http://www.prep4abim.com ABIM Forum en-us Is there any difference between 13th edition medstudy and 14th edition med study http://www.prep4abim.com/med-study-68.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:09:55 GMT http://www.prep4abim.com/abim-books/details-68.html 1. General Medicine 2. Cardio 3. GI http://www.prep4abim.com/heavily-tested-topic-for-abim-67.html Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:56:15 GMT http://www.prep4abim.com/abim-forum/details-67.html Bacterial vaginosis is a polymicrobial infection - chiefly associated with Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus, Mycoplasma etc. It is not an STD. It presents as a copious whitish vaginal discharge that has a pH >4.5 and gives a fishy odor with KOH. CLUE cells are the key to diagnosis. Clue Cells are squamous epithelial cells appearing stippled or granulated due to bacterial adherence to the epithelial cell surface. Treatment is with Metronidazole (Flagyl) topical gel or oral. Treatment of the male partner is not indicated unless he has balanitis http://www.prep4abim.com/key-pointsgeneral-medicine-66.html Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:05:30 GMT http://www.prep4abim.com/abim-forum/details-66.html Very high yield Absolute risk reduction (ARR): The arithmetic difference between the two groups - the ones that are treated versus those not treated. Example: Given a group of 20 people with a disease, 10 people recieve treatment and out of them 5 died. 7 out of those not treated - died. The reduction in the risk of death is 7/10 - 5/10 = 2/10 treated. This is absolute risk reduction. Number needed to treat (NNT): It is the number of patients that need to be treated to save one event from occurring. In this case it is 10 people need to be treated to save 2 lives therefore 5 need to be treated to save one life. i.e. NNT=5. It is thus 1/ARR [1/ (2/10)]. http://www.prep4abim.com/key-pointsstatistics-65.html Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:58:58 GMT http://www.prep4abim.com/abim-forum/details-65.html Vertigo can arise from many structures, the commonest of which are the following. 1. Inner ear (labyrinth) a.k.a. . Peripheral 2. Brain stem a.k.a. central. Labyrinthine vertigo can be due to one of 7 common ailments. Acute labyrinthine vertigo typically comes as a result of viral illnesses. They are self limiting and are not associated with hearing loss, tinnitus or brain stem dysfunction. Nystagmus is present. Meniere's disease is a.k.a. chronic labyrinthine vertigo and is associated with age > 40, tinnitus, hearing loss, nausea and vomiting. It typically comes in short lasting episodes, but the tinnitus and hearing loss may persist between attacks. Toxins such as aspirin, other nonsteroidal drugs, Aminoglycosides and Vancomycin can cause vertigo in toxic levels. Head trauma can also lead to vertigo. This is usually self limited. Benign positional vertigo is characterized by vertigo that lasts approximately 10 seconds, associated with nystagmus, and most importantly is capable of being fatigued by repeated motions of the head. There is no tinnitus or loss of hearing. Treatment of this condition is done by physical therapy. Labyrinthine ischemia which is usually seen in the elderly can also lead to vertigo. Acoustic nerve lesions can cause poor balance, true vertigo being rare. There is usually associated dysfunction of other cranial nerves particularly 7th. Central vertigo on the other hand, has one key finding and that is vertical nystagmus. Associated with this, one may find brain stem dysfunction for instance malfunction of another cranial nerve. MRI of the posterior fossa is useful. http://www.prep4abim.com/key-pointsneurology-64.html Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:51:54 GMT http://www.prep4abim.com/abim-forum/details-64.html