10th Batch MBBS IIUM Blog

Dr gave me the EDD and asked for POG… the pt’s was 35 weeks…

I was asked to examine pt generally….

Me: This is a lady in her..mid 20’s? medium built, conscious and alert. Hydrational and nutritional status fair. Not pale (no signs of anaemia sucha as angular stomatitis, atrophic glossitis)nor jaundice, no parotid, no thyroid swelling. No pedal oedema. Oh.. and the abdomen is distended…

Prof : *smiling* y do u think I bring u to this patient? What do you think I want tou to pick up?
Me: *slams my forehead* oh.. the patient has rashes found all over her face, forearms and legs *I’m so dead I thought*

Prof : remember hielmi, don’t be so caught up with the negative findings.. these rashes are obvious..
Me: Yes Prof

Prof : so describe the rashes…
Me: it is found most prominently on the face, multiple 2-5 mm, hyperpigmented, keratinized, looks healed… there are a few at the forearms and legs tho they look more healed?

Prof: what else do you want to do?
Me : I would like to check the trunk and with seeing the progression of the healing maybe can tell whether the pattern is centripetal or centri….*ak lupa dowh masa nie..prof pandang je lama plak tu*.. fugal?

Prof: good *phiuhh* what do u think is the cause?
Me: Varicella zoster?

Prof: ok, now examine the abdomen

The abdomen finding was uneventful… other than more rashes…. However halfway thru.. uterus contracts, so timing was done… prof prefers running commentary

Prof : so whats ur dx?
Me: seeing that she has contractions at 35 weeks, my dx is preterm contraction secondary to varicella zoster infection. However I need to complete my examination with VE and bishop scoring to see if she is in labour.

Prof: if I give u one chance… only one.. to ask a single question to the patient… what will it be? Do it…
Me: Puan, bila puan dapat ruam2 nie? Trimester pertama, dua, tiga?
Pt: baru je 2 minggu…

Prof: Ok, y that question?
Me: due to the complication it carries based on trimester.

Prof: elaborate..
Me: 1st trimester carries risk of teratogenicity…

Prof: but this pt got it at third so?
Me: hmmm.. the baby will be a carrier?

Prof: no… what do we worry bout? 10 days post delivery?
Me: fulminant manifestation of the dx on the baby..

Prof: elaborate..
Me: hmm… skin eruptions?

Prof: ok… skin infections.. anymore?
Me: lung infections?

Prof: ok pneumonia… one more we worry bout…
Me: *masa nie cuak.. mula pikir all the organs dalam badan…* brain?

Prof : so.. what brain? Be specific..
Me: hmm.. meningitis?

Prof: that is just the covering…
Me: owh encephalitis..

Prof: Yes… now one more chance to ask a question to patient..
Me: Puan ada makan ubat? Ubat apa? Tau nama ubat?
Pt: ada, antiviral tp tak tau nama apa.

Prof: but u know I believe… what is it?
Me: Acyclovir

Prof: how do u prescribe acyclovir for her?
Me: I’m sorry prof, I do not know.

Prof : ask the patient now, u will remember forever…
I start asking the pt and was told its 800mg 5 times a day for 5 days.. ak tak cek lagi…

Prof: will the treatment cure her?
Me: not entirely, the virus will remain dormant in the nerves ganglion and will resurface if the patient will undergo stress or immunesurpressed..

Prof: so whats the long term complication for this patient?
Me: it could resurface during next pregnancy and causes 1st trimester infxn and for the patient.. shingles..

Prof: what is shingles?
Me: the virus causes rashes along the dermatomal region it resides while remain dormant. Painful pustules.

Prof: which shingles are we afraid of?
Me: lumbar?

Prof: why? Its just the abdomen..
Me: owh, trigeminal nerve shingles… ocular complication leading to blindness?

Prof: yes… How do you think the patient get the disease?
Me: through contact with someone with the disease..

Prof: ask the patient…*basically one of her kids got it first*… what do u mean contact
Me: fomites? Touch? Clothes? Its not airborne..

Prof: what?*mata terbeliak* Are u sure its not?
Me: *ak degil ckp tak gak.. sebenarnya ya* hmm.. the virus resides in the pustules and contact with it causes spread of infxn..

Prof: hmmm… ok.. have u ever been infected?
Me: yes..

Prof: when?
Me: when I was 7

Prof: will u get infected now by her?
Me: no because one, I’m immune and secondly she is beyond her infectivity period because it has been 14 days..

Prof: so explain y she have it only now?
Me: she has never been exposed, this is her first infxn and also because she did not take the vaccination which at her time wasn’t in the immunization programme.

Prof:*asking the pt* pertama kali ked pt demam campak?
Pt: a’ah.. nie kali pertama..

Prof: you can go now
Me: thank you

Prof sgt2 baik.. tolong je… masa bincang ak atas kerusi while dia duduk atas katil..