Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks, and on the West Coast, black-legged ticks. These tiny arachnids are typically found in wooded and grassy areas. Although people may think of Lyme as an East Coast disease, it is found throughout the United States, as well as in more than sixty other countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the US every year. That’s 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the US. However, because diagnosing Lyme can be difficult, many people who actually have Lyme may be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Many experts believe the true number of cases is much higher. Lyme disease affects people of all ages. The CDC notes that it is most common in children, older adults, and others such as firefighters and park rangers who spend time in outdoor activities and have higher exposure to ticks. LymeDisease.org has developed a Lyme disease symptom checklist to help you document your exposure to Lyme disease and common symptoms for your healthcare provider. You will receive a report that you can print out and take with you to your next doctor’s appointment.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs when fluid builds up in the tiny, elastic air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. More fluid in your lungs means less oxygen can reach your bloodstream. This deprives your organs of the oxygen they need to function. ARDS typically occurs in people who are already critically ill or who have significant injuries. Severe shortness of breath — the main symptom of ARDS — usually develops within a few hours to a few days after the original disease or trauma. Many people who develop ARDS don't survive. The risk of death increases with age and severity of illness. Of the people who do survive ARDS, some recover completely while others experience lasting damage to their lungs.

The preferred route of access for temporary transvenous pacing is the internal jugular vein followed by subclavian and femoral veins. However, all the major venous access sites (internal and external jugular, subclavian, brachial, femoral) have been used and each is associated with particular problems.

The AutoPulse® Resuscitation System provides high-quality automated CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Easy to use and battery operated, the AutoPulse squeezes the patient’s entire chest to improve blood flow to the heart and brain.1,2,3 The only device of its kind, the AutoPulse automatically sizes to the patient, and has shown improved outcomes in numerous clinical trials.4,5 Designed for Patient Movement and Transport When the AutoPulse’s stabilizing board is placed on a soft stretcher, rescuers can continue providing high-quality CPR down steep stairwells, around sharp corners, or even in a cramped elevator. Compared with manual CPR, the AutoPulse has been shown to reduce interruptions in compressions during transport by more than 85%.6 The AutoPulse is made for resuscitation on the move.

It can treat spider veins and tiny varicose veins just under the skin's surface. ... (If you have poor blood circulation feeding these tiny veins, the larger "feeder" vein must first be treated with surgery, endovenous laser or radiofrequency treatment, or sclerotherapy.) Endovenous laser treatment.

HPV is a different virus than HIV and HSV (herpes). HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems including genital warts and cancers.

Syphilis is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity, including oral and anal sex. Occasionally, the disease can be passed to another person through prolonged kissing or close bodily contact. Although this disease is spread from sores, the vast majority of those sores go unrecognized. The infected person is often unaware of the disease and unknowingly passes it on to his or her sexual partner. Pregnant women with the disease can spread it to their baby. This disease, called congenital syphilis, can cause abnormalities or even death to the child. Syphilis cannot be spread by toilet seats, door knobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bath tubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located just in front of the lower part of the ear, allows the lower jaw to move. The TMJ is a ball-and-socket joint, just like the hip or shoulder. When the mouth opens wide, the ball (called the condyle) comes out of the socket and moves forward, going back into place when the mouth closes. TMJ becomes dislocated when the condyle moves too far and gets stuck in front of a bony prominence called the articular eminence. The condyle can't move back into place. This happens most often when the ligaments that normally keep the condyle in place are somewhat loose, allowing the condyle to move beyond the articular eminence. The surrounding muscles often go into spasm and hold the condyle in the dislocated position.

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Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today, before a stroke has the chance to strike. Lower blood pressure. ... Lose weight. ... Exercise more. ... Drink — in moderation. ... Treat atrial fibrillation. ... Treat diabetes. ... Quit smoking.

Sickle cell anemia causes pain, fatigue and delayed growth, all because of a lack of enough healthy red blood cells. And yet genetic mutations that cause it — recessive genes for the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin protein — have survived natural selection because they also seem to provide a natural defense against malaria.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.

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Tension pneumothorax describes the progressive accumulation of air in the pleural cavity (normally a potential space) through a defect in the visceral pleura. This leads to positive pressure being maintained and increasing throughout the respiratory cycle causing vessels within the mediastinum to be compressed with catastrophic consequences if left untreated. Clinical signs include hypoxia, hypotension, tachycardia, reduced breath sounds and hyper resonance ipsilaterally, with tracheal deviation (away from the affected side) and distended neck veins being late clinical signs.

Cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. The liver carries out several necessary functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, cleaning your blood and making vital nutrients. Cirrhosis occurs in response to damage to your liver. Each time your liver is injured, it tries to repair itself. In the process, scar tissue forms. As cirrhosis progresses, more and more scar tissue forms, making it difficult for the liver to function. Decompensated cirrhosis is the term used to describe the development of specific complications resulting from the changes brought on by cirrhosis. Decompensated cirrhosis is life-threatening. The liver damage done by cirrhosis generally can't be undone. But if liver cirrhosis is diagnosed early and the cause is treated, further damage can be limited and, rarely, reversed.

The occurrence and extent of cerebral infarction is determined by three basic factors: i) site of arterial occlusion, ii) the rapidity of arterial occlusion, and iii) the presence or absence of collateral circulation. Grossly, infarcts are usually divided into pale (non-hemorrhagic) and hemorrhagic types. Infarcts evolve over time, thus their gross appearance gives a clue to when they occurred. The temporal evolution of an infarct occurs in three stages: i) acute (1 day – 1 week) – the involved area is soft and edematous and there is a blurring of anatomic detail; ii) subacute (1 week – 1 month) – there is obvious tissue destruction and liquefactive necrosis of the involved brain; iii) chronic (>1 month) – the damaged tissue has been phagocytized and there is cavition with surrounding gliosis. Microscopically there is also a temporal evolution of cerebral infarcts. During the earliest phase of infarction (0-48 hours) chromatolysis and swollen eosinophilic neurons are seen. Neuronal cell necrosis and an acute inflammatory response are usually seen from 24-72 hours. This response is typically followed by an influx of mononuclear cells which begin to phagocytize necrotic debris (3-5 days). From 1-2 weeks after the infarct there is vascular proliferation and reactive astrocytosis. Over time (>1 month) the necrotic tissue will be completely removed and a cystic cavity surrounded by a glial scar will be formed.

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

Osteomyelitis is an infection in a bone. Infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue. Infections can also begin in the bone itself if an injury exposes the bone to germs. In children, osteomyelitis most commonly affects the long bones of the legs and upper arms. Adults are more likely to develop osteomyelitis in the bones that make up the spine (vertebrae). People who have diabetes may develop osteomyelitis in their feet if they have foot ulcers. Once considered an incurable condition, osteomyelitis can be successfully treated today. Most people require surgery to remove parts of the bone that have died — followed by strong antibiotics, often delivered intravenously, typically for at least four to six weeks.

Pancreatic Auto Islet Transplantation is a procedure used to maintain insulin production and secretion in patients with chronic pancreatitis that are undergoing a total pancreatectomy, or removal of the entire pancreas. When all other medical therapies fail to control the pain, removal of the pancreas may be an option; however it can leave a person diabetic, which means that the body can no longer control blood sugar levels, and will require intensive testing of blood sugar and injections of insulin. The pancreas is an organ, located in the upper abdominal cavity, behind the stomach, liver and colon. Within the pancreas, specialized clusters of cells known as islets produce insulin, which maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The pancreas also produces enzymes to help digest food. In order to alleviate pain and maintain insulin production, the pancreas is removed from the body, processed and the islets are harvested. Once the pancreas is removed, it is placed in a solution and put into a machine where the pancreas is digested. The islets are then infused into the patient’s liver. Within a short time, the islets are expected to start producing insulin. In 80% of patients, the pain from pancreatitis is relieved by a total pancreatectomy. Over time, some patients may be diabetic and will need to take insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. All patients will take pancreatic enzymes to help digest food after surgery.