StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Patient is found to be hypotensive, tachypnic, with normal temperature and pulse rate. She also suffers from hyponatremia and hyperkalemia. Because no other abnormalities were…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.2% of users find it useful
Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study"

EXAMINATION OF THE PATIENT Findings: Patient complains of repeated vomiting, nausea, and generalised tiredness for two weeks. Patient is found to be hypotensive, tachypnic, with normal temperature and pulse rate. She also suffers from hyponatremia and hyperkalemia. Because no other abnormalities were revealed upon abdominal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological examinations, an endocrinal abnormality lead is followed. Laboratory tests reveal that the patient has high serum urea, creatinine and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels.

High ACTH levels may indicate a non-responsiveness of its target organ, the adrenal glands. The result of short ACTH stimulation test and random serum cortisol levels confirm this suspicion. Upon doing a CT scan, adrenal glands are small, atrophic, and calcified. The damage may have been caused by an autoimmune disease or secondary to diseases such as Histoplasma, Coccidiodes, Tuberculosis infections, metastases, lymphomas, hemorrhage, amyloid, sarcoid, and hemochromatosis, to which the patient is currently suffering or has already been freed from.

To see whether the adrenal gland disorder is autogenic, presence of adrenocortical autoantibodies is assayed. None were detected. When thorax of the patient underwent CT scan, both lungs are fibrous, and the right apex has calcifications. The fibrotic scars and the calcified right apex cavity are indications of a previous Tuberculosis infection. Because no respiratory problems were identified, the infection has already been resolved. Because Tuberculosis is common in Third World countries, and was still one of the leading causes of mortality during the 1950s, the patient may have been infected during her stay at Kenya when she worked as a missionary.

Four months prior to consult, the patient felt similar symptoms, and was then found to be hyponatremic, hyperkalemic and hypoglycaemic. No further tests were reported to have been performed at that time.Assessment: The patient is suffering from Addison’s disease, secondary to a resolved Tuberculosis infection.Plan: Therapy involves hormonal replacement. Oral corticosteroids such as Fludrocortisones (Florinef) to replace aldosterone, and Hydrocortisone (Cortef), prednisone, and cortisone acetate to replace cortisol may be provided.

Corticosteroid injections may also be an option, especially during Addisonian crisis, when blood pressure drops together with a decrease in blood sugar and an increase in serum potassium levels.ADDISON’S DISEASEUnlike Cushing’s syndrome, which involves an increase in the levels of adrenal gland hormones, Addison’s disease is an illness in which the adrenal glands are damages, thereby decreasing the levels of glucocorticoids such as cortisol and mineralocorticoids such as aldosterone. Low levels of glucocorticoids signal for gluconeogenesis, and without this process blood sugar levels decrease and protein biproducts such as urea increase.

Because the body cannot use food for energy efficiently, patient suffers from vomiting and nausea, possibly including diarrhea. In addition, since energy provided by glucose is low, the body will recruit other forms of energy such as creatine phosphate, as manifested by high levels of creatinine. On the other hand, low levels of glucocorticoids prevent reabsorption of sodium and exretion of potassium, thus resulting to hyponatremia and hyperkalemia, respectively. REFERENCESMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 2010, Addison’s Disease, viewed November 20, 2010, < http://www.

mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361>.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1572606-clinical-biochemistry-case-study
(Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1572606-clinical-biochemistry-case-study.
“Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1572606-clinical-biochemistry-case-study.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Clinical Biochemistry- Case Study

Hemolytic Anemia in G6PD Patients

hellip; The author states that the rigorousness of enzyme deficiency often does not associate well with the clinical severity of genetic diseases.... Belsey (1973) The rigorousness of enzyme deficiency often does not associate well with the clinical severity of genetic diseases....
4 Pages (1000 words) Case Study

Methods that May Be Used for the Estimation of Time since Death

This paper "Methods that May Be Used for the Estimation of Time since Death" discusses the various methods that may be used for the estimation of time since death, with a view to critically assessing the merits and demerits of each of these methods.... hellip; Estimating the time since death is an important aspect of death investigations since it helps to narrow down to the specific time of death, and the possible suspects involved....
8 Pages (2000 words) Case Study

Extreme Situation Recorded under Status Epilepticus

The paper "Extreme Situation Recorded under Status Epilepticus" describes that the patient named Master Bradley Jackson was a five-year-old boy admitted to the hospital for a detailed investigation for seizures.... The child was diagnosed with several tonic-clonic types of seizures majorly on the left side of the body....
10 Pages (2500 words) Case Study

Pharmacology - Dose of Warfarin Schedule

JP234 is well tolerated during clinical trials and there is no contradiction associated with it.... This paper under the headline 'Pharmacology - Dose of Warfarin Schedule" focuses on the fact that warfarin refers to an anticoagulant that is often used to prevent thrombosis and thromboembolism....
18 Pages (4500 words) Case Study

Sodium, Potassium, and Urea

These lab findings, when correlated to the clinical history, are a sure finding that is seen in patients of Conn's Syndrome because of excessive salt and water retention (Kumar and Clark 2011 p657).... This paper presents a case of primary hyperaldosteronism or Conn's Syndrome.... Conn's Syndrome is mostly seen asymptomatically or presents with only a few symptoms and is seen in a young patient mostly....
13 Pages (3250 words) Case Study

Psychological Assessment on Dexter Morgan

The paper "Psychological Assessment on Dexter Morgan" highlights that the clinician has the duty to care about the final welfare of the patient and shall apply medication that has no known side effects.... The clinician shall not apply the medication on a trial basis to this patient.... hellip; The treatment of MDD involves a clear analysis of the suicidal feelings the patient has since sociality has been of critical concern in psychiatry....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Type Mutation in Ones Patient Genome

The paper "Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Type Mutation in One's Patient Genome" states that the patient is ailing from an utterly complex multifactorial pathogenesis.... It is next to impossible to interpret the pathological events marring the patient with the available laboratory findings....
7 Pages (1750 words) Case Study

Possible Reasons For Marks Health Results

The paper "Possible Reasons For Mark's Health Results" states that a team of experts in diabetes management, nutrition and fitness will play a significant role in educating Mark with regards to the basics of a healthy lifestyle and also establish appropriate tools to enable him attain health goals....
8 Pages (2000 words) Case Study
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us