Statins are usually taken before going to sleep. This is because the hepatic synthetic activity is maximum at night. Hence statins have maximum efficiency in decreasing cholesterol when given at night. This is especially important in statins with short half life such as simvastatin. Newer statins like atorvastatin have a longer half life.
Other drugs which block the hepatic synthetic function (eg: warfarin which blocks hepatic synthesis of clotting factors) are also best given at night time.

Warfarin exerts its anticoagulant action by interfering with the vitamin K mediated synthesis of clotting factors in the liver. Hepatic synthetic function is maximum at night. So warfarin has maximum action when it is given at night. Other drugs which block the hepatic synthetic function (eg: statins are used to block cholesterol synthesis) are also best given at night time.

Digoxin has a long half life. Hence to prevent cumulative toxicity, it is given for 5 days every week. The next course of digoxin is started after a gap of 2 days. Because of its peculiar dosage schedule, it is easy to ask for intake of digoxin by carefully taking the treatment history.

Phaeochromocytoma
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome)
Cushing’s syndrome
Acromegaly
Hyperparathyroidism

Hutchinson’s pupil is seen in case of cerebral compression. There are 3 stages. Mechanism: The parasympathetic fibers to the pupil are responsible for pupillary constriction. The fibers pass through the periphery of the oculomotor nerve, and hence are the first to be affected in case of compression of the nerve.

5% dextrose is a free water solution. Dextrose gets metabolised and plasma osmolality is decreased. This increases the brain oedema in head injury and hence should be avoided. 5% Dextrose in 0.9% normal saline does not have the same affect as it does not decrease plasma osmolality.

Cockcroft-Gault formula is used to estimate creatinine clearance rate using age, weight and serum creatinine level. It is named after the scientists who created the formula.
eCcr =
(140-age) * Weight (in kilograms) * 0.85 (if patient is female)
—————————————————————
72 * Serum creatine (in mg/dl)
Hence, the creatine clearance will be less in elderly individuals and females.

Winter bronchitis
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
Pulmonary oedema
Pulmonary apoplexy
Pulmonary infarction
After anticoagulant therapy.

The International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI
Source: Adapted from WHO, 1995, WHO, 2000 and WHO 2004.

Gas gangrene is caused by exotoxin-producing Clostridial species

Clostridium perfringens – most common
Clostridium bifermentans
Clostridium septicum
Clostridium sporogenes
Clostridium novyi
Clostridium fallax
Clostridium histolyticum
Clostridium tertium

Other organisms can also produce gas. Some of them are:

Bacteroides
Anaerobic streptococci
Klebsiella pneumoniae in the context of diabetes