Fetch - Anar
• Heritage - Patrimoni
• Long for - Desitjar
• Overwhelming - Insuportable

Work and Education

• Boom - Molta demanda
• Degree - Grau
• Freelance - Per compte propi
• Internship - (Estada de) pràctiques
• Overtime - Hores extres
• Range - Varietat
• Rewarding - Gratificant
• Room for advancement - Possibilitat d'ascens
• Self-employed - Autònom
• Shift - Torn
• Think outside the box - Pensar diferent
• Troubleshooting

Fast Food Babies and Health Vocabulary

• Junk: Unhealthy food.
• Take away: Food to be eaten elsewhere.
• Fat: A natural oily substance.
• A meal: Food eaten at a specific time.
• A cola can: A container for soda.
• Gross: Extremely unpleasant.
• Harmful: Causing harm. Synonyms: Damaging or detrimental.
• Rickets: A disease which children who do not have enough Vitamin D can suffer from, in which the bones become soft and not shaped correctly.
• To be anemic: Having too few red blood cells, causing a lack of energy.
• Turn something on its head: To cause something to be the opposite of what it was before.
• A driving force (2:55): The one causing the problem.
• To be drained: Very tired.
• To get something straight: Make a situation clear, especially by reaching an understanding.

Essential Vocabulary and Terminology

This curated list provides definitions for advanced, technical, and idiomatic terms, structured for clarity and enhanced communication precision.

General and Descriptive Terms

• Adept: Skillful.
• Awkwardness: Embarrassment.
• Broaden: To expand something.
• Charismatic: Charming.
• Chap: A guy (informal).
• Dashing: Elegant, stylish.
• Fondness: A feeling of liking something very much.
• Gaze: A steady look.
• Imminent: Approaching.
• In essence: Basically; fundamentally.
• Inquisitive: Curious.
• Justifiable: Reasonable.
• Pertinent: Relevant.
• Possessed of: Having.
• Residual: Remaining.
• Sophisticated: Advanced.
• Startling: Extraordinary.
• Unparalleled: Unequaled.
• Utterly: Totally.

Science, Technology, and Anatomy

• Artery: A blood vessel.
• Cochlear: Concerning

Grammar Unit 3

A new form of treatment is being tested by scientists.

No major company has cloned a human being yet.

The plane was invented by two American brothers.

She must have been given the wrong medicine. That’s why she looks so ill.

Nobody had carried out such a complicated operation before.

The students were being told to evacuate the building when we got there.

The hotel will have served dinner by now. We’ve missed it.

Rewrite the sentences in the passive form. Omit the agent.

Researchers have discovered a new cure for cancer. A NEW CURE FOR CANCER HAS BEEN DISCOVERED.

Someone must clean all the equipment after every experiment. ALL THE EQUIPMENT MUST BE CLEANED AFTER EVERY EXPERIMENT.

Someone is showing the researchers around the lab. THE...

Secondary Infertility: Diagnosis and Management

Understanding Secondary Infertility

Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after having had a successful pregnancy in the past.

Patient History (Hx)

• Obstetric History: Parity, Deliveries, Live births, Deaths (P/D/L/D)
• Sexual Activity: Regularity of intercourse
• Gynecological Diseases: History of relevant conditions
• Medications: Current and past drug use
• Lifestyle Factors: Smoking status

Key Contributing Factors

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Can lead to tubal damage.
• Appendicitis: May result in peritonitis and subsequent adhesions.
• Previous Surgeries: Can cause adhesions affecting fertility.
• Smoking: Associated with reduced fertility and increased risk of Sexually

History of Medicine

Today, when we have a bad cold or fever, we can go to the doctor and get a prescription for some kind of medicine. But what did people do hundreds of years ago? They couldn't go to the chemist and they couldn't take an aspirin. What could they do?

Ancient Egyptians had a very effective system of medicine. It was very advanced for its time. The Egyptians introduced the concepts of diagnosis and medical examination. They also performed the first surgery around 2750 BC.

The famous Greek physician Hippocrates used herbs in his treatments. But what medicine could ancient people take when they had a headache, a cold, or a stomach ache? Herbal medicine.

Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare. Primitive men observed the great...

Health and Illness Vocabulary

Symptoms and Conditions

• To have: a cough, a headache, a rash, a temperature, sunburn, a sore throat, diarrhea, a blister, a cold, flu.
• To be: sneezing.
• Other conditions: Her ankle is swollen, her back hurts, her finger is bleeding, to feel sick, fainted ( = desmayado), to feel dizzy.
• Serious conditions: To be unconscious, he had an allergic reaction, twisted his ankle, he has high or low blood pressure, food poisoning, choking, burnt.

Treatments and Actions

• Take antibiotics, painkillers.
• For a twisted ankle: Put ice on it and bandage it.
• For an allergic reaction: Take antihistamine tablets.

Phrasal Verbs (Health)

• Get over, come around, lie down.
• Pass out ( = faint = desmayarse).

Clothes and Fashion

Adjectives

• Trendy, stylish,