Sodium is a very important electrolyte to be monitored and can easily get altered for numerous reasons. The normal sodium level is between 135 and 145 mmol/L. Less than 135 mol/L is classified as hyponatraemia. Mild hyponatraemia is 130 - 134 mmol/L, moderate between 120-129 and severe <120 mmol/L. Working with so many nephrology patients … Continue reading Just add some salt on it!
Breast cancer is one of the commonest cancers affecting women all over the world. In the UK, 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with the disease whilst in Sri Lanka, breast cancer accounted for 27% of all newly diagnosed cancers amongst women in Sri Lanka [1]. Breast cancer can also develop in men, but … Continue reading Breast lumps and bumps
Everybody knows somebody (if not themselves) that has an "allergy" - even if they don't really know what an allergy entails. The standard description of an allergy is a hypersensitive reaction of the body to a substance such as food, drugs or even plasters. The hypersensitive reaction can range from a simple skin itching, to … Continue reading Fatal allergies
Have you ever heard a child bark like a dog? Most likely everyone has seen a child imitate a dog during playtime when they pretend to walk around on all fours and keep yapping. But, have you ever thought you heard a dog when in fact it was a child coughing? I have. At 2:00 … Continue reading To bark like a dog
Obstruction of the intestines is a common surgical emergency that requires prompt management. The catch with intestinal obstruction is that it needs to be differentiated into either small or large bowel obstruction, and then again to identify the underlying cause. This is important as the treatment differs for each cause. Due to the vast amount … Continue reading When the large pipes get blocked
Rectal bleeding, or haematochezia as it is medically known, is a very common presentation to a surgical clinic/ward. It can be a challenging presentation to figure out however as there are numerous differential diagnoses that need to be excluded. It isn't a pretty sight, but can occur at any age. Most cases are benign, but … Continue reading Bleeding poop
Since starting the blog, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has been a regular topic request. I knew it was a common condition, but I didn't realize the emotional and psychological impact of this condition until I asked my friends and instagram followers to tell me about their journeys with PCOS. It seemed pretty obvious to me … Continue reading Where did my period go?
Skin conditions despite very cool to look at, have not always been the most pleasant to evaluate. One of the most commonest admissions to the surgical unit especially due to the epidemic of diabetes, is a patient with an erythematous, angry looking swollen leg (may be bilateral). The immunosuppression that diabetes causes can make a … Continue reading A swollen limb situation
Occasionally you get one of those nutty cases that leave you scratching your head. I was sent in this really interesting case from one of my gynaecology colleagues, take a read on below! The background history A 40-year-old lady was referred to the gynaecology ward from her local clinic as she had an intra-uterine copper … Continue reading The curious case of a missing IUCD
One of my biggest fears are snakes. Venomous or not, I cannot stand the sight of snakes. They're slithery, squirmy and just overall creepy. Unfortunately, like most tropical countries, Sri Lanka has a high number of snake bite victims. A publication in 2016 found that over a 1 year period, there were 80,000 snake bites of … Continue reading Unexpected visitors – of the slimy kind!
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