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Medicine and surgery
Antihistamines for allergies
Glucocorticoids
Coronary artery disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Heart failure: Clinical (To be retired)
Syncope: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypertension: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypercholesterolemia: Clinical (To be retired)
Peripheral vascular disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)
Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers
Adrenergic antagonists: Beta blockers
ACE inhibitors, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors
Thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics
Calcium channel blockers
Lipid-lowering medications: Statins
Lipid-lowering medications: Fibrates
Miscellaneous lipid-lowering medications
Antiplatelet medications
Hypersensitivity skin reactions: Clinical (To be retired)
Eczematous rashes: Clinical (To be retired)
Papulosquamous skin disorders: Clinical (To be retired)
Alopecia: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypopigmentation skin disorders: Clinical (To be retired)
Benign hyperpigmented skin lesions: Clinical (To be retired)
Skin cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Diabetes mellitus: Clinical (To be retired)
Hyperthyroidism: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypothyroidism and thyroiditis: Clinical (To be retired)
Dizziness and vertigo: Clinical (To be retired)
Hyperthyroidism medications
Hypothyroidism medications
Insulins
Hypoglycemics: Insulin secretagogues
Miscellaneous hypoglycemics
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Clinical (To be retired)
Peptic ulcers and stomach cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Diarrhea: Clinical (To be retired)
Malabsorption: Clinical (To be retired)
Colorectal cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Diverticular disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Anal conditions: Clinical (To be retired)
Cirrhosis: Clinical (To be retired)
Breast cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Laxatives and cathartics
Antidiarrheals
Acid reducing medications
Anemia: Clinical (To be retired)
Anticoagulants: Warfarin
Anticoagulants: Direct factor inhibitors
Antiplatelet medications
Pneumonia: Clinical (To be retired)
Urinary tract infections: Clinical (To be retired)
Skin and soft tissue infections: Clinical (To be retired)
Protein synthesis inhibitors: Aminoglycosides
Antimetabolites: Sulfonamides and trimethoprim
Miscellaneous cell wall synthesis inhibitors
Protein synthesis inhibitors: Tetracyclines
Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Penicillins
Miscellaneous protein synthesis inhibitors
Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Cephalosporins
DNA synthesis inhibitors: Metronidazole
DNA synthesis inhibitors: Fluoroquinolones
Herpesvirus medications
Azoles
Echinocandins
Miscellaneous antifungal medications
Anti-mite and louse medications
Chronic kidney disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Kidney stones: Clinical (To be retired)
Urinary incontinence: Pathology review
ACE inhibitors, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors
PDE5 inhibitors
Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers
Stroke: Clinical (To be retired)
Lower back pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Headaches: Clinical (To be retired)
Migraine medications
Asthma: Clinical (To be retired)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Clinical (To be retired)
Lung cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Antihistamines for allergies
Bronchodilators: Beta 2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists
Bronchodilators: Leukotriene antagonists and methylxanthines
Pulmonary corticosteroids and mast cell inhibitors
Joint pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Rheumatoid arthritis: Clinical (To be retired)
Lower back pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Anatomy clinical correlates: Clavicle and shoulder
Anatomy clinical correlates: Arm, elbow and forearm
Anatomy clinical correlates: Wrist and hand
Anatomy clinical correlates: Median, ulnar and radial nerves
Anatomy clinical correlates: Bones, joints and muscles of the back
Anatomy clinical correlates: Hip, gluteal region and thigh
Anatomy clinical correlates: Knee
Anatomy clinical correlates: Leg and ankle
Anatomy clinical correlates: Foot
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Glucocorticoids
Opioid agonists, mixed agonist-antagonists and partial agonists
Antigout medications
Non-biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
Osteoporosis medications
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Clinical (To be retired)
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of complete
Anca-Elena Stefan, MD
Alex Aranda
The esophagus is a 25-30 centimeter long tube that food and liquids pass through, from the pharynx to the stomach.
The esophageal wall is made of 4 layers: the inner mucosa, which is made of stratified squamous epithelium, except at the lower esophageal sphincter, where it joins the gastric epithelium to form the gastroesophageal junction; the submucosa, a muscular layer; and an outer layer called adventitia.
At the top and bottom of the esophagus there are the upper and lower esophageal sphincters, respectively. Both relax during swallowing to allow the passing of food or liquids, propelled by peristaltic contractions.
Additionally, the lower esophageal sphincter is closed between meals to prevent acid reflux and has a resting pressure of 10 to 45 millimeters of mercury.
When the lower esophageal sphincter pressure is lower than normal, gastric acid reaches the esophagus and the pH of the esophagus drops from 7 to 4, and this is called acid reflux.
Some degree of acid reflux is normal, and it happens mostly after a meal, but it doesn’t cause esophageal damage or associated symptoms.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, happens when the resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter is below 10 millimeters of mercury, which allows the backflow of gastric acid in the esophagus, causing esophageal lesions and symptoms that mostly happen at night.
GERD can be caused by a hiatal hernia, where the stomach and lower part of the esophagus slide above the diaphragm and this usually happens in overweight, obese individuals. It can also occur during pregnancy due to increased pressure in the abdomen from the growing fetus.
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