A simple test of fingernail clippings could replace a blood draw as a way to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with huge implications for tracking the disease in the developing world. Research on this method by a team of Belgian researchers was reported July 28, 2015, at the 2015 American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo in Atlanta. The team, led by Joris R. Delanghe, MD, PhD, of the Department of Global Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at Ghent University, collected nail clippings from 25 people with T2DM and 25 without the disease. The clippings were ground into a powder and tested with an inexpensive FT-IR photometer to measure how much the protein in the nails had bonded with sugar molecules, a process known as glycation. “We found a striking difference in the measurements between the control group and the patients with diabetes,” Delanghe said. In an interview with Evidence-Based Diabetes Management, he said replacing the standard blood test to measure glycated hemoglobin is a huge advantage. In many cultures, he said, “Taking blood is something that cannot be tolerated.” - See more at: http://www.ajmc.com/journals/evidence-based-diabetes-management/2015/september-2015/fingernail-tests-may-offer-cheap-simple-way-to-diagnose-diabetes#sthash.XQxnBcNO.dpuf

As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as: yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, due to a build-up of fluid (oedema)

The baby suffered from ectopia cordis, a rare condition where a baby's heart is located either partially or totally outside the chest. Only 8 out of 1 million babies are born with the condition, and 90 percent of those babies are either stillborn or die within the first three days of life.

Dizziness is a word that is often used to describe two different feelings. It is important to know exactly what you mean when you say "I feel dizzy," because it can help you and your doctor narrow down the list of possible problems. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you are about to faint or "pass out." Although you may feel dizzy, you do not feel as though you or your surroundings are moving. Lightheadedness often goes away or improves when you lie down. If lightheadedness gets worse, it can lead to a feeling of almost fainting or a fainting spell (syncope). You may sometimes feel nauseated or vomit when you are lightheaded. Vertigo is a feeling that you or your surroundings are moving when there is no actual movement. You may feel as though you are off balance, spinning, whirling, falling, or tilting. When you have severe vertigo, you may feel very nauseated or vomit. You may have trouble walking or standing, and you may lose your balance and fall.

Because of his weight, Jimmie Jones was on the waiting list for a new kidney for 17 years. University of Illinois Hospital surgeons used robotic surgery to give him a life without dialysis.

Tendons are thick cords that join your muscles to your bones. When these tendons become irritated or inflamed, it is called tendinitis. This condition causes acute pain and tenderness, making it difficult to move the affected joint. Read more

This video: Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender. The forearm muscles and tendons become damaged from overuse — repeating the same strenuous motions again and again.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries 1) Anterior cord syndrome 2) Central cord syndrome 3) Brown-Sequard syndrome 4) Tetraplegia 5) Paraplegia 6) Triplegia

This animation shows how a balloon is placed inside the stomach with out an operation for weightloss. This is done through an endoscope which goes through the mouth.

Goiter treatment depends on the size of the goiter, your signs and symptoms, and the underlying cause. Your doctor may recommend: Observation. If your goiter is small and doesn't cause problems, and your thyroid is functioning normally, your doctor may suggest a wait-and-see approach. Medications. If you have hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement with levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint) will resolve the symptoms of hypothyroidism as well as slow the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from your pituitary gland, often decreasing the size of the goiter. For inflammation of your thyroid gland, your doctor may suggest aspirin or a corticosteroid medication to treat the inflammation. For goiters associated with hyperthyroidism, you may need medications to normalize hormone levels. Surgery. Removing all or part of your thyroid gland (total or partial thyroidectomy) is an option if you have a large goiter that is uncomfortable or causes difficulty breathing or swallowing, or in some cases, if you have a nodular goiter causing hyperthyroidism.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a rare form of heart muscle disease that is characterized by restrictive filling of the ventricles. In this disease the contractile function (squeeze) of the heart and wall thicknesses are usually normal, but the relaxation or filling phase of the heart is very abnormal.

This operation can be performed as an open or laparoscopic (keyhole procedure). During the operation the sigmoid colon is removed. This involves taking away the blood vessels and lymph nodes to that part of the bowel. The surgeon then re-makes the join (anastomosis) between the remaining left side of the colon and the top of the rectum. The surgeon may use either sutures or special staples to make this join.

Among common cancers, pancreatic cancer has one of the poorest prognoses. Because pancreatic cancer often grows and spreads long before it causes any symptoms, only about 6% of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. For some pancreatic patients, however, a complex surgery known as the Whipple procedure may extend life and could be a potential cure. Those who undergo a successful Whipple procedure may have a five-year survival rate of up to 25%.

Basic ECG Interpretation Our ECG Interpretation Training and Reference Guides provide basic lessons for ECG analysis as well as a quick reference guide for over 40 types of ECG tracings. The arrhythmia drills and quizzes allow you to practice ECG interpretation. What is ECG Interpretation? An electrocardiogram or ECG, records electrical activity in the heart. An ECG machine records these electrical signals across multiple heart beats and produces an ECG strip that is interpreted by a healthcare professional. How Electrocardiograms Work - ECG Strips To briefly summarize the components of a normal ECG tracings, it consist of waveform components which indicate electrical events during one heart beat. These waveforms are labeled P, Q, R, S, T and U. P wave is the first short upward movement of the ECG tracing. It indicates that the atria are contracting, pumping blood into the ventricles. The QRS complex, normally beginning with a downward deflection, Q; a larger upwards deflection, a peak (R); and then a downwards S wave. The QRS complex represents ventricular depolarization and contraction. The PR interval indicates the transit time for the electrical signal to travel from the sinus node to the ventricles. T wave is normally a modest upwards waveform representing ventricular repolarization. ECG Interpretation illustration spacer image ECG Training - Introduction The focus of this introductory ECG course is to provide a tutorial about the main features of ECGs along with a method for analyzing ECGs. This method includes assessment of rhythm, calculating heart rate, observing P-wave forms, measurement of intervals and segments and the evaluation of other relevant waves. ECG practice exercises serve to reinforce the lesson content.

This short course reviews the main features of EKG tracings. A method for analyzing EKGs is also presented. This method includes assessment of rhythm, calculating heart rate, observing P-wave forms, measurement of EKG intervals and segments and the evaluation of other relevant waves.

-Tibial stress fractures are common in athletes and nonathletes who suddenly increase their physical activity. Clinical features include pain, localized tenderness, and swelling. Plain x-ray is <50% sensitive for stress fractures, especially in the first 2-3 weeks after the onset of symptoms. MRI is preferred over bone scan or ultrasound as it can show the fracture line that extends through the cortex into the medullary line. MRI can also identify ligament, muscle, and cartilage injuries. However, MRI findings may be persistently abnormal for up to 1 year after the stress fracture has healed.

Thyroiditis is a general term that refers to “inflammation of the thyroid gland”. Thyroiditis includes a group of individual disorders causing thyroidal inflammation but presenting in different ways. For example, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Postpartum thyroiditis, which causes temporary thyrotoxicosis (high thyroid hormone levels in the blood) followed by temporary hypothyroidism, is a common cause of thyroid problems after the delivery of a baby. Subacute thyroiditis is the major cause of pain in the thyroid. Thyroiditis can also be seen in patients taking the drugs interferon and amiodarone.

A stress fracture typically feels like an aching or burning localized pain somewhere along a bone. Usually, it will hurt to press on it, and the pain will get progressively worse as you run on it, eventually hurting while walking or even when you're not putting any weight on it at all.

If severe, it can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. How would you know if you have a fatty liver? ... Luckily fatty liver is reversible. ... Eat less carbohydrate. ... Drink less alcohol. ... Eat more vegetables, protein and the right fats. ... Drink raw vegetable juices. ... Take a good liver tonic.

Acute compartment syndrome refers to ischemic tissue damage secondary to elevated pressures in the enclosed compartments of the lower legs or forearm. When the tissue pressure in an enclosed compartment exceeds the perfusion pressure, the resulting diminished tissue perfusion and compromised blood flow to the muscles and nerves inevitably lead to ischemic tissue necrosis. Majority of the cases involving the lower extremities are due to a traumatic event, most commonly tibial fractures. Other causes include a crush injury or other long bone fractures in a motor vehicle accident, a tight cast or dressing after trauma, and drug overdose.