Today was another day of Endocrine clinic and there were a lot of interesting cases today. Yeah, we had a lot of the typical growth hormone cases but today was also the day my preceptor had hospital rounds. We saw 2 patients in the hospital this morning. The first patient is part of a research study. Neonates are screened for a lot of illnesses and genetic markers that predispose them for other illnesses. If an infant tests positive for some of these markers, the parents can choose to enter their child into a research study that monitors those particular levels throughout their lives. This child is currently healthy but because the patient tested positive for some of the indicators for serious illnesses, blood tests are done on a regular basis to catch any problems early on.
The second hospital case of the day was a complex case that started out with a large blood clot and ended up with pneumothorax (air between the lung and the chest wall that inhibits full lung expansion), surgery and a month+ hospital stay. The current tests indicate hormone deficiencies that lead to the blood clot and because it wasn't caught right away, there was a ripple effect causing the other health problems.
During the office clinic, a patient reported that their 2 children regularly get Scarlet Fever and Rheumatic Fever which I thought was interesting. I have a microbiology exam tomorrow and I was just learning about Streptococcus and how the pyogenes species can cause both of those things. I thought they were eliminated a long time ago -like the measles - because I never hear about them, but I now know that isn't true.
I love seeing how my classes parallel with my clinic experiences. It makes the textbook information more interesting and relevant.
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