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Peritoneal dialysis (per-ih-toe-NEE-ul die-AL-uh-sis) is a way to remove waste products from your blood when your kidneys can no longer do the job adequately. A cleansing fluid flows through a tube (catheter) into part of your abdomen and filters waste products from your blood. After a prescribed period of time, the fluid with filtered waste products flows out of your abdomen and is discarded. Peritoneal dialysis differs from hemodialysis, a more commonly used blood-filtering procedure. With peritoneal dialysis, you can give yourself treatments at home, at work or while traveling. Peritoneal dialysis isn't an option for everyone wit
Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include contaminated air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, do home renovations or work in auto repair shops also may be exposed to lead. While treatment is available for lead poisoning, taking some simple precautions can help protect yourself and your family.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common endocrine system disorder among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have enlarged ovaries that contain small collections of fluid — called follicles — located in each ovary as seen during an ultrasound exam. Infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, and obesity can all occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. In adolescents, infrequent or absent menstruation may raise suspicion for the condition. The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Through the hormones it produces, the thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in your body. Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much thyroid hormone results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Insufficient hormone production leads to hypothyroidism. Although the effects can be unpleasant or uncomfortable, most thyroid problems can be managed well if properly diagnosed and treated.
Constrictive pericarditis is the result of scarring and consequent loss of the normal elasticity of the pericardial sac. This leads to impairment of ventricular filling in mid and late diastole. As a result, the majority of ventricular filling occurs rapidly in early diastole and the ventricular volume does not increase after the end of the early filling period. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is characterized by a nondilated rigid ventricle, resulting in severe diastolic dysfunction and restrictive filling that produces hemodynamic changes similar to those in constrictive pericarditis. Constrictive pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy both lead to diastolic heart failure with normal (or near normal) systolic function, and characteristically abnormal ventricular filling that results in similar clinical and hemodynamic features. However, because of their markedly different treatments, differentiating between the two conditions is critical. In some patients, the correct diagnosis may be readily suggested from the history or routine diagnostic testing. In others, however, this differentiation cannot be diagnosed before biopsy or even surgical exploration.
A simple continuous stitch can be a useful technique for skin closure when speed is important, e.g. closing a scalp laceration on a screaming child. The simple running, or continuous suture, is begun in the same way as a simple interrupted suture.
The heart receives its own supply of blood from the coronary arteries. Two major coronary arteries branch off from the aorta near the point where the aorta and the left ventricle meet. These arteries and their branches supply all parts of the heart muscle with blood.
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an opening or hole in the wall that separates the two lower chambers of the heart. This wall is called the ventricular septum. The hole causes oxygen-rich blood to leak from the left side of the heart to the right side. This causes extra work for the right side of the heart, since more blood than necessary is flowing through the right ventricle to the lungs. The hole is usually closed with surgery. However, in certain situations, your child's cardiologist and surgeon may think it is best to close the hole with a special device. This procedure is done in the heart catheterization lab.
Work out the length of your average menstrual cycle. Day one is the first day of the menstrual period and the last day is the day before the next period begins. Ovulation happens about two weeks before the next expected period. So if your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14.
Bone tumors develop when cells in the bone divide without control, forming a mass of tissue. Most bone tumors are benign, which means they are not cancer and cannot spread. However, they may still weaken bone and lead to fractures or cause other problems. Bone cancer destroys normal bone tissue and may spread to other parts of the body (called metastasis). Benign Bone Tumors Benign tumors are more common than malignant tumors of the bones. These are a few common types of benign bone tumors: Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor. It is more common in people under age 20. Giant cell tumor is a benign tumor, typically affecting the leg (malignant types of this tumor are uncommon). Osteoid osteoma is a bone tumor, often occurring in long bones, that occurs commonly in the early 20s. Osteoblastoma is a single tumor that occurs in the spine and long bones, mostly in young adults. Enchondroma usually appears in bones of the hand and feet. It often has no symptoms. It is the most common type of hand tumor.
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication after an allogeneic transplant, a transplant in which cells from a family member, unrelated donor or cord blood unit are used. In GVHD, the immune cells from the donated marrow or cord blood (the graft) attack the body of the transplant patient (the host).
A hemolytic transfusion reaction is a serious complication that can occur after a transfusion of blood. The red blood cells that were given in the transfusion are destroyed by the patient's immune system. There are other types of allergic transfusion reactions that do not cause hemolysis.
McMurray's maneuver is used to detect the presence of meniscal tears. To detect a medial meniscal injury, the patient is put in a supine position with the knee in maximum flexion. One hand of the examiner is placed on the posteromedial margin of the involved knee and the other hand supports the foot. The tibia is then externally rotated, and the knee is extended slowly. The test is positive if there is an audible or palpable click or popping sensation during extension of the involved knee.
The differential diagnosis for this child's painless hematochezia includes Meckel's diverticulum as well as vascular malformations. Meckel's diverticulum results from a failure of the vitelline duct to obliterate during the first 8 weeks of gestation, leaving behind a blind pouch often containing ectopic gastric tissue. Meckel's diverticulum classically affects children age ~:2 but can also occur in older children or even adults. Young children are more likely to experience painless bleeding due to mucosal irritation from gastric acid; adolescents and adults are more likely to have signs of obstruction. A technetium-99 nuclear scan will identify the diverticulum, which is usually located in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen within 2 feet of the ileocecal valve. Technetium-99 concentrates in the parietal cells of the diverticulum and stomach. The scan is also known as "Meckel's scan" due to its high specificity. A symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum is generally treated with surgical resection.
The "great arteries" in this anomaly refer to the aorta and the pulmonary artery, the two major arteries carrying blood away from the heart. In cases of transposition of the great arteries, these vessels arise from the wrong ventricle. They are "transposed" from their normal position so that the aorta arises from the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery from the left ventricle. Other heart defects may occur along with transposition of the great arteries. About 25 percent of children with transposition will also have a ventricular septal defect (VSD) . In nearly a third, the branching pattern of the coronary arteries as they leave the transposed aorta is unusual. Infants may also have narrowing below the pulmonary valve that blocks blood flow from the left ventricle to the lungs.
An ileostomy is an opening in the belly (abdominal wall) that’s made during surgery. The end of the ileum (the lowest part of the small intestine) is brought through this opening to form a stoma, usually on the lower right side of the abdomen. A Wound Ostomy Continence nurse (WOCN or WOC nurse) or the surgeon will figure out the best location for your stoma. (A WOC nurse is a specially trained registered nurse who takes care of and teaches ostomy patients. This nurse may also be called an ostomy nurse.)