Placental abruption (abruptio placenta) is an uncommon. The placenta is part of your baby's life support system. It transfers oxygen and nutrients to your baby. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth. It occurs in 1% of pregnancies world wide with a fetal mortality rate of 20-40% depending on the degree of separation. Placental abruption is...
Pyelonephritis is an inflammation of the kidney and upper urinary tract that usually results from noncontagious bacterial infection of the bladder (cystitis). Pyelonephritis is a serious bacterial infection of the kidney that can be acute or chronic. It is a form of nephritis. It can also be called pyelitis.
Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft alkali metal with a silver-white color. Lithium is used to treat manic or depressive (bipolar), and depressive disorders. Lithium brand names are eskalith, eskalith-CR, lithobid, lithonat and lithotabs. Lithium is in a class of drugs called agents antimanic. It works by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain....
Mastoiditis is an inflammation or infection of the mastoid bone, which is a portion of the temporal bone. The mastoid consists of air cells that drain the middle ear. Mastoiditis occurs equally in males and females. Mastoiditis most commonly affects children. Mastoiditis develops when middle ear inflammation spreads to the mastoid air cells, resulting in infection and destruction of the mastoid...
Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. The symptoms of hypoglycemia may vary from one person to another, just like gravity. Hypoglycemia is commonly associated with diabetes. However, a wide variety of conditions, many of which are rare, can cause hypoglycemia in people without diabetes. Hypoglycemia can also come from medicines, such as monoamine...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can occur in response to a number of causes, including infectious agents, physical injuries, cancer, or certain medications. Most cases of meningitis occur today in young people aged 15 and 24. The most common is viral meningitis, that you get when a virus enters the body through the nose...
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that causes signs and symptoms ranging from rash and flu-like fever and body aches to more serious ones including joint swelling, weakness, fatigue and temporary paralysis. Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ticks that causes signs and symptoms ranging from rash and flu, fever and pain more seriously, including swelling, weakness, fatigue and temporary...
Kidneys are as important to your health as your heart or lungs. Shaped like kidney beans and about the size of your fist, your kidneys are located on either side of your spine under the lower ribs. Their main task is to remove waste products and excess fluids from the body through the urine. The kidneys also ensure that the blood supply to your body's tissues has the proper balance of water,...
Cholesterol is a fatty substance (a lipid) that is an important part of the outer lining (membrane) of cells in the body of animals. Cholesterol is also found in the blood circulation of humans. Cholesterol really assists the system by creating original cells, aiding in the output of hormones, and insulating the numerous nerves that operate throughout the system. High cholesterol rates are...
A bruise, also called a contusion or ecchymosis, is an injury to biological tissue in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. It is usually caused by blunt impact. Sometimes bruises can be serious, leading to other more life threatening forms of hematoma, or can be associated with serious injuries, including fractures and internal bleeding. Bruising...
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Although urine contains a variety of fluids, salts, and waste products, it usually does not have bacteria in it. The urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body. Women are more at risk of developing a UTI. Women are more prone to UTIs than males because in...
A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction) is the death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot.. The term myocardial infarction is derived from myocardium (the heart muscle) and infarction (tissue death due to oxygen starvation). The phrase "heart attack" is sometimes used incorrectly to describe sudden cardiac death, which may or may...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is probably the most commonly injured ligament of the knee. An anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, the injury is a tear in a knee ligament, which joins the upper leg bone lower leg with the bone. The ACL is one of the main ligaments of the knee, connecting the thigh bone (femur) to the tibia. The ACL extended superiorly tibia, lateral, and posterior to the...
Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which then grow in the intestines and release nerve toxin. It predominantly affects infants (children under 1 year of age), although it may affect adults who have an altered gastrointestinal environment, either through surgery or antibiotic therapy.
The treatment of patients with hypovolemic shock often begins at an accident scene or at home. The prehospital care team should work to prevent further injury, transport the patient to the hospital as rapidly as possible, and initiate appropriate treatment in the field. Direct pressure should be applied to external bleeding vessels to prevent further blood loss.