Hemodynamic Disorders, Thromboembolism and Shock 2025

Understanding Anasarca: The body’s swelling - Team 26

Media Type: Website

Summary

We chose to explore the topic of Anasarca for this assignment, as it is not extensively covered in Pathology 3500. We decided to create a website because it allows for more interaction and engagement with the topic, making it easier for readers to learn. Additionally, the website format is more accessible and can reach a wider audience, as most people today have electronic devices and prefer them over traditional books. Anasarca is a condition characterized by severe, widespread swelling in the body, but what’s often unclear is how it arises and its implications in detail. Understanding the underlying causes is essential for effective treatment and prevention.

To make learning about this condition more accessible, our project includes features like podcasts for auditory learners and an interactive quiz to make the learning process more engaging and fun. We explained the pathogenesis in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, ensuring that audiences from various backgrounds could grasp the concepts. We also incorporated many images to break up the text and keep readers engaged, enhancing their attention span and making the information easier to digest.

Keywords: Edema, Body Cavities, Effusion, Hypoalbuminemia, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure

The Pathology Press: Shedding light on the silent blood disorder: von Willebrand Disease (VWD) - Team 36

Media Type: Newspaper

Summary

Blood clotting (hemostasis) is the body’s natural response mechanism to stop bleeding after an injury. An important protein involved in this process is von Willebrand Factor (vWF), which supports the formation of a blood clot when blood vessels are damaged. In some cases, individuals may not have enough vWF in their blood, or the protein may not function properly. This condition is known as von Willebrand Disease (VWD) and is the most common inherited bleeding disorder worldwide. Patients with this disease may experience excessive bleeding or bruising following injury, due to ineffective blood clot formation. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, however certain medications and therapy treatment options have been developed to help manage patient symptoms.

This project is presented as an interactive newspaper that aims to provide readers with information about VWD including pathogenesis, subtypes, prognosis, inheritance patterns, and treatment options. The material has been presented as a fictional interview with a hematopathologist, offering a conversational tone and accessible approach to learning about a complex medical condition. Furthermore, the selected medium allows learners to engage with different written, visual, and auditory content that has been seamlessly integrated to accommodate a wide variety of different learning preferences. This includes interactive puzzle games like crosswords and word searches, providing learners with an engaging way to evaluate their understanding of the material.

The newspaper was created as a supplemental resource for concepts explored in the Pathology 3500 course. With VWD being the most common type of inherited bleeding disorder, it is essential to provide accessible resources to increase awareness of this condition. As a result, this project provides a clear and thorough overview of the topic for students and general audiences alike.

Keywords: Hematopathology, Bleeding Disorder, Hemostasis, Von Willebrand Factor, Genetic Inheritance, Platelets

Anaphylactic Shock: A deep dive into Etiology, Pathology and Management - Team 38

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

The topic of our assignment is anaphylactic shock, which may be known as an allergic reaction. Anaphylactic shock is a type of severe allergic reaction that can be caused by various triggers, including foods, insect venoms, drugs, and more. Almost everyone knows someone who has experienced anaphylaxis, therefore, the ability to recognize an attack and know how to respond is vitally important. We explore the definition of shock (specifically anaphylactic shock), the common triggers associated with an attack, how to recognize an attack, how the attack progresses within the body, treatments, as well as statistics and facts. Understanding the key features of an attack and how it may progress are important to know how to respond in these situations – quick response is necessary to prevent fatal attacks. This infographic includes the key players in anaphylaxis at the cellular level, which includes IgE, histamine, basophils, mast cells, and PAF. There are many other components involved, but these components play key roles in the development of a reaction. IgE is an antibody that recognizes the allergen, histamine and PAF are chemicals that are released from cells to triggers symptoms. Basophils and mast cells are types of blood cells that will respond to IgE and release histamine and PAF. Epinephrine is a hormone that counteracts the symptoms of an allergic reaction, so it is used to treat anaphylaxis.

We utilized an infographic to present this information. Our design presents the information in an engaging and aesthetically pleasing way, which will maintain attention and clarity as the information is read. We incorporated verbal descriptions of pathways and key information, combined with various hand-drawn diagrams of the pathways and mechanisms involved.

Keywords: Anaphylactic Shock, Hypersensitivity Reactions, Allergies, Immunoglobin E, Epinephrine, Antihistamines