Autoimmune hepatitis is liver inflammation that occurs when your body's immune system turns against liver cells. The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unclear, but genetic and environmental factors appear to interact over time in triggering the disease. Untreated autoimmune hepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and eventually to liver failure. When diagnosed and treated early, however, autoimmune hepatitis often can be controlled with drugs that suppress the immune system. A liver transplant may be an option when autoimmune hepatitis doesn't respond to drug treatments or when liver disease is advanced.

The normal electrical conduction in the heart allows the impulse that is generated by the sinoatrial node (SA node) of the heart to be propagated to (and stimulate) the cardiac muscle (myocardium). The myocardium contracts after stimulation.

Repair of post-infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD) remains a challenging procedure with a high risk of VSD recurrence. In order to reduce this risk, a double patch and glue technique was introduced in the department in 1986. This surgical technique is hereunder presented. Since 1971, ninety-three patients have been operated on early (≪15 days) after the occurrence of a post-infarction VSD. This retrospective study allows to compare the results of this double patch and glue technique to those obtained with the conventional one, in terms of hospital death and VSD recurrence. The double patch and glue technique avoids recurrence of VSD and plays a part in reducing hospital mortality.

There's only one group of people who really know what happens when you die: the dead. And since the dead won't be revealing their secrets anytime soon, it's up to scientists to explain what happens when a person dies. Death, just like life, is a process, scientists say. The first stage of this process is known as clinical death. It lasts from four to six minutes, beginning when a person stops breathing and the heart stops pumping blood. During this time, there may be enough oxygen in the brain that no permanent brain damage occurs. Other organs, such as the kidneys and eyes, also remain alive throughout clinical death.

Dehydration can also be a cause of kidney stones. A common symptom is having a lower left abdominal pain, fever, nausea, groin pain and vomiting. Lower left abdominal pain can also be caused by an infection of the kidneys. It usually begins with the bladder and then reaches out to the kidneys.

The arm and leg muscles are affected later. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease — a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. In MG, that attack interrupts the connection between nerve and muscle — the neuromuscular junction.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after treating the wound. Wash the area with mild soap and running water to reduce the risk of infection. Pat dry. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean bandage or sterile dressing. Antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered, especially if there is a high risk of infection, such as with cat bites, with puncture wounds, with wounds to the hand, and in persons who are immunosuppressed. Amoxicillin/clavulanate is the first-line prophylactic antibiotic.

The protein inside red blood cells (a) that carries oxygen to cells and carbon dioxide to the lungs is hemoglobin (b). Hemoglobin is made up of four symmetrical subunits and four heme groups. Iron associated with the heme binds oxygen.

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that can be found in all parts of your body. It helps your body make cell membranes, many hormones, and vitamin D. The cholesterol in your blood comes from two sources: the foods you eat and your liver. But your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs.

Mini-invasive surgical repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most common acquired heart disease in children in many countries of the world, especially in developing countries. The global burden of disease caused by rheumatic fever currently falls disproportionately on children living in the developing world, especially where poverty is widespread. RHD is a chronic heart condition caused by rheumatic fever that can be prevented and controlled. Rheumatic fever is caused by a preceding group A streptococcal (strep) infection. Treating strep throat with antibiotics can prevent rheumatic fever. Moreover, regular antibiotics (usually monthly injections) can prevent patients with rheumatic fever from contracting further strep infections and causing progression of valve damage. Consequences of rheumatic heart disease Acute rheumatic fever primarily affects the heart, joints and central nervous system. The major importance of acute rheumatic fever is its ability to cause fibrosis of heart valves, leading to crippling valvular heart disease, heart failure and death. The decline of rheumatic fever in developed countries is believed to be the result of improved living conditions and availability of antibiotics for treatment of group A streptococcal infection. Overcrowding, poor housing conditions, undernutrition and lack of access to healthcare play a role in the persistence of this disease in developing countries.

Glycogen storage disease (GSD, also glycogenosis and dextrinosis) is the result of defects in the processing of glycogen synthesis or breakdown within muscles, liver, and other cell types. GSD has two classes of cause: genetic and acquired.

All forms of heparin (including low-molecular-weight heparin such as enoxaparin) must be stopped immediately in patients with suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) while awaiting diagnostic confirmation. Patients with HIT remain at high risk of thrombosis even after discontinuation of heparin. Therefore, an alternate, rapidly acting, non-heparin anticoagulant such as direct thrombin inhibitor (eg, argatroban, bivalirudin) must be started immediately.

patient has fever, hypotension, swelling, and erythema of his left leg. Notably, his leg is more painful to palpation than might be expected after visual inspection. These symptoms are very concerning for necrotizing fasciitis. Necrotizing fasciitis is a fulminant infection of the subcutaneous tissue that spreads rapidly along the fascial planes and leads to extensive tissue necrosis and shock. Treatment • Requires surgical debridement & broad-spectrum antibiotics

This information is collected from Oncolex. For more on colon and rectum (

Instructions for use of FPT kegel exerciser. Kegels work! But kegels performed with progressive resistive weight training work better and faster.

This new blood test can help detect and locate cancer

Sporotrichosis (also known as "rose gardener's disease") is a disease caused by the infection of the fungus Sporothrix schenckii. This fungal disease usually affects the skin, although other rare forms can affect the lungs, joints, bones, and even the brain.

Surgery is an elective procedure done in people who have had extensive testing to decide if they are potential candidates. The following criteria are considered when determining if a person may be a good candidate for surgery. Person has failed adequate trials of two first-line seizure medicines (ones that are commonly effective in controlling the type of seizures the person is experiencing) and one combination of at least two drugs. A trial of a medication is considered adequate when it has been increased gradually to the maximum dosage that does not cause serious side effects. If the person has frequent seizures, any improvement will be obvious after a short time. If the seizures generally occur far apart, however, it may take months to determine whether a medication is helping. At some epilepsy centers, patients are offered additional conventional or experimental medications before surgery is considered. But research suggests that each time a trial of medication fails to control a person's seizures, it becomes less likely that a different medicine or combination will be successful. Since uncontrolled seizures present serious physical risks and social and psychological consequences, the trend these days is to proceed with surgery much sooner than in the past if it seems appropriate for that person.

This animation describes the goals of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management and how patients can take an active role in managing their disease.