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Fahr's syndrome (FS) / Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification

Fahr's syndrome (FS) is also known as Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification. It is a genetically inherited neurological condition, proposed to have both an autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. FS is rare and is characterized by the abnormal deposition of calcium in locations of the brain that are involved in the control of movement.

23 Jun 2016

Intussusception (Intestinal Obstruction)

Intussusception is a medical emergency and is a condition that is as a result of one part of the intestine sliding into another. This sliding is similar to how a telescope folds into itself and the intestinal prolapse results in obstruction. Thus, food and/ or fluid cannot move through the abnormal intestinal segment.

23 Jun 2016

Diagnosis and Treatment of Abdominal Adhesions

While diagnosing abdominal adhesions, it is important to take a thorough clinical history in order to substantiate suspicions.

23 Jun 2016

Symptoms and Causes of Abdominal Adhesions

Abdominal adhesions are bands of scar tissue connecting two parts of abdominal tissue that would otherwise not be connected together.

23 Jun 2016

What are Abdominal Adhesions?

Bands of scar tissue that join two parts of tissue together in the abdomen that would otherwise not be joined together constitute abdominal adhesions.

23 Jun 2016

Drug Metabolism

Drug metabolism is the term used to describe the biotransformation of pharmaceutical substances in the body so that they can be eliminated more easily. The majority of metabolic processes that involve drugs occur in the liver, as the enzymes that facilitate the reactions are concentrated there.

23 Jun 2016

Drug Excretion / Elimination

Drug elimination is the process by which pharmaceutical substances are removed from the body. All drugs are eventually eliminated from the body, although there are various pathways that may be involved in the process. Some drugs undergo metabolism before being excreted, whereas other drugs are largely eliminated intact in the original dosage form.

23 Jun 2016

Drug Distribution

When a drug is absorbed and enters the systemic circulation, it is naturally distributed throughout the fluid and tissues in the body. Drug distribution is a subject that is covered in a branch of pharmacology called pharmacokinetics.

23 Jun 2016

What is Drug Absorption?

Drug absorption is a pharmacokinetic parameter that refers to the way a drug is absorbed from a pharmaceutical formulation into the bloodstream.

23 Jun 2016

HIV and Organ Transplants

The risk of HIV infection as a result of receiving an organ transplant is low. All organ donors undergo screening for HIV risk factors and are tested for the infection. However, although HIV testing is very accurate, the test can fail to detect HIV in individuals who have only been exposed to the virus very recently. Thus unexpected transmission to patients receiving a transplant from infected donors has been reported.

22 Jun 2016

HIV and Steroids

Researchers do not yet fully understand all of the interactions that occur between HIV medications and other drugs, and recommendations tend to change over time as new evidence becomes available. However, it is known that the interaction between some HIV medications and recreational drugs can cause serious complications.

22 Jun 2016

HIV and Blood Transfusions

In the United States, during the early stages of the HIV epidemic, there was a risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusions. However, the introduction of the HIV test in the year 1985 quickly led to the screening of all blood donations and today, the nation’s blood supply for transfusions is one of the safest across the globe.

22 Jun 2016

HIV Care During Pregnancy

The transmission of HIV from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding is referred to as perinatal transmission. This is the most common way in which infants become infected with HIV.

22 Jun 2016

Milk Allergy

Milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies among children, with around 3% to 6% of infants and young children developing the allergy by the time they are a few months old. Children usually outgrow this allergy by the age of five, thus it is very uncommon among older children and adults.

22 Jun 2016

Garlic Allergy

Although there are no accurate statistics available on the incidence of garlic allergy in the UK (but also other parts of the world), experts believe that this food allergy is rare. Out of the total membership of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, which is made up of around 5,000 individuals, only ten are registered as having an allergy to garlic.

22 Jun 2016

When Does HIV Become AIDS?

The HIV virus infects and destroys CD4 positive (CD4+) cells, a type of immune cell that plays a key role in maintaining the human immune system and fighting off disease.

21 Jun 2016

Living with HIV

In the 1980s and 1990s, knowledge about HIV and HIV management was limited and people infected with the virus were considered “long-term” survivors if they lived for more than a couple of years. However, significant advances have been made since then and HIV is now considered a chronic rather than acutely fatal illness that people can live with and manage in the long term.

21 Jun 2016

Latex Allergy

Natural rubber latex (NRL) is a milky sap acquired from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, a rubber tree of the Euphorbiaceae family (spurge family) grown in south-east Asia and other countries. During manufacture, NRL is mixed with chemicals to give latex its identifiable elastic properties.

21 Jun 2016

Penicillin Allergy

Penicillins belong to a class of antibiotics referred to as beta-lactams, which are generally used to fight bacterial infection.

21 Jun 2016

Wheat Allergy

Wheat allergy, a condition that affects millions of people, occurs when the immune system becomes sensitized to wheat and then overreacts when foods such as cereal, bread, pasta or pizza are eaten. Wheat is also found in drinks such as beer, which can also trigger an allergic reaction.

21 Jun 2016