First Aid Medical Review Flashcards

Vocabulary-style medical flashcards covering high-yield exam topics in nephrology, endocrinology, rheumatology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, cardiology, pediatrics, and genetics.

Nephrotic Syndrome

Kidney disorder defined by severe proteinuria ($>3.5\,g/day$), hypoalbuminemia, generalized edema, and hyperlipidemia; most commonly caused by Minimal Change Disease in children and FSGS in adults.

Minimal Change Disease

Nephrotic syndrome presenting with normal renal glomeruli on light microscopy but podocyte effacement on electron microscopy; treated first line with corticosteroids.

Goodpasture Syndrome

Autoimmune disease caused by anti-GBM antibodies attacking renal and lung basement membranes, leading to rapid glomerulonephritis and pulmonary hemorrhage (hemoptysis, hematuria).

Alport Syndrome

Genetic X-linked defect in type IV collagen causing progressive glomerulonephritis, sensorineural hearing loss, and ocular abnormalities.

Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis

Immune complex deposition disease occurring 1 to 3 weeks after Group A streptococcal pharyngitis or impetigo, characterized by hematuria, edema, hypertension, elevated ASO titers, and low serum $C3$.

Acute Tubular Necrosis

Renal tubular cell injury caused by ischemia (shock, sepsis) or nephrotoxins, characteristically showing muddy brown granular casts on urinalysis.

Acute Interstitial Nephritis

Drug-induced inflammation of the renal interstitium (NSAIDs, antibiotics, diuretics) presenting with the clinical triad of fever, rash, and eosinophilia.

Cushing's Disease

Pituitary adenoma that secretes excess ACTH, resulting in hypercortisolism manifested by moon face, buffalo hump, central obesity, purple striae, and hypertension.

Addison's Disease

Primary adrenal insufficiency caused by destruction of the adrenal cortex (most commonly autoimmune or TB), leading to cortisol and aldosterone deficiencies, hyperpigmentation, hypotension, and hyponatremia.

Conn's Syndrome

Primary hyperaldosteronism caused by an adrenal adenoma or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, presenting with hypertension, hypokalemia, muscle weakness, and metabolic alkalosis.

Hashimoto Thyroiditis

Autoimmune destruction of thyroid tissue associated with thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, leading to hypothyroidism with elevated TSH and low free $T_4$.

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Most common form of thyroid cancer, often linked to prior radiation exposure, diagnosed via fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Chronic systemic autoimmune disease causing symmetric inflammatory arthritis of small joints (hands, wrists), morning stiffness, joint deformities, and positivity for RF and anti-CCP antibodies.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Multisystem autoimmune disease marked by antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA/anti-Smith antibodies, presenting with butterfly-shaped facial rash, photosensitivity, arthritis, and lupus nephritis.

Systemic Sclerosis

Autoimmune disorder characterized by diffuse skin thickening (sclerodactyly), Raynaud phenomenon, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and anti-Scl-70 antibodies.

Sjogren's Syndrome

Autoimmune destruction of exocrine glands (lacrimal and salivary) leading to dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia), associated with anti-Ro (SSA) and anti-La (SSB) antibodies.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting the sacroiliac joints and axial skeleton, strongly associated with $HLA\text{-}B27$ and showing "bamboo spine" on plain X-rays.

Paget Disease of Bone

Bone disorder characterized by excessive and disordered bone remodeling, leading to enlarged, weakened bones, bowed legs, and markedly elevated serum alkaline phosphatase.

Osteosarcoma

Primary malignant bone tumor occurring in adolescents and young adults, typically in long bones, demonstrating a "sunburst" periosteal reaction and Codman triangle on X-ray.

Ewing Sarcoma

Malignant bone tumor primarily affecting children and adolescents (femur, pelvis), characteristically showing an "onion skin" periosteal appearance on radiography.

Asthma

Reversible chronic inflammatory airway disease causing bronchoconstriction, wheezing, dyspnea, and an $FEV_1/FVC$ ratio $<70\%$ on spirometry.

Cystic Fibrosis

Autosomal recessive defect in the CFTR gene leading to abnormally thick mucus secretions, recurrent pulmonary infections, pancreatic insufficiency, and elevated sweat chloride ($>60\,mEq/L$).

Sarcoidosis

Systemic non-caseating granulomatous disease affecting young adults (especially African American women), showing bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy on CXR and non-caseating granulomas on biopsy.

Light's Criteria

Diagnostic criteria defining a pleural effusion as exudative if pleural/serum protein $>0.5$, pleural/serum LDH $>0.6$, or pleural LDH $>2/3$ of the upper limit of normal serum LDH.

CURB-65 Score

Mortality prediction tool for pneumonia assessing Confusion ($1$), Urea $>7\,mmol/L$ ($1$), Respiratory rate $\ge 30/\text{min}$ ($1$), Blood pressure $<90/60\,mm\,Hg$ ($1$), and Age $\ge 65$ ($1$).

Pneumocystis Pneumonia

Opportunistic fungal pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii in immunocompromised individuals (HIV/AIDS with low CD4 count), showing bilateral diffuse ground-glass infiltrates and treated first-line with TMP-SMX.

Tension Pneumothorax

Life-threatening accumulation of air under pressure in the pleural space causing tracheal deviation, mediastinal shift, and hypotension; managed immediately with needle decompression at the 4th intercostal space in the midclavicular line.

Pancoast Tumor

Apical non-small cell lung carcinoma invading local structures, presenting with shoulder pain, brachial plexus involvement, and ipsilateral Horner syndrome.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Autoimmune destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts in middle-aged women, presenting with pruritus, fatigue, jaundice, and positive anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA).

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Chronic inflammation and fibrotic stricturing of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts, strongly associated with ulcerative colitis and showing a "beaded" pattern on MRCP.

Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatic inflammation caused most commonly by gallstones or alcohol abuse, defined by severe epigastric pain radiating to the back and serum amylase/lipase levels $>3 \times$ the upper limit of normal.

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Gastrin-secreting neuroendocrine tumor (gastrinoma) located in the pancreas or duodenum, producing refractory peptic ulcer disease and elevated serum gastrin levels.

Cardiac Tamponade

Accumulation of pericardial fluid under pressure causing heart compression, characterized by Beck's triad (hypotension, distended neck veins, muffled heart sounds) and pulsus paradoxus.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Autosomal dominant genetic disorder causing asymmetric left ventricular/septal hypertrophy, S4 gallop, and risk of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

Aortic Dissection

Tear in the aortic intima creating a false lumen, presenting with sudden, severe "tearing" or "ripping" chest/back pain, pulse deficits, and asymmetrical upper limb blood pressures.

Coarctation of the Aorta

Congenital narrowing of the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery, associated with Turner syndrome, upper extremity hypertension, weak lower extremity pulses, and rib notching on X-ray.

Tetralogy of Fallot

Congenital cyanotic heart defect characterized by four anomalies: pulmonary stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, overriding aorta, and ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Torsades de Pointes

Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with prolonged QT interval, treated acutely with IV magnesium sulfate.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Pre-excitation syndrome caused by an accessory conduction path (Bundle of Kent), characterized on ECG by a shortened PR interval and a delta wave.

Croup

Viral upper airway infection (Laryngotracheobronchitis) caused by parainfluenza virus, presenting in young children with a barking cough, inspiratory stridor, and a subglottic "steeple sign" on neck X-ray.

Epiglottitis

Life-threatening inflammation of the epiglottis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b, characterized by high fever, drooling, stridor, tripod positioning, and a "thumb sign" on lateral neck X-ray.

Intussusception

Invagination of a bowel segment into an adjacent distal segment in infants, presenting with colicky abdominal pain, a sausage-shaped mass, and "currant jelly" blood-tinged stools.

Pyloric Stenosis

Hypertrophy of the infantile pyloric sphincter presenting with non-bilious projectile vomiting, an olive-shaped epigastric mass, and hypokalemic hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Ischemic necrosis of the gastrointestinal mucosa in premature neonates, characterized on abdominal radiography by pneumatosis intestinalis.

Marfan Syndrome

Autosomal dominant defect in the fibrillin-1 gene resulting in connective tissue weakness, tall stature, arachnodactyly, ectopic lens, and risk of aortic root dilation/dissection.

Klinefelter Syndrome

Male chromosomal disorder ($47,XXY$) causing hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, tall stature, gynecomastia, small firm testes, low testosterone, and infertility.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis

Autosomal recessive disorder of iron overload caused by HFE gene mutations, characterized by bronze skin pigmentation, cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, and elevated serum ferritin.

Wilson's Disease

Autosomal recessive disorder of hepatic copper transport leading to toxic copper accumulation in the liver, brain, and cornea, characterized by low serum ceruloplasmin, Kayser-Fleischer rings, and movement disorders.