Health Articles

Diagnosis and Treatment of Croup

Croup is a very common, albeit distressing condition of childhood, usually occurring within the first 6 years of life. The highest incidence is seen at 24 months. It is most commonly due to a viral infection of the throat and the trachea. This leads to a swelling of the mucous membrane that lines the airway.

Symptoms and Causes of Croup

Croup is an acute infectious laryngotracheitis which occurs mostly in children less than six years of age (although the peak incidence is around two years). It is characterized by a barking cough, hoarse voice and respiratory difficulties, which are typically seen to occur at night.

Croup - Acute Laryngotracheobronchitis

Croup, or acute laryngotracheobronchitis, is an acute infectious respiratory disease of infants and children caused by infection of the larynx or the trachea - alone or together. It can cause partial or severe obstruction of the airway, which results in breathing difficulties and coughing. In some children it can be life-threatening.

Side Effects of a Template Biopsy

The transperineal template biopsy (TPB) uses a biplanar ultrasound transducer mounted on a stand with a brachytherapy template grid. This helps to take multiple cores from all areas of the prostate in a systematic manner.

Side Effects of a TRUS Biopsy

A transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is a surgical procedure used to obtain tissue cores in order to diagnose or exclude the presence of cancer. As such, the technique carries its own risks such as infections, bleeding, allergic reactions, but also some other potential complications.

Prostate Biopsy: Pros and Cons

Prostate biopsy is essentially a test which hopes to detect cancer of the prostate in patients who have specific indications or causes for suspicion. The most commonly performed biopsy is the TRUS biopsy, which is the transrectal ultrasound-directed systematic sampling of the prostate.

Types of Prostate Biopsy

Prostate cancer is screened for by digital rectal examination and by measuring serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. If these arouse any suspicion of prostate cancer, a prostate biopsy is usually recommended.

Prostate Biopsy

The prostate is a small gland that wraps around the urethra, at the base of the urinary bladder. It produces semen, the fluid vehicle of spermatozoa. A biopsy of the prostate is a procedure in which a small sample of prostate tissue is removed in order to examine it, usually in search for signs of malignant transformation of prostate cells.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)

The consequences of uncontrolled epileptic seizures can be serious and in the most severe cases can lead to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

Axillary Lymph Nodes and Breast Cancer

Axillary lymph nodes are kidney bean-shaped organs in the underarm area and are part of the lymphatic system. The interior of the lymph nodes contain lymphocytes and macrophages in abundance. The lymph nodes receive an extracellular fluid called lymph that circulates in the body and helps cleanse the blood vessels and tissues.

Vitamin B Deficiency

During the 19th century, scientists studying human nutrition began to identify all of the nutrients required for life. They knew that the body requires nutrients such as protein, fats, and sugars to build tissues and fuel biological processes, but it became clear that even when calories were plentiful, there were some vital nutrients that, when missing, would cause catastrophic illness and death.

Vitamin B Function in the Body

B vitamins are a group of water-soluble nutrients that are necessary for life. These must be obtained through dietary sources – they cannot be synthesized independently in the body. Although they are grouped together and often referred to as vitamin B complex, each of the eight B vitamins is characterized by an important, unique role in the body.

Can You Take Too Much Vitamin B?

Vitamins are required for life. A minimum daily dose of each vitamin is necessary to maintain good health. Significantly exceeding this dose, however, can cause illness. In general, the symptoms of vitamin toxicity include nausea, gastrointestinal problems like constipation and diarrhea, hair loss, rashes, and nerve damage.

Cradle Cap Diagnosis and Treatment

Cradle cap is a harmless, but unpleasant-looking skin condition affecting the scalp skin in very young infants. Usually starting within the first two months of life, it is caused by inflammation of the skin due to the excessive sebum secretion. The sebum is a fatty product released by the sebaceous follicles in the dermis.

Cradle Cap Causes and Symptoms

Cradle cap is a very common condition of the scalp skin in young infants. It usually appears in the first two months of life in the form of yellowish-white greasy scales or crusts over the scalp. It looks alarming, but is nonetheless a benign and self-limited condition.

Cradle Cap - Seborrheic Dermatitis in Newborns

Cradle cap is a term used to describe a form of seborrheic dermatitis that affects infants in the first three months of life. It is a self-limited inflammation of the skin of the scalp, presenting as yellow crusted lesions. The condition usually subsides within the first year.

Axillary Lymph Nodes and Breast Cancer

What is the Appendix?

The appendix or vermiform appendix is a muscular structure attached to the large intestine in the human body. It is a narrow tube resembling a worm and is named after the Latin word "vermiform" which means ‘worm-shaped’. The appendix extends from the lower end of the cecum, a pouch-like structure in the large intestine.

Flossgate & the Importance of Preventative Oral Hygiene

Even if you didn’t read the Associated Press report on the “weak evidence” supporting flossing last month, you likely saw parts of the media storm that followed it and continue to roll in. A myriad of articles from journalists either backing up or shutting down the claim that there is no benefit to flossing. Tweets and Facebook posts from patients who were either grateful to never have to pick up a string of floss again, or defending their nightly regimen and pointing out their gum health.

Pulmonary Transplant (Lung Transplant)

A pulmonary transplant (or lung transplant) is a surgical procedure in which a diseased lung is removed and replaced with a healthy lung from a donor. A lung transplant will often be recommended if a person has advanced lung disease that is unresponsive to other treatments and/or when a person's life expectancy is likely less than 2-3 years. A lung transplant is considered for those suffering from the following conditions: