The Missing Link

Despite my respect for the human brain, there are times when I just drop the ball and miss the most glaring connection. Take Silicosis, for example. Its an occupational hazard involved in sand-blasting, and I just memorized that fact 3 months ago without really bothering to understand why. (Well, keep it mind, it was right next to a disease called Pidgeon Fancier's Lung, which looked way more interesting).

But yesterday, while going through another pathology resource, they laid it out for me. Sand-blasting blasts walls with sand. Silica is a major component of sand. HOW COULD I FORGET THIS? And this isn't the first time. But I'm too embarrassed to post the rest. Fun fact: Silica inhibits phagolysosome fusion-->this increases your risk of Tb!


Unrelatedly, here is a list of drug names that I commonly confuse:

Imipramine
Indapamide
Amiloride
Amiodarone
Amlodipine
Amantidine
Rispiridone
Reserpine
Clonidine/Clozapine

The Phen 4 (phenylephrine, phenoxybenzamine, phentolamine, and phenylzine)

and just as a review:
Imipramine: tricyclic antidepressant (along with clomipramine and amitryptiline). Blocks reuptake of NE. uses include depression.
Indapamide: a thiazide diuretic
Amiloride: K+-sparing diuretic
Amiodarone: a class III antiarrhythmic. AE include pulmonary interstitial fibrosis (not unlike Bleomycin)
Amlodipine: a CCB, similar to Nifedipine. acts on vasculature.
Amantidine: an anti-viral that happens to include dopamine and decrease acetylcholine (hence its use as an anti-parkinson's drug)

Clonidine: a2 agonist in CNS, causes decrease in NE release
Clozapine: 5HT2 antagonist and D2 antagonist

Phenylephrine (a1 agonist),
phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine (non-specific a1 antagonist),
Phenelzine (MAO inhibitor of both MAO-A and MAO-B.

While this isn't wholly correct, its easier to remember MAO as such: MAO-A mainly degrades 5HT and NE, whereas MAO-B mostly breaks down DA. Selegiline is an inhibitor of MAO-B, used in Parkinson's. Phenelzine and tranylcypramine are an inhibitor of both. Used in depression.

Rispiridone is a serotonin 5HT2A antagonist (not unlike Clozapine, Olanzapine, and Aripiprazole). Might see it used in psychosis.
Reserpine, however, prevents the storage of NE in vesicles.