Microchapters
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
The Goals of Creating Microchapters
The goals of creating microchapters are as follows:
- Reduce content on any one page so that the page loads more rapidly
- Allow users to navigate to the desired content more rapidly
- To lower the barrier to entry for younger contributors by focusing their efforts on a manageable scope of content
- To issue microcredits for CME
Structure of Microchapters
In order to automate the creation and cataloguing of microchapters, only the first letter of the first word should be capitalized in the titles of microchapters.
Example: Pericarditis Causes should be Pericarditis causes
You can find the template to create the Navigation box on the right hand side here:
How to create an expanded navigation box
The navigation box is a template that is placed at the top of the page.
Search for the words "type page name here" and replace this with the name of the disease or chapter
Do not search and replace the term PAGENAME
Save the Navigation Box Template as Template:Type page name here
Things to Remove as your are Editing and Creating Microchapters
The template WikiDoc Cardiology Network Infobox
Replace the search infobox template (SI) with the template for the disease you are working on.
The structure of the home page for the disease should parallel that of the navigation box
Please improve the English as needed
Structure of Microchapters
Overview
This should provide a brief description of the high points of the condition. Focus more on the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Language from copyleft government sites is often quite good and can serve as a guide. The content of this section should link to the more detailed microchapters
Patient Info
Search government sites like the NHLBI, NLM for copyleft patient information. This information should be written at an 8th grade level of comprehension. Make sure the link to the wikidoc page is at the top
Pathophysiology
This includes the biologic mechanism underlying the disease state. This includes a description of the embryological or developmental abnormalities, molecular abnormalities, genetic abnormalities and pathology images.
Demographics and Epidemiology
This microchapter includes a discussion of the incidence and prevalence of the disease in both developed and developing worlds.
Screening
This microchapter includes screening procedures for the disease and is rarely included in the navigation box.
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
This microchapter describes what happens if the disease is not treated (the natural history), what the complications of the disease are, and the outlook or prognosis of the disease.
Causes
This is list of all the conditions that cause the disease.
There are also conditions that may be associated with the disorder but do not cause it.
Please insert the following table to help organize the content and complete it to the best of your ability:
Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of ...
(By organ system)
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical / poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | No underlying causes |
| Musculoskeletal / Ortho | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional / Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Opthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose / Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal / Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheum / Immune / Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
This is not the microchapter to describe what the disease causes. That is the chapter on natural history and complications.
This is not the chapter where guidance is provided re how to distinguish the disorder form other disorders. That is the next chapter.
Differentiating ____ from Other Diseases
This microchapter describes the findings that distinguish the disease at hand from others with similar symptoms, physical examination findings and laboratory results.
Oraganization of the distinguishing features in a table such as in the pericarditis chapter can be helpful.
History and Symptoms
This microchapter describes the typical symptoms that a patient verbalizes. It does not include findings from the physical exam (signs of the disease). It is helpful to organize the symptoms by frequency.
Physical Examination
These are the signs of disease on physical examination of the patient. Symptoms do not belong in this microchapter. It is helpful to organize the findings as follows:
Appearance of the Patient
Vital Signs
Skin
Eyes
Ear Nose and Throat
Heart
Lungs
Abdomen
Extremities
Neurologic
Laboratory Tests
The content of this microchapter includes information about electrolyes (K, Na), kidney function ( Cr, Bun), liver function tests ( LFTs, SGOT, SGPT), the complete blood count (CBC), the white blood count (WBC), hct, hb). This does not include the results of imaging studies like the chest x ray, CT, MRI etc. It does not include the images from pathology studies. Those go under pathophysiology.
Imaging Studies
There are a variety of other microchapters devoted to imaging studies and other diagnostic studies.
Treatment
This word does not link to anything. Only Medical Treatment and Surgery link to chapters.
Medical Treatment
The drugs used to treat the condition are described here.
This includes the dose and duration of therapy.
This includes when to escalate therapy or what to do if there is a treatment failure.
Surgery
This should include the indications (reasons) for the procedure, a description of the pre-operative tests, the surgery itself and the post-operative care.
Primary Prevention
This microchapter describes therapies that are used to prevent a first occurrence of the disease.
Secondary Prevention
This microchapter describes therapies that are used to prevent a second occurrence or a recurrence of the disease.
Tips and Tricks
If you put a colon : in front of the contents, that indents the contents slightly to the right