Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I n medical learning the fundamentals are very important,though many ignore this important aspect and build their updated knowledge.It is not surprising to come across medicos with out knowing the difference between “continuous,remittent,intermittent fevers” but may know in great detail about the pressure gradient and flow in different valves of the heart or the intricacy of cerebral haemorrhage without knowing the site and functions of amygdala or hippocampus.The way of teaching during our student days were like this tuned mainly to face the clinical examination to pass the ordeal. To be clear on fundamentals,definitions help a great deal.In one of the preliminary classes in medicine the tutor was explaining the difference between symptom and sign.A confused student asked ‘what is symptom’ to which the tutor gave answers like ‘what you experience ‘ etc. The professor who heard this defined symptom as ‘a bodily sensation felt by the
person as out of ordinary’. This probably makes it clear.Afew other definitions impressed me are
‘Hallucination’-is a mental impression of sensory vividness , occuring in clear consciousnes, in the absence of any stimulus>
Vertigo- is a positive experience of instability in space as opposed to giddiness which is lowering of the level of consciousness.
Somatisation- experience psychological trauma and express in body terms.

Atleast I feel the definitions give clear meaning and understanding.