Basic Science for Core Medical Training and the MRCP

✍ Scribed by Neil Herring, Robert Wilkins

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 347
• Series: Oxford Specialty Training: Basic Science
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Provides a concise overview of the basic sciences relevant to clinical medicine, to act as a primer for MRCP Part 1 preparation
Covers common examination errors and areas of misunderstanding to aid learning
Includes sample MCQ questions to illustrate clinical and exam relevance

Providing a clear explanation of the relevant medical science behind the individual medical specialties, Basic Science for Core Medical Training and the MRCP, is an indispensable part of a candidate's MRCP preparation. Directly linked to the Royal College exam, the book follows the same systems-based approach as the syllabus for accurate and effective revision.

With full coverage of basic science for the medical specialities, the book features material on genetics, cellular, molecular and membrane biology, and biochemistry. Content is presented in an illustrated and easy-to-read format, ensuring that the basic science for each medical specialty is more approachable and accessible. A focus on how the basic sciences aid understanding of clinical practice is reinforced through key tables of differential diagnoses and pharmacology.

Ten multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter consolidate learning and enable candidates to test their knowledge. The book also covers common examination errors and areas of misunderstanding to aid learning and help candidates avoid common pitfalls.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Untitled
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Contents
Contributors
Abbreviations
1 Genetics
2 Cellular, molecular, and membrane biology
3 Biochemistry and metabolism
4 Immunology
5 Infectious diseases
6 Statistics and epidemiology
7 Haematology
8 Clinical pharmacology
Principles of drug action
Receptors
Ligand binding and responses
Fig. 8.1A Ligand binding. (a) Law of mass action. (b) The relationship between agonist concentration and receptor occupancy foran idealized agonist. This relationship is specific for a given drug and receptors in a particular tissue.
Fig. 8.1B Log concentration response curves for idealizedexamples of full (A and B) and partial (C) agonists.
Antagonists
Fig. 8.2A Competitive antagonism and dose ratio (DR) forseveral concentrations (1–100nM) of an idealized competitiveantagonist.
Fig. 8.2B Schild equation and plot to establish thedissociation constant (KD) for the competitive antagonist(B) shown in Figure 8.2A.
Pharmacokinetics and monitoring drug therapy
Administration and absorption
Distribution
Table 8.1 Advantages and disadvantages of different routes of administration of pharmacological agents
Metabolism and excretion
Plasma kinetics
Fig. 8.4 An example of the plasmaconcentration profile for repeated oral drugdosing (1-h intervals) of a drug with a halflifeof ∼30min. Note how repeated dosesprogressively increase the duration of theeffective periods until steady state is reached.
Table 8.2 Inhibitors and inducers of different cytochrome P450 sub-types
Mechanisms of drug interactions
Therapeutics in particular conditions
The elderly
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Renal failure
Hepatic failure
Common overdoses
Paracetamol
Tricyclic antidepressants
Salicylate
Ethylene glycol
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Digoxin
Multiple choice questions
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9 Rheumatology
10 Cardiology
11 Respiratory medicine
12 Neurology
13 Psychiatry
14 Gastroenterology
15 Endocrinology
16 Nephrology
Anatomy
Physiology
Structural features of nephron segmentsand their functional roles
Fig. 16.4 Diagrammatic representation of the filtration barrier in the glomerulus and the hydrodynamicforces that determine the rate of ultrafiltration.
Fig. 16.5 The ultrastructure of the cells that constitute a nephron.
Fig. 16.6 Schematic representation of bicarbonate reabsorption in the proximal tubule.
Fig. 16.7 Schematic representation of the countercurrent multiplier of the renal medulla.
Pharmacology
Table 16.1 Diuretic drugs
Loop diuretics
Thiazaide diuretics
Potassium-sparing diuretics
Osmotic diuretics
Drug-induced renal reactions
Table 16.2 Drug-induced renal reactions
Multiple choice questions
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17 Dermatology
Appendix: Answers to multiple choice questions
Index

✦ Subjects

Physiology; Medical Test Preparation; Pathology Clinical Chemistry; MRCP