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Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

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Regurg is the Leeds Medical Student magazine, featuring content written by medical students across a range of topics!In the completely redesigned winter 2012 edition we look at the occupational health risks Santa's elves are exposed to, ask whether the media is responsible for eating disorders and several medics share their experiences!
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December 2012 The Leeds Medical School Magazine In this issue: - Christmas Elves’ Occupaonal Health - The Media & Eang Disorders - Spice Up Your Life!
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Page 1: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

December 2012The Leeds Medical School Magazine

In this issue: - Christmas Elves’ Occupational Health- The Media & Eating Disorders- Spice Up Your Life!

Page 2: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

The MDU always seeks to offer attractive benefits as part of membership and as such, from time to time, may add, withdraw or amend benefits at its discretion. Visit the-mdu.com for the latest information of the benefits included in membership.MDU Services Limited (MDUSL) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in respect of insurance mediation activities only. MDUSL is an agent forThe Medical Defence Union Limited (the MDU). The MDU is not an insurance company. The benefits of membership of the MDU are all discretionary and are subject tothe Memorandum and Articles of Association.MDU Services Limited is registered in England 3957086. Registered Office: 230 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8PJ. © 2012 MDU Services Limited. ST/035x/0712

MDU. Supporting you all the way. the-mdu.com/studentm

• Discounts on medical textbooks • 24-hour freephone advisory helpline• Elective planning support• Educational support including medico-legal articles and publications• Professional indemnity for your elective • Sponsorship of student events and teams... and much more.

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Page 3: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Letter From The EditorsWelcome back to a new academic year and to a new and improved REGURG magazine! We hope you like our new format. Christmas is just around the corner, so this issue has a bit of a ‘christmassy’ theme. Hope you enjoy the articles !

We’re always looking for writers and people to help out, so please get in touch!

Team Regurg x

/RegurgMagazine

@regurgmagazine

[email protected]

In This IssueRegurg Committee

Occupational Health amongst Father Christmas’ ElvesDoes the Media Provoke Eating Disorders?

Is Surgery for You?Book Review

3rd Year Placement in AiredaleChristmas as a Medic

Blunders in The Lab / Spice Up Your Life I Think My Lung Has Collapsed

Doctor Profile: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

4. 5. 7. 11. 14. 15. 17.18.20.22.

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Page 4: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Regurg Committee

Emma Gees | Editor

Nicholas Smith, Sook Cheng Chin, Simon Biart, Dahlia Abdul-Rahman, Lizzie Walsh and Emily Amandi

James Gupta | Editor

Steph Harrison | Advertising

Hannah Panayiototou | Advertising

Alison Hallett | Publicity Rep

Tom Wilson | Publicity Rep

Our Writers

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Page 5: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Occupational Stress and Health Among Father Christmas’ Elves

While the success and proliferation of Christmas continues to grow year on year globally, the effect this success has on the industry be-hind the event have never before been studied. This study is the first of its kind to access the effects the exponential growth of product consumption during Christmas has had on the elf workers of Father Christmas’ factory in the North Pole.

IntroductionThe increasing commercialisation of all Christian festivals seems to be a popular trend in our modern world. Whilst the environmental impact of such vast consumption has been studied extensively (The Grinch et al “Where shall I throw this USB humping dog”) the im-pact this has had on the work-force that produces all these gifts, that of Father Christmas’ elves, has never before been quantified.

MethodsWhilst visiting the factory itself proved difficult, we managed to access the workforce’s physical and mental health with the use of questionnaires. The questionnaire assessed both the physical and mental health of the elves and ex-amined whether work was a factor in or caused any decline in health.

DiscussionInvestigation into the detrimen-tal effect of employment at Father Christmas’ toy factory was some-what complicated by the fact that elves are magical creatures and so don’t concord with modern medi-cine applied to homo-sapiens. De-spite their extra-terrestrial origin, elves still experience a decline in their definition of health due to occupational hazards in the hu-man world. Due to the quantity of products Father Christmas’ staff

produce, meal times are tight and so snacking is a common prob-lem. With abundant supply of candy canes, toffee apples and sug-ared almonds obesity and diabe

Solvent abuse is rife as a result of high stress“

Nicholas Smith

5

Occupational Stress and Health Among Father Christmas’ ElvesFeature

Page 6: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

tes-like symptoms were observed.

Other injuries include standing on Lego without adequate foot protection, hearing issues from testing glockenspiels and visual acuity problems resulting from painting the eyes of “My Little Po-nies”. While physical health issues such as these were widely preva-lent, it was mental health that em-ployment in the Greenland factory had the greatest impact. Manic de-pression was the most significant mental health problem reported in

the elves. It’s thought that the delir-iously happy atmosphere radiated unrelentingly in the factory caus-es many of Father Christmas’ staff

to experience eclectic highs and crippling lows. Employees in this state are often isolated and desper-ate. Occupational stress caused by producing millions of different toys in merely 25 days effected all ques-tioned Elves, with most serious cases reported from makers of sub-buteo games, who stated “always getting Rooney’s new hair wrong”. Solvent abuse is rife as a result of high stress, as is alcohol depend-ency –specifically brandy from Fa-ther Christmas’ off season stores.

ConclusionThe findings of this study clearly highlight the burden of Christmas on Father Christmas and his staff.

Caption

December overtime: Are christmas elves facing significant unreported occupational health risks?

Occupational Stress and Health Among Father Christmas’ ElvesFeature

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Page 7: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Such global production of a vast ar-ray of products on this scale is sim-ply not replicated anywhere else in the world, let alone in Greenland. This unprecedented manufacturing industry, while deeply successful, has serious health implications for many of its employees. While elves benefit from the protective effects of being magical creatures, they are still vulnerable like the rest of us to occupationally acquired disease. This study reveals the shortfall of medical knowledge about elves and their treatment during the fes-tive period. Father Christmas must do more for his employees, both

Father Christmas must do more for his employees“

”in terms of prevention and man-agement of health issues linked to occupation. We recommend the implementation of a National Elf Service (NES) to address these health inequalities in Greenland as well as palliative care centres for retired elves, who otherwise find themselves forced into gaining walk on parts in fantasy films to pay for expensive private care homes. Further investigation needs to be done into the conditions of Fa-

Does the Media Provoke Eating Disorders?

Yes!We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded by the me-dia; it is hard to go a single day without using some form of it. This heavy reliance upon social media, along with the current ce-lebrity culture, seems to be a boil-ing pot of potential problems.If you look at a magazine stand, most of the covers are adorned with pictures of celebrities, mocking their ‘love handles’ and comment-ing upon how they have ‘let them-selves go’. These celebrities tend to be slimmer than the average person anyway and their ‘flaws’ are greatly exaggerated. Individuals who look up to these celebrities may want to emulate them, trying to be as thin as them in the hope that it will make them prettier. There is also wor-ry that individuals reading them may become more dissatisfied with

Emma Gees

Does the Media Provoke Eating Disorders?Debate

ther Christmas’ elf toy factory, as rumours of abusive conditions have so far not been confirmed.

7

Page 8: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

their own bodies, reducing their self esteem. Research suggests that low self esteem can make an indi-vidual more vulnerable to develop-ing an eating disorder. Incidentally, there is a strong positive correla-tion between increased magazine readership and eating disorders.

The media also glamorises thin-ness. Look at the catwalks of Eu-rope where emaciated models saunter. Flick through a copy of

the token ‘curvy girl’ (usually a size 10, when the average UK dress size for women is 14) does anything to aid the situation. The eating dis-order charity Beat has voiced its opinions stating: “The media is a powerful influence and we know how vulnerable some people at risk of eating disorders can be to its visual images in particular”.

Furthermore, psychiatrists have concerns that many articles pro-mote unbalanced and unsus-tainable diets, without warning of the perils of extreme dieting.

The internet allows an individ-ual to have the whole world at its finger tips...this includes a whole host of pro-ana websites where you can find ‘thinspiration’ and tips and commandments to stay-ing thin. Unfortunately, there are very few controls available to mon-itor the content of these sites...

No! Eating disorders are a multi-factoral condition, caused by a culmination of biological, psy-chological, behavioural and en-vironmental factors. You cannot pinpoint one factor and claim that it has caused an eating disorder.

Vogue or Vanity Fair and it is hard to find a model that isn’t more than a size six. Airbrushing oblit-erates any blemishes, leaving god-dess-like perfection. This unreal-istic ideal creates a standard that the average woman falls woefully below. The magazines claim to be doing more but I don’t think that

Debate: Is the media really responsible for eating disorders?

Does the Media Provoke Eating Disorders?Debate

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Page 9: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Eating disorders have been around since before the dawn of mass me-dia, the earliest medical descrip-tion was by Richard Morton in 1689. Whilst statistics show that eating disorders have increased as magazine readership has in-creased, it doesn’t mean that this is causation, merely an association.

Our society has an obsession with body image and beauty and since

has suffered from an eating disorder is far more likely to develop it them-selves. From a young age they may have noticed their parent’s strange behaviour towards food (e.g. bing-ing, playing with food) and have developed habits because of this.

Research has shown that certain personality types are more vulner-able to developing the condition. High-achievers and individuals

the media is a reflection of the be-liefs of a society it is no wonder that beauty and body shape feature so frequently in it. We live in a world where many people feel ‘naughty’ for eating chocolate or head to the gym obsessively to stay in shape. If you look through history, soci-ety’s perception of feminine beau-ty has changed from curvaceous Tudors, to Victorian corsets and bussels, then to 50’s curves. Wom-en change the way they dress and their body shape to meet with soci-ety’s approval. Is it any surprise that so many people have issues with their body image when it is per-manently on the society’s psyche?

An individual who has a parent who

This unrealistic ideal creates a standard that the average woman falls woefully below“ ”who strive for perfection may find

comfort in controlling their eating. This along with peer pressure may be reasons why eating disorders seem to have a worryingly high frequency in boarding and single sex schools. Being thin and pret-ty almost becomes a competition

Does the Media Provoke Eating Disorders?Debate

9

Eating Disorders: A multifactorial disease?

Page 10: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

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Page 11: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Is Surgery For You?

It is my third night in Airedale Gen-eral Hospital, and for the third time, I wake up shivering. Now, it could be the seasonal chill, or it could be that my accommodation’s diminu-tive radiator has once again revert-ed to its much maligned ‘econo-my’ setting. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with my recurring dream:

A tall, foreboding figure dressed head to toe in blue strides towards me, wreathed in the smoke of cau-

Simon Biart

terisation. His hands are stained brown from the iodine, and his mask is spattered with the gory innards of the anaesthetised fig-ure on the table to his rear. The spectre slowly, deliberately, re-moves his mask and I see my own face glaring back at me, as I am hauled back into consciousness....I do not want to be a surgeon! Television dictates to us that to be a surgeon is to be like that bloke from Nip Tuck: rich, content and with features sculpted by Michel-angelo. Fantastic if you happen to be a plastic surgeon in Miami, but transport that bleached white smile to the dark, dingy corridors of the LGI’s urology ward and something seems amiss. Secretly, finding out that practising medicine in the UK isn’t glamorous, is worse than finding out the truth about Santa. I would give my right kidney to look as good in scrubs as the TV surgeons or spend similar amounts of time driving a Ferrari! How-ever, for the vast, vast majority of us, this isn’t going to be the case. It can be a hard pill to swallow but to work in the NHS we must search for job satisfaction elsewhere.  

between them, with huge pres-sure being placed upon the girls!TV programmes in the last 10 years have featured story lines where characters have had eat-ing problems, which has raised awareness of the conditions and often shown them in a frank way.

In conclusion, eating disorders are complicated conditions, which the media may have helped exacerbate. However, the real root of the prob-lem is within our society and until we change our attitudes towards body image it looks unlikely to change.

Is Surgery For You?Article

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Page 12: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

When disputing the attraction of surgery the accusation of squeam-ishness is often used as a potent counter. It’s true, that if I was su-perman, then broken bones would be my kryptonite, neither does bru-tally ripping out a varicose vein ap-peal. But who in their right mind longs for the time in their life when every day consists of removing dif-ferent pieces of ischaemic bowel?

Of course, the bravado of being at the cutting edge of the medical pro-fession appeals, and in a way I can see why: the super surgeon who in a matter of minutes can achieve what no manner of medicines can do, be it through neurosurgery, an appendicectomy or fitting a pace-maker. The truth is though, that in modern medicine, surgeons per-haps, more than anyone have to become massively specialised as they advance along their chosen career paths. Sacrificing the vari-ation and diversity that is so satis-fying for a bigger pay check and a few more capitals after their name. Realistically, instead of mixing and matching exotic operations with futuristic sounding acronyms, try a Monday morning timetabled with three toe nail avulsions, or al-ternatively a Wednesday afternoon

with four consecutive prostate re-ductions. Before setting your heart on surgery, imagine doing this for a week, a month or thirty years… A few weeks ago we had an or-thopaedic surgeon give us a lec-ture on how he goes about his day. Instead of marrying together examinations and investigations, administering he simply said you have to “Look, Touch, Move and Listen, then get out the tools.” Is that why you are com-mitting five years of your life to the Worsley building? Prometheus and Sun?A hard pill to swallow.Gut feeling about it.If this isn’t why you committed to five years of medical school, then we are thinking in the same vein...

12

Is Surgery For You?Article

Page 13: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Get a head start in your studiesMedical student membership is now available from the Royal College of PhysiciansFor £1 per month, access:

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Page 14: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Oxford Handbook of Medical Sciences

Following in the style of the Ox-ford Handbook series, this book aims to provide concise informa-tion on anatomy, physiology, bi-ochemistry, pathology and phar-macology. The book has managed to cover all the body systems in its 15 chapters. Each chapter contains clear visual aid and bullet-point information for easy understand-ing. It also cross references with the Oxford Handbook of Clini-cal Medicine, Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties and Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy. This book will not replace your traditional textbooks, as the infor-mation it provides is too superficial for a student who has not studied the topics before. Also, I thought the book’s coverage of patholo-

Sook Cheng Chingy and pharmacology is definitely too brief (compared to their cov-erage of the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry), but I appreciate the fact that it is quite impossible to cram all these information in a book this small and that’s prob-ably the reason for all the cross referencing! Despite this, I have to admit it’s a good book to use for quick revision. It also gets extra brownie points for covering labo-ratory techniques in the last chap-ter. The chapter provides the reader with an adequate explanation on techniques like ELISA, FACS and cytology, without confusing them with too detailed information. Although this book is mainly aimed at 1st and 2nd year medi-cal students, as a current 4th year, I found myself using this book to quickly refresh my knowledge on anatomy, physiology and bio-chemistry. I’m sure I’ll continue using it well into my foundation training years; therefore it certain-ly earns a spot in my bookshelf.

RRP: £24.99ISBN: 978-0199588442Oxford University

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14

Page 15: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

3rd Year Placement in Airedale

Placement in third year has been an entire other experience from that in years one and two. Not least because you’re in placement for four consecutive days ov v f the week, but also, due to the sudden drop in the amount of universi-ty teaching, leaving you hanging somewhat irresolutely. Independ-ent learning is very much the new emphasis; you’re behind if you haven’t checked the VLE that day.

I’ve just started placement in Aire-dale General Hospital. For those of you who haven’t been, it’s in the beautiful countryside near a place called Keighley...right amongst the sheep, quite literally! The hospi-tal itself is made up of a complex configuration of corridors where, when walking down a long corri-dor, you could end up being a level up from when you started! It takes a while to become accustomed to the set-up, but there are helpful volun-teers dotted around, who are keen to point you in the right direction.

Dahlia Rahman

On arriving, we were inducted at the clinical skills centre. We were given packs, timetables and, uniquely in Airedale, assigned a personal tutor, who was a con-sultant in the specialty we were on placement in. I was assigned a lovely geriatrician who’s planned to teach various examinations every week. Though there is timetabled teaching here and there, the rest of time you are free-reign to spend your days as you like, be it on the wards or in clinics. I’ve found that foundation doctors are particularly keen to teach us and to sign off our practical skills. The consultants, on the other hand, constantly chal-lenge you and bombard you with questions...as to be expected really!

Today I heard mitral regurgita-tion, my first ever murmur! So far, I’ve had a really good time and, despite my previously negative preconceptions of Elderly Med-icine, I think I’m really going to enjoy it. The elderly are, generally very cooperative, especially when it comes to taking bloods and they are always ready to impart their wisdom on you. It is place-ments like these which inspire me and make me wish my years would fast forward more quickly!

15

3rd Year Placement in AiredaleArticle

Page 16: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

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Page 17: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Christmas as a Medic

Since the dawn of medical school, Christmas seems to have become synonymous with two things: ex-ams and deadlines. Whilst the rest of the university winds down once the calendar page is turned to December, medics carry on with placement or revision right up until the middle of December. I remember sitting at home in first year attempting to revise for the BMS exam (now rechristened as IMS), staring glumly out of the window at snow revelers, wishing I didn’t have to spend as much time inside as I did. In second and third years, the shortened Christmas break was made slightly sweeter by RESS fortnight, where we spent time ‘studying’ something outside of medicine. However, it soon be-came apparent that the level of work required varied from very little con-tact time in spirituality with a tiny amount of work, to contact and as-sessment heavy ‘language courses’. Don’t get me wrong, there is time for friends, family and frivolity over Christmas (and of course,

that’s what it should be about), but there is always that small, niggling worry at the back of your mind that you should be doing work! This year, as an intercalater, I was looking forward to four blissful weeks off, with no work and no exams in January. But, as it draws nearer, I have realized that I still have lots of work to do and ump-teen deadlines for January. Some of my friends are in a worse po-sition, with deadlines and ex-ams! I think many of us have been surprised by the workload. Nevertheless, I’m sure we will find time to recharge and get into the Christmas spirit over the com-ing weeks. Christmas should be about seeing those you love and putting work to the back of your mind- it can be done another day. Now, can someone please pass me a mince pie and my Santa hat…

17

Christmas as a Medic Article

Page 18: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Over the summer holidays, as part of the Leeds Undergraduate Re-search Enterprise scheme, I under-took a seven week research project on removing cells from a pig’s carot-id artery. By removing the cells, we removed the part of the artery that gave it, its identity. Why would we do this, you may ask? Well, after re-moving the cells, a scaffold remains and this has promising implica-tions in the field of ischaemic heart disease. For those of you who’ve come to medical school straight from sixth form, you will probably all agree with me when I say that our experience in the lab thus far has been highly limited. I remem-ber at the beginning of second year being intrigued by one of the modules, LSM; it supposedly stood for Laboratory and Scientific Med-icine. I later came to realise when revising, that not once did we see a lab in the 15 weeks of that module.

So, unsurprisingly, this summer started with a wide selection of blunders which, thankfully, as the weeks wore on, subsided in fre-quency. From screwing the lids of

bijous (small cylindrical contain-ers) too tight in the freeze dryer, preventing the arteries in them from drying out, to accidentally losing the arteries when placing them in the cryomill due to vacu-ously placing them in a perforated tube! The cryomill was a nifty piece of equipment; it used an electro-magnetic current to grind arteries. It was insightful to be using tech-niques we’d briefly studied like sec-tioning, western blotting and elec-trophoresis. I learnt not to leave a gel electrophoresis overnight or all the proteins leak out. Oh the practicalities! You can tell that, all in all, I used a lot of arteries!

Spice Up Your Life! Emily Amadi

...People of the world spice up your life. Hai ci ja. Hold Tight!!

I can’t be the only one who grew up singing along to the lyrics of the spice girls. You know who you are…!

Blunders in the Lab Dahlia Rahman

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Blunders in the LabArticle

Page 19: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

Now that introduction ‘seamless-ly’ takes us on to the topic of ‘su-per spices’, of a different variety. Easily picked up in your local su-permarket, these spices not only give your otherwise boring dinner a kick but also have scientifical-ly proven antioxidant properties. One teaspoon of cinnamon has the same measure of anti-oxidants as a cup of pomegranate juice. So look out for them when you are

down the supermarket aisles next: The top seven are:

1.Cinnamon2.Oregano3.Ginger4.Dried Red Peppers5.Rosemary6.Thyme7.Turmeric 

Top Spices: How many of these do you use regularly?

19

Spice Up Your LifeFood

Antioxidants, also found in fruit and vegetables, protect the cells of the body against free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when the body is exposed to en-vironmental stresses like tobacco smoke and radiation. But the body also makes them during the nor-mal breakdown of food. Research has suggested that antioxidants can protect against heart disease and cancer. Beta-carotene, lutein, lyco-pene, selenium and vitamins A, C, and E are all antioxidants.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that spices may boost the metabolism and aid satiety. Currently research-ers are investigating anti-inflam-matory potential of super spices. Their use in chronic inflammatory conditions like heart disease, aller-gies and Alzheimer’s could prove to be invaluable. 

Page 20: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

I Think My Lung Has CollapsedOne morning I woke up in pain, and as any student would do, I took it as a sign that the universe didn’t want me to go to lectures that morning, assumed I had pulled a muscle and took it upon my-self to stay in bed for a few hours.At midday I was still in pain: a sharp pain radiating across my right side and along my shoulder. It was a struggle but I eventually managed to get out of bed at which point I realised I was not only in pain, but also incredibly breathless. I could inhale what felt like a quarter of my usual capacity, at which point I could not take in any more air even if I managed to break through the pain barrier this presented.As an otherwise healthy 21 year old with an incredibly uninterest-ing past medical history, I couldn’t really believe that there was actu-ally something wrong with me: I still thought I had pulled a mus-cle, badly, and this was somehow interfering with my breathing, but it would get better in a few min-utes. But just in case, I did what any medical student would do, and pulled out my stethoscope.I have had minimal experience

listening to chest sounds, but I thought I’d give it a go: mainly out of curiosity, Left side: a thin rush of air, I think. Right side: noth-ing. I must be doing it wrong, let’s try a bit higher: nothing. Low-er? Nothing. I tried the left side again just to compare the differ-ence between the two, I was sure I was doing something wrong but every time the results were the same: I could hear air moving in and out of my left lung, but on my right lung there was absolutely no noise. Spontaneous pneumotho-rax, my right lung had collapsed.I was fairly alarmed but, to be hon-est, mainly excited – we try to hide

it but I don’t know many medical students today who don’t secretly know what I mean here. I was still breathless, but surprisingly calm as I started gathering my wallet, keys and phone. Here is where I probably, in hindsight, should have phoned an ambulance, but instead I

Seeing the O2 read-ing on your monitor drop from 92 to 70 is pretty scary

“”

James Gupta

20

I Think My Lung Has CollapsedArticle

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called Amber Taxis and asked them for a taxi from my apartment to the A&E at Leeds General Infirmary. I was struggling to complete full sentences at this point, maybe man-aging about 5 words at a time be-fore having to take another painful breath. As I started to walk to the lift and then to the car park I really realised how breathless I was, but I stuck by my decision not to call an ambulance. Whilst I was fairly con-fident in my self-diagnosis at this point, I still couldn’t quite believe there really was something wrong with me. I can put up with the hu-miliation of being yet another guy who goes to A&E with nothing wrong with him, and even being yet another medical student who thinks he’s developed the disease they were studying recently, but I know how much an ambulance costs the NHS and I really didn’t want to risk having called one over nothing. Besides, I was breathless and in pain but I could still walk. Soon after this the real fun began: when in A&E I was put onto a bed, strategically shaved so ECG leads could be placed on my chest and legs, hooked up to an IV, pulse, blood pressure and O2 monitor and, this one I wasn’t expecting,

sprayed with some stuff (I as-sume something antibacterial-y?). The next 30 minutes weren’t great, and it was only that point where the whole thing stopped being a cool, real-life episode of House for me. I was given morphine and a local anaesthetic in preparation for the chest tube insertion, and at one point I almost passed out because apparently the collapsed lung was compressing the right ventricle of my heart, preventing it from pumping blood effectively. See-ing the “O2” reading on your own monitor drop from 92 to 80 then to 70 in a few seconds is pretty scary. The anaesthetic meant that I didn’t feel pain when the tube went in but it still pretty uncomfortable. I was expecting my lung to reflate and to feel better almost as soon as it was done so was disappointed to hear that it would take a few hours.

I was in hospital for just under a week overall, and whilst I wouldn’t rush to go through the whole ex-perience again, it really was a fac-inating week and I probably learnt more in that week than I did for a whole term on placement at BRI, seeing hospitals as a patient is a truly eye-opening experience.

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I Think My Lung Has CollapsedArticle

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Doctor Profile: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Lizzie Walsh

Most Famous For: Being the first female British doctor

Where it all began Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was born in Whitechapel, London on 9th June 1836. Anderson’s father built up a successful pawnbroker business, and this meant he was able to send her to private school. Elizabeth was born into a society that expected women to grow up to become wives rather than work for themselves, but this did not sit well with her. She met the famous feminist Emily Davis and Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor qualified in America. With these influential people in her life, An-

derson decided to become a doctor.Controversy: Elizabeth enrolled as a nursing student at Middle-sex Hospital, London. After being at the hospital for 6 months she applied to the hospital’s medical school. Her application was reject-ed, but she was allowed to attend some lectures and teaching with the other male medical students. However, Anderson was not a pop-ular addition, and in 1861 her fel-low students appealed to the med-ical school to ban her from any further lectures. She left Middlesex and applied to medical schools in-cluding Oxford and Cambridge, which were all met with rejection.

Eventually, she joined the Society of Apothecaries and in 1865 and passed her final exam to become the first British female to obtain a licence from the society. Immedi-ately after, the society changed its regulations to stop another wom-an obtaining a license. Because of this, Anderson was still unable to get the job of a doctor in a hospital.

Elizabeth Garrett AndersonProfile

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PioneerUndeterred, Elizabeth opened a dispensary for women in London in 1866, with backing from her father. In her first year she tended to 3,000 patients, but Garret Anderson was still determined to obtain a medical degree. The University of Sorbonne in Paris began accepting women on to their medical course, so for a year, she taught herself French so that she could attend. In 1870, Eliz-abeth obtained a certified medical degree, nevertheless, the British Medical Register still refused to recognise her qualification. Ander-son then founded the New Hos-pital for Women in London, later named after herself. Finally, after much campaigning, in 1876, an act was passed that permitted women

Elizabeth Garrett AndersonProfile

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to enter the medical profession.Life After Medicine: In 1883 An-derson was made Dean of the London School of Medicine for Women. She then retired with her husband, whom she married in 1871, and their three children to the Suffolk coast. Here she be-came mayor of the town in 1908, the first female mayor in England.In the End: On 17th Decem-ber 1917, Anderson died and was buried in Suffolk.

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Page 24: Regurg: Leeds Medical Student Magazine - Winter 2012 Edition

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