What is Venipuncture? While venipuncture can refer to a variety of procedures, including the insertion of IV tubes into a vein for the direct application of medicine to the blood stream, in phlebotomy venipuncture refers primarily to using a needle to create a blood evacuation point. As a phlebotomist, you must be prepared to perform venipuncture procedures on adults, children, and even infants while maintaining a supportive demeanor and procedural accuracy. Using a variety of blood extraction tools, you must be prepared to respond to numerous complications in order to minimize the risk to the patient while still drawing a clean sample. In its entirety, venipuncture includes every step in a blood draw procedure—from patient identification to puncturing the vein to labeling the sample. Patient information, needle placement, and emotional environment all play a part in the collection of a blood sample, and it's the fine details that can mean the difference between a definite result and a false positive. After placing the tourniquet and finding the vein, it's time for the phlebotomist to make the complex choice on what procedure will best suit the specific situation. Keeping this in mind, it should be noted that the following information is not an instructional guide on how to perform these phlebotomy procedures. Rather, the information below is intended to serve as an educational resource to inform you of the equipment and procedures you will use. Venipuncture Technqiues Venipuncture with an Evacuated or Vacuum Tube: This is the standard procedure for venipuncture testing. Using a needle and sheath system, this procedure allows multiple sample tubes to be filled through a single puncture. This procedure is ideal for reducing trauma to patients. After drawing the blood, the phlebotomist must make sure the test stopper is correctly coded and doesn't contact exposed blood between samples. Venipuncture with a Butterfly Needle : This is a specialized procedure that utilizes a flexible, butterfly needle adaptor. A butterfly needle has two plastic wings (one on either side of the needle) and is connected to a flexible tube, which is then attached to a reservoir for the blood. Due to the small gauge of the needle and the flexibility of the tube, this procedure is used most often in pediatric care, where the patients tend to have smaller veins and are more likely to move around during the procedure. After being inserted into a vein at a shallow angle, the butterfly needle is held in place by the wings, which allow the phlebotomist to grasp the needle very close to the skin. Phlebotomists should be careful to watch for blood clots in the flexible tubing. Venipuncture with a Syringe: This technique is typically only used when there is a supply shortage, or when a technician thinks it is the appropriate method. It uses the classic needle, tube, and plunger system, operating in a similar manner to the vacuum tube but requiring multiple punctures for multiple samples. Additionally, after the blood is drawn it must be transferred to the appropriate vacuum tube for testing purposes. If you choose to use this method, remember to check for a sterile seal, and use a safety device when transferring the sample. Fingerstick (or Fingerprick): This procedure uses a medical lance to make a small incision in the upper capillaries of a patient's finger in order to collect a tiny blood sample. It is typically used to test glucose and insulin levels. When performing a Fingerstick, the phlebotomist should remember to lance the third or fourth finger on the non-dominant arm. Never lance the tip or the center of the finger pad; instead, lance perpendicular to the fingerprint lines. Heelstick (or Heelprick): Similar to the Fingerstick procedure, this process is used on infants under six months of age. A medical lance is used to create a small incision on the side of an infant's heel in order to collect small amounts of blood for screening. As with a Fingerstick, the incision should be made perpendicular to the heel lines, and it should be made far enough to the left or right side of the heel to avoid patient agitation. Before performing a Heelstick, the infant's heel should be warmed to about 42 degrees Celsius in order to stimulate capillary blood and gas flow. Therapeutic Phlebotomy: This involves the actual letting of blood in order to relieve chemical and pressure imbalances within the blood stream. Making use of a butterfly needle, this therapy provides a slow removal of up to one pint of blood. Though the blood removed is not used for blood transfusions, the procedure and concerns are the same as with routine blood donation. As with any phlebotomy procedure, one should pay close attention to the patient in order to prevent a blood overdraw. Bleeding Time: A simple diagnostic test that is used to determine abnormalities in blood clotting and platelet production. A shallow laceration is made, followed by sterile swabbing of the wound every 30 seconds until the bleeding stops. Average bleed times range between one and nine minutes. As a phlebotomist, you should familiarize yourself with the application and cross-application of these procedures in order to recognize when a procedure is necessary, and what the risks are for each.

Sialendoscopy can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. It is complementary to diagnostic techniques such as plain radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance sialography, and conventional sialography, all of which are traditional, time-tested methods for evaluating the salivary ductal system

Many people report that inversion table therapy is a great way to stretch muscles and ligaments, reduce muscle spasms, and improve circulation. Stretching stimulates the lymph glands to increase the flow of lymphatic fluids; part of the body's waste disposal system. Similarly, cellular health depends on good blood circulation to deliver nourishment and remove waste. Inversion table therapy also helps to relieve motion sickness and stress. In addition, the body becomes more aware of its spatial orientation and balance when the inner ear is stimulated during inversion. Plus, it is not necessary for the body to be positioned completely upside down to gain benefits from inversion therapy! Unlike antigravity boots used with an inversion rack, an adjustable inversion table offers the flexibility to choose the most comfortable angle. Dialogue with Your Doctor Like anything that can affect your health, talk to your doctor before you start using an inversion table. This is important because certain medications and health conditions may make using an inversion table unsafe. Your doctor may recommend against inversion table therapy if you have obesity, a detached retina, fracture, glaucoma, heart condition (circulatory problem), hernia, implanted device, middle ear or eye infection, osteoporosis, are pregnant, or have a spinal injury. There may be other medical conditions not listed that your doctor may view as a contraindication.

There is nothing that compares to the fresh-faced feeling you have when you leave the aesthetician after a facial. There is just something so freeing about knowing that nasty little buggers like blackheads, whiteheads and all other kinds of heads have been given the heave-ho. That could be why this Facebook video of a blackhead being removed has gone viral. With more than 24 million views, the popular video is weirdly difficult to stop watching.

Bronchiectasis is an abnormal dilation of the proximal and medium-sized bronchi (>2 mm in diameter) caused by weakening or destruction of the muscular and elastic components of the bronchial walls. Affected areas may show a variety of changes, including transmural inflammation, edema, scarring, and ulceration, among other findings. Distal lung parenchyma may also be damaged secondary to persistent microbial infection and frequent postobstructive pneumonia. Bronchiectasis can be congenital but is most often acquired.[9] Congenital bronchiectasis usually affects infants and children. These cases result from developmental arrest of the bronchial tree. Acquired forms occur in adults and older children and require an infectious insult, impairment of drainage, airway obstruction, and/or a defect in host defense. The tissue is also damaged in part by the host response of neutrophilic proteases, inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, and oxygen radicals. This results in damage to the muscular and elastic components of the bronchial wall. Additionally, peribronchial alveolar tissue may be damaged, resulting in diffuse peribronchial fibrosis.[12] The result is abnormal bronchial dilatation with bronchial wall destruction and transmural inflammation. The most important functional finding of altered airway anatomy is severely impaired clearance of secretions from the bronchial tree. Impaired clearance of secretions causes colonization and infection with pathogenic organisms, contributing to the purulent expectoration commonly observed in patients with bronchiectasis. The result is further bronchial damage and a vicious cycle of bronchial damage, bronchial dilation, impaired clearance of secretions, recurrent infection, and more bronchial damage

Asbestosis is linked to chrysotile fibers. Chrysotile is one of the six known types of asbestos. Exposure occurs when someone breathes in the dangerous fibers. Extended exposure can lead to an accumulation of the fibers in lung tissues, setting the stage for long-term fibrosis (scarring). Over time, lung tissues thicken, causing pain and restricting breathing. Symptoms include labored breathing during routine tasks and exercise, chest pain and coughing. Doctors prescribe breathing treatments, prescription medication and sometimes surgery for people with asbestosis.

About Us Contact Disclaimer Get Published! Follow Us Epomedicine Medical Students Clinical Discussion Cases Emergencies Blog Medical Mnemonics Clinical Skills Search Subjects Clinical examination Gastrointestinal system Internal medicine Updated on January 31, 2017 Percussion of Spleen Traube’s semilunar space Borders: Superiorly: Left 6th rib superiorly Laterally: Left midaxillary line or Left anterior axillary line Inferiorly: Left costal margin Method: Patient’s position: supine with left arm slightly abducted. Percuss: from medial to lateral Interpretation: Resonance (Normal) and Dullness (Splenomegaly) Also: Pleural effusion or mass in stomach may cause dullness in Traube’s space.

The surgical procedure uses your own fat, so it is the most natural way to augment your buttocks. Over the last few years, the buttocks have received more press coverage than ever before. People of all ages and body types are having the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure.

TODAY’s Al Roker is back at work, less than two weeks after knee replacement surgery. Al reveals the rigorous course of physical therapy that helped get him back on his feet so quickly. He says the procedure has improved radically since his first knee replacement 15 years ago.
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Inside Al Roker’s Road To Recovery After Knee Replacement | TODAY

Knee pain can happen at any age, but some doctors say they're seeing more people with osteoarthritis who are still young and active.
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Watch Dr. Robert Thomas, of Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center, perform a Mako Knee replacement. He narrates each step of the process.

Artificial womb could allow babies to develop outside the mother’s uterus

Major signs and symptoms include enlargement of the liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), a low number of red blood cells (anemia), easy bruising caused by a decrease in blood platelets (thrombocytopenia), lung disease, and bone abnormalities such as bone pain, fractures, and arthritis.

The exact cause of schizophrenia isn't known, but genetics, environment, and imbalanced brain chemicals may play a role. Schizophrenia is characterized by abnormal social behavior. In severe cases, patients may see or hear things that aren't real. Treatment is usually lifelong and often involves a combination of medications and psychological and social therapy.

Lattrell Wells was a perfect candidate for the MACI procedure. Dr. Michael O'Malley is a sports medicine surgeon at Carilion Clinic, "It’s a two stage procedure. So what we do is we actually harvest a small portion of the patient's cartilage and bone cells and we send it to a lab where the lab then that grows additional cartilage cells. It comes back to us in a little sheet and six weeks after that initial surgery, we re-implant the cartilage in a second surgery where we implant that sheet depending on the size of lesion right where his defect. This the only option where there’s virtually no risk of any kind of graft rejection or anything of that nature.

The patient is awake as a laser cuts her cataract into six pieces. Then, she heads into the operating room. When she wakes up, her cataracts and nearsightedness are gone.

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The principal signs of cerebellar dysfunction are the following: Ataxia: unsteadiness or incoordination of limbs, posture, and gait. A disorder of the control of force and timing of movements leading to abnormalities of speed, range, rhythm, starting, and stopping.

http://www.nucleushealth.com/ - This 3D medical animation shows the cause and laparoscopic treatment of a ventral incisional hernia. If you have had abdominal surgery in the past, a ventral incisional hernia may appear at the site of your surgical scar. Your intestine may push through a weakened spot in the tissue between your abdominal muscles creating a bulge beneath your skin. If your hernia is not repaired, complications may occur.
#VentralHernia #VentralIncisionalHernia #IncisionalHernia
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Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine. The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer is stomach pain. Peptic ulcers include: Gastric ulcers that occur on the inside of the stomach Duodenal ulcers that occur on the inside of the upper portion of your small intestine (duodenum) The most common causes of peptic ulcers are infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and long-term use of aspirin and certain other painkillers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox, others). Stress and spicy foods do not cause peptic ulcers. However, they can make your symptoms worse.

Watch that video to know if it is safe to have sex during pregnancy