Clinical Chemistry Blog Notes 32B

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Dexamethasone Suppression Test

--- has been employed as a means of assessing cortisol production in depressed patients and as a potential diagnostic tool for identifying the possible cause of depression. A patient with Cushing's syndrome has high percentage in experience in severe depression.

Procedure

1. Administration of 1.0 mg dexamethasone orally at 11 p.m
2. Samples for plasma cortisol measurement are collected the following day at 4 p.m and 11 p.m.
* * * there is no special patient preparation * * *

- if either the 4 p.m of the 11 p.m sample shows a total cortisol level greater than 5.0 ug/dL the test is considered positive of endogenous depression.
- a rise in the 4 p.m value above the 5.0 ug/dL cutoff is termed early escape a strong degree of resistance to suppression of cortisol synthesis by dexamethasone.

Normal Results

Cortisol levels should decrease after you receive dexamethasone.

Low dose:

• Overnight: 8 a.m. plasma cortisol <>

High dose:

• Overnight: > 50% reduction in plasma cortisol

Clinical Situation Dexamethasone

• Hyperplasia 50% supprresion

• Adrenal tumor no suppression

• Ectopic ACTH production no suppression
  

Reference: Clinical Chemistry book pages 413- 429 By: Bishop
Clinical Chemistry book pages 332

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are you in favor of drug testing before admission in school?

Toxic?! This word is very much related to us as a Med Tech. student. Having major subjects such as Hematology, Blood Banking, Clinical Chemistry and many more we student must give more time in reviewing when it’s examination week. This will bring us to toxic activities but also in toxicity in terms of drugs . . . We really need to have long period of time to scan and recall all the topic…

Because of this I tried a lot of strategies to cope up with this matter. First I tried drinking coffee in order for me not to fall asleep. But sad to say it didn’t work. Then I tried sleeping after my class and woke up early at dawn.. ahhhh! It didn’t work too. Then I hired my classmates talking about energy drink. The most familiar to be heard is extra joss. Because of the testimony of my classmates that it is very effective I also tired. I tried sting, cobra and extra joss… at first it is very effective that even I didn’t sleep I’m still very awake. I have very alive mind. No sleepiness!

I’m drinking energy drink since first semester up to second semester of my third year. But when in my removal exam, of coarse I really need to study hard and hard that I don’t have time to sleep. I drank extra joss because it was effective in the previous time I drink I thought it will be okay. After 5 mins. I drink extra joss, suddenly my body became weak my strength decline I feel dizzy and totally weak.

After this I have realized that energy drink has chemical compositions that affect our health. Over intake of dosage of it is not good.. it became toxic for our body and health . . .

caffaine - may cause tremulousness, diarrhes, palpitation, dizziness, anxiety attack, less fatigue and insomia

tourine - may cause uric acid high level which cause gout.

phenylalanine - may cause gastrointestinal bloating and discomfort.

most of energy drink effect is headache..

*** Brain Storming *** label the following:

a. Pineal gland

b. Pituitary gland

c. Thyroid gland

d. Thymus

e. Adrenal gland

f. Pancreas

g. Ovary(female)

h. Testes (male)

picture by:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Illu_endocrine_system.png

The following are the Major Endocrine glands

>Pineal gland,Pituitary gland, Thyroid gland, thymus, Adrenal glands, Pancreas, hypothalamus, ovary found in female and testes found in male...

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Adrenal gland - seen to be lies superior on each kidney, hormone produces steroid hormone and sex gland . . .

Pineal gland - this gland is located in our diencephalon. the hormone produced in this gland is melatonin. . .

Pituitary gland - this gland is normally found hang from the base of our brain.Most common Hormone produced growth hormone. . . pituitary gland can be anterior pituitary that produce (TSH) thyroid stimulating hormone, (FSH) Follicle Stimilating hormone and (PRL) prolactin

the other subdivision is neural portion called posterior pituitary,hormone produced oxytocin and (ADH) antidiuretic hormone.

Pancreas - can be found in abdomen which is close to the stomach. it releases hormones such as insulin, somatostatin and glucagon. . . it may also release small amount of blood hormones. . .

Thyroid - found in the anterior throat, the hormones produced thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) ...

Parathyroid - this gland is located at the dorsal aspect of thyroid gland. it secretion is concern to parathyroid hormone . . .

Hypothalamus - this gland is can be seen below the thalamus above the brain stem. . . it secrete the hormone of neurohormones or also known as hypothalamic releasing hormone, it produces also Corticothropin releasing hormone ( CRH) and Gonadothropin releasing hormone (GnRH). . .

Gonads

• ovary in the female and can be found at the pelvic cavity, the two hormones that it produced are estrogen and progesterone . . .
• then in male the gonad is the testes, testes produced the hormone of testosterone . ..