Al-Mustafa Homoeo Clinic

20/05/2025

Acanthosis nigricans
Acanthosis nigricans is a medical sign characterised by brown-to-black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin. It is usually found in body folds, such as the posterior and lateral folds of the neck, the armpits, groin, navel, forehead and other areas.

08/04/2025

Gasping respiration, also known as agonal breathing, is an abnormal breathing pattern characterized by irregular, shallow, and labored breaths, often accompanied by strange vocalizations, and is a sign of a life-threatening emergency like cardiac arrest.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
What it is:
Agonal breathing is a brainstem reflex that occurs when the brain is not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia or anoxia).
How it looks:
It manifests as irregular, gasping, or labored breaths, often with a sound like snoring, snorting, or gasping.
Why it's important:
Agonal breathing is a critical sign of a life-threatening emergency, such as cardiac arrest, and indicates the failure of the patient's cardiac and respiratory functions.
What to do:
Healthcare professionals or first responders encountering a patient exhibiting agonal breathing should promptly initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and call for emergency medical assistance.
Causes:
Possible causes include cerebral ischemia, hypoxia, or anoxia.
Important Note:
Gasping is not normal breathing and should not be mistaken for normal breathing.
Gasping in cardiac arrest:
Gasping often follows cardiac arrest and is considered an "auto-resuscitative" phenomenon.
Gasping and resuscitation:
Gasping can actually improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, and studies have shown that patients who gasp during cardiac arrest have a higher chance of survival.
Gasping at the end of life:
In some cases, agonal respiration can be a sign of the dying patient's last breaths before terminal apnea.
Ethical considerations:
There are ethical considerations regarding the use of neuromuscular blockade to suppress prolonged episodes of agonal respiration in well-sedated patients to allow a peaceful death.

08/04/2025

08/04/2025

The Chvostek sign (/ˈkvɒstɪk/) is a clinical sign that someone may have a low blood calcium level (a decreased serum calcium, called hypocalcemia). The Chvostek sign is the abnormal twitching of muscles that are activated (innervated) by the facial nerve (also known as Cranial Nerve Seven, or CNVII).

22/03/2025

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare, inflammatory skin disease where painful pustules or nodules become ulcers that progressively grow. Pyoderma gangrenosum is not infectious.

14/03/2025

The Apgar score is a quick way for health professionals to evaluate the health of all newborns at 1 and 5 minutes after birth and in response to resuscitation.

14/03/2025

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a neurological condition that happens in the pons area of your brain. In CPM, a rapid increase of sodium to correct low sodium levels (hyponatremia) damages nerve cells. Alcohol use disorder, liver transplantation and other conditions can cause hyponatremia. Many people with CPM fully recover.

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a condition affecting myelin and nerve cells in the middle part of your brainstem called the pons. Your brainstem relays information between your spinal cord and the larger “thinking” part of your brain. It also helps control essential functions like breathing, digestion and heart rate. Another name for CPM is osmotic demyelination syndrome.

12/02/2025

Astigmatism is a type of refractive error due to rotational asymmetry in the eye's refractive power. This results in distorted or blurred vision at any distance. Other symptoms can include eyestrain, headaches, and trouble driving at night. Astigmatism often occurs at birth and can change or develop later in life.

12/02/2025

Amblyopia, also called lazy eye, is a disorder of sight in which the brain fails to fully process input from one eye and over time favors the other eye. It results in decreased vision in an eye that typically appears normal in other aspects.

12/02/2025

Torticollis, also known as wry neck, is a painful, dystonic condition defined by an abnormal, asymmetrical head or neck position, which may be due to a variety of causes. The term torticollis is derived from Latin tortus 'twisted' and collum 'neck

12/02/2025

An omphalocele or omphalocoele, also known as an exomphalos, is a rare abdominal wall defect. Beginning at the 6th week of development, rapid elongation of the gut and increased liver size reduces intra abdominal space, which pushes intestinal loops out of the abdominal cavity.
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