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Showing posts from May, 2018

Premature birth

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A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby's estimated due date. In other words, a premature birth is one that occurs before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature babies, especially those born very early, often have complicated medical problems. Typically, complications of prematurity vary. But the earlier your baby is born, the higher the risk of complications. Depending on how early a baby is born, he or she may be: Late preterm,  born between 34 and 36 completed weeks of pregnancy Moderately preterm,  born between 32 and 34 weeks of pregnancy Very preterm,  born at less than 32 weeks of pregnancy Extremely preterm,  born at or before 25 weeks of pregnancy Most premature births occur in the late preterm stage. Symptoms Your baby may have very mild symptoms of premature birth, or may have more-obvious complications. Some signs of prematurity include the following: Small size, with a ...

Thrombophlebitis

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          Symptoms Superficial thrombophlebitis signs and symptoms include: Warmth, tenderness and pain in the affected area Redness and swelling Deep vein thrombosis signs and symptoms include: Pain Swelling Causes The cause of thrombophlebitis is a blood clot, which can form in your blood as a result of: An injury to a vein An inherited blood-clotting disorder Being immobile for long periods, such as during an injury or a hospital stay Risk factors Your risk of thrombophlebitis increases if you: Are inactive for a prolonged period, either because you're confined to bed or are traveling in a car or plane for a long period Have varicose veins, which are a common cause of superficial thrombophlebitis Have a pacemaker or have a thin, flexible tube (catheter) in a central vein, for treatment of a medical condition, which may irritate the blood vessel wall and decrease blood flow Are pregnant or have just given birth Use birt...

Pseudomembranous colitis

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Pseudomembranous (SOO-doe-mem-bruh-nus) colitis, also called antibiotic-associated colitis or C. difficile colitis, is inflammation of the colon associated with an overgrowth of the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. diff). This overgrowth of C. difficile is most often related to recent antibiotic use. Symptoms Signs and symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis may include: Diarrhea that can be watery or even bloody Abdominal cramps, pain or tenderness Fever Pus or mucus in your stool Nausea Dehydration Causes Usually, your body keeps the many bacteria in your colon in a naturally healthy balance. However, antibiotics and other medications can upset this balance. Pseudomembranous colitis occurs when certain bacteria — usually C. difficile — rapidly outgrow other bacteria that normally keep them in check. Certain toxins produced by C. difficile, which are usually present in only tiny amounts, rise to levels high enough to damage the colon. While almost any antibiotic...

Depression (major depressive disorder)

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Symptoms Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include: Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain Anxiety, agitation or restlessness Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide Unexplained physical problems, such as...

Horizontal Mattress Suture

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. Indications High tension wound support Pull wound edges together over significant distance Holding  Suture  (anchor wound edges together) Holds fragile or thin skin together Using 6-0  Suture  at digit web space or  Eyelid Hemostatic effect (e.g. scalp) III. Contraindications: Relative Areas at risk for scarring (e.g. face) IV. Advantages Optimizes wound edge eversion Increased closure strength (distributes tension) Spreads tension along wound edge V. Technique Background Use non- Absorbable Suture Four landmark sites (2 on each side of the wound) Points form a rectangle across lesion Each point is 4-8 mm from wound edge Two points parallel to lesion on right (east) side Point 1 at southeast corner of  Laceration Point 4 at northeast corner (2-4 mm north of 1) Two points parallel to lesion on left (west) side Point 2 at southwest corner of  Laceration Point 3 at northwest corner (2-4 mm north...

Low sperm count

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Low sperm count means that the fluid (semen) you ejaculate during an orgasm contains fewer sperm than normal. A low sperm count is also called oligospermia (ol-ih-go-SPUR-me-uh). A complete absence of sperm is called azoospermia. Your sperm count is considered lower than normal if you have fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Having a low sperm count decreases the odds that one of your sperm will fertilize your partner's egg, resulting in pregnancy. Nonetheless, many men who have a low sperm count are still able to father a child. Symptoms The main sign of low sperm count is the inability to conceive a child. There might be no other obvious signs or symptoms. In some cases, an underlying problem such as an inherited chromosomal abnormality, a hormonal imbalance, dilated testicular veins or a condition that blocks the passage of sperm may cause signs and symptoms. Low sperm count symptoms might include: Problems with sexual function — for example, l...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress. You may try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts to try to ease your stress. Despite efforts to ignore or get rid of bothersome thoughts or urges, they keep coming back. This leads to more ritualistic behavior — the vicious cycle of OCD. OCD often centers around certain themes — for example, a fear of getting contaminated by germs. To ease your contamination fears, you may compulsively wash your hands until they're sore and chapped. If you have OCD, you may be ashamed and embarrassed about the condition, but treatment can be effective. Symptoms Obsessive-compulsive disorder usually includes both obsessions an...