What is COPD? What is emphysema? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story COPD is a general term that includes emphysema. The COPD acronym means chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD is a general term that now includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, certain types of bronchiectasis and by some doctors and researchers, asthma. Consequently, emphysema is a type of COPD. Not all doctors...
Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
Cleft lip and cleft palate facts Cleft lip and palate are developmental defects of the upper lip and roof of the mouth that are present at birth (congenital malformations). Cleft lip and palate may occur separately and in combination. Both malformations occur as a consequence of incomplete fusion of the developing lip (normally occurs by 35 days of gestation) or...
Anencephaly Causes, Symptoms, and Life Expectancy
Anencephaly facts* *Anencephaly facts medical author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Anencephaly is an example of a neural tube defect, a condition that results from an error in the first weeks of embryonic development. In anencephaly, the bones of the skull and brain do not develop properly. Babies with anencephaly are missing large areas of the brain and have an incomplete...
What Are the Symptoms of Cholera? Causes, Vaccine, Treatment & Prevention
Facts you should know about cholera Cholera is a disease that causes foul-smelling diarrhea that looks like rice water. Cholera is a disease caused by bacteria that produce a watery diarrhea that can rapidly lead to dehydration. Cholera symptoms and signs include a rapid onset of copious, smelly diarrhea that resembles rice water and may lead to signs of dehydration...
Actinic Purpura Vs Senile Purpura
Actinic purpura results from sun-induced damage to the connective tissue of the dermis Senile purpura, also called actinic purpura, is a benign skin condition that commonly affects older adults. Actinic purpura results from sun-induced damage to the connective tissue of the dermis (deeper layers of the skin) combined with the fact that the blood vessels become thinner and more fragile...
What Is Separation Anxiety? Definition, Treatment, Symptoms
Facts you should know about separation anxiety disorder Infants show stranger anxiety by crying when someone unfamiliar approaches. Separation anxiety as a normal life stage first develops at about 7 months of age, once object permanence has been established. It is at its strongest at 10-18 months of age and usually subsides by 3 years of age. Separation anxiety disorder...
What Are the Common Complications of Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring?
What is a pulmonary artery catheterization? Pulmonary artery pressure monitoring involves inserting a pressure sensor via catheter in the artery that carries blood between the heart and lungs. This can help diagnose heart failure, clots and other cardiovascular problems. Pulmonary arteries are the major arteries arising from the right ventricle of the heart. This lower chamber of the heart contains...
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Symptoms and Warning Signs
What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)? Atrial fibrillation (AFib, AF) is a disturbance of the rhythm of the heartbeat (arrhythmia), a type of heart rhythm disorder. To understand how atrial fibrillation occurs, let's first understand the normal rhythm of the heart, and how the electrical activation of a heartbeat occurs. In a person with a healthy heart, the rhythm of the...
What Are the Antibiotic Prophylactic Regimens for Endocarditis?
What is prophylactic use of antibiotics? Surgeons prescribe prophylactic antibiotics before surgery to prevent infection rather than to treat an existing one. Prophylactic use of antibiotics is the administration of antibiotics before certain surgical procedures to prevent introduction of a bacterial infection to abnormal tissues in the body. For examples, prophylactic antibiotics are used prior to bowel surgery or even...
Affordable Care Act (ACA or ObamaCare): Tips to Help You
What is the Affordable Care Act (ACA or ObamaCare)? This was adapted from an Apr. 24, 2013, discussion with Kyle Lee, a consultant in health-care reform with MedTrack, Inc., of Springfield, MO. What follows are Mr. Lee's concepts of the future health-care landscape as he relayed them to me. — William C. Shiel Jr. MD, FACP, FACR The entire health-care...