Teaching to the Test @jackiekazik - Tumblr Blog

PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF MOST COMMONLY USED DRUGS

On June 30, 2015, the FDA replaced the letter classification (below) with drug labeling that is more narrative. This goes into effect in all NEW meds approved by FDA. Pregnancy category will be removed by 2018. The info included will be about dosing and potential risks to the fetus and data maintained by the registry on how pregnant women are affected when they use the drug. In addition, there…

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Basic Overview of MOA of Diabetic Meds for the PANCE/PANRE

Metformin – first choice for oral type 2 diabetes treatment. They reduce hyperglycemia by decreasing hepatic gluconeogenesis (primary effect) and increasing peripheral insulin sensitivity (secondary effect). They do not increase insulin levels or cause weight gain. Alone, they rarely cause hypoglycemia. When combined with sulfonylureas, hypoglycemia is possible. Contraindicated in patients with…

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Make Sure You Know the New Screening Guidelines for Cervical Cancer!

These things are still true: Cervical cancer is due to high-risk strains of HPV (double-digit strains, i.e. 16, 18,23, 25, etc.) RF for acquiring cervical cancer from HPV infection are most often related to decreased clearance of the virus (due to immune deficiency, and multiple other factors) Cervical cancer screening DOES decrease the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Most cervical…

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SECONDARY HYPERTENSION – who to suspect, PE findings, management

Definitions: Essential hypertension – occurs typically 30-50 yo.; + family history; likely genetic in origin; usually easily treated with one or two drugs Secondary hypertension – can occur at extremes of age; can occur in patients with essential hypertension (causing sudden resistant hypertension in a previously well-controlled patient); most commonly associated with resistant hypertension…

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Clinical Therapeutics – Which medications can cause CHF or make it worse?

These kinds of Q’s on the test can be related to a patient who, when you start a drug, develops or has exacerbation of CHF, and the question asks which drug should be stopped. Or, can be related to a patient you have recently diagnosed with CHF, and you are asked which drugs to avoid in the future. The average CHF patient is on multiple drugs, often for multiple comorbidities. Many diagnosed with…

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Radiology Tutorial

I typically do not recommend that you spend a lot of time reviewing ECG and Radiology; however, this would be included in the “Labs & Diagnostics” skills section which is 14% of your exam, a very large percentage. So, to get the most out of your study time, I recommend the following plan: Go to the link her on my blog site, or type into your search box the words “University of Virginia Radiology…

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PI-CME - new after 2014!!

PI-CME – new after 2014!!

PI-CME is Performance Improvement CME – and for those of you who will certify in 2014, and all of those PA-C’s that will REcertify in 2014 and after – you will have to do this twice in a 10 year cycle period.

They threw us a bone by letting us take the test every 10 years instead of every 6 years, and then added two more hurdles — (I think you can already tell how I feel about this whole thing :/

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#certification #pance #PANRE #PI-CME #recert #recertification

The Cytochrome System --- made a little bit simpler (I hope)

The Cytochrome System — made a little bit simpler (I hope)

CYP is the name given to a whole bunch of enzymes that the body uses to dispose of potentially harmful substances by making them water soluble. By adding something, like a hydroxyl group, to a substance it becomes more water soluble. Conjugating it to glucuronide makes it even more soluble (you don’t need to memorize this!).

Most of the CYP is found in our liver (where most metabolism and toxin…

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#CYP system #pance #pance review #PANRE #panre review resources

Clincal genetics --c. 2014

Clincal genetics –c. 2014

As many of you know, my youngest brother, Mikey, was born with multiple congenital defects and cognitive disability. He is 49. We were told that his chromosomes are “normal”. This was in 1965. Testing was done again just before his siblings (my sisters and I) began to have our children, genetics had “advanced” enough in 1973 that it was felt that they might discover the problem. Nope,…

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All the Neuro Tips I Know for the PANCE/PANRE

Seizures

If it says “generalized” then there is LOC – and usually bowel and bladder incontinence with postictal drowsiness — many many drugs for this – see pharm section in book

In petites mal seizures in children, there is LOC – brief staring, with no bowel of bladder — the only good treatment for this one is ethosuximide

Febrile seizures do not need seizure treatment (but if not an obvious…

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The Dreaded Adrenals

I was just talking to a colleague (also a former student) who works in endocrine and said to me, “I’ve been doing endo for 6 years and still can’t do the adrenals!”

So, for those who can’t do the adrenals — I’m going to remove all the tough stuff and break it down to the absolute basics — for those of you who only need to know to get these two Q’s correct on the test!

We are going to start with…

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#adrenal disorders #cortisol #cushing disease #endocrine review #pance #pance review #PANRE #panre review #pituitary disorders

Antipsychotic drugs -- how and why do they work?

Antipsychotic drugs — how and why do they work?

The main effects of the antipsychotics are to reduce bizarre behaviors; hallucinations; and irrational thought without significantly depressing intellectual function. Most take 1-2 weeks to have full development of effects.

General principle: antipsychotic drugs act on subcortical areas of the brain; i.e. thalamus and limbic system (which control behaviors), to block neurotransmitters from…

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Cardiovascular Drugs: ACEI’s and ARB’s

ACEI’s (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors) – the drugs ending in ***pril

ARB’s (angiotensin receptor blockers)– the drugs ending in ***sartan

This blog post will have everything that you need to know about both ACEI’s and ARB’s including when to use them, when NOT to use them, and the specific indications for them. They have changed the entire world of medicine in terms of CHF and renal…

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blue-lights-and-tea: Chest X-ray markings Nice visual — remember that lower lobe pneumonias will cause you not to be able to see the diaphragms; middle lobe pneumonias will cause you not to be able to see the R heart border; and upper lobe pneumonias are usually fairly obvious, but again, if UL, then you can see the heart borders and the diaphragms. I promise you can get fooled, particularly between RLL and RML pneumonias – so don’t be fooled on your test!!!

Radiology Review site!!!!

for those of you who have not visited my website, it just became apparent to me from a question from a follower that you may not know about my most favorite radiology website of ever!!!

The reason I do not have a whole CXR section in my review book is because NO ONE can do CXR review as well, as concisely, and with great images like this website.

I used it to teach my students in PA school, and…

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Cardiovascular Effects of Common Inotropes and Vasopressors

CATECHOLAMINES

Epinephrine is the principal active substance from the adrenal gland. “Sympathomimetics” have been synthesized to mimic the effects of epinephrine. The last blog post discussed beta-adrenergic and alpha-adrenergic drugs to mimic the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (and also the effects of blocking the receptors for this system).

This blog post will deal with other…

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Oral Hypoglycemic therapy for Type 2 DM

First, I am going to do an overview (somewhat historical) because it helps you know how we got here in terms of therapeutic options in Type 2, and it will help you remember the drugs a little better for the test…..and then I will talk about the drugs in more detail.

Oral Hypoglycemic Therapy History:

Type 2 DM understanding is really quite new…discovered in my lifetime, and in the 60’s poorly…

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