MediKnowledge

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News Medical's "MediKnowledge" series is a selection of articles written by experts who have been invited as recognized leaders in their fields to offer opinions within the confines of their area of medical expertise.

Definition and DSM-5: Classification: Tic Disorders

Tourette syndrome (TS), also known as Tourette’s Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic present for greater than one year. Among the neurodevelopmental disorders in the DSM-5, TS is the most complex of the spectrum of tic disorders.

28 Oct 2016

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).

21 Oct 2016

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.

14 Oct 2016

Immunotherapy: Past, Present and Future

William Coley is the grandfather of immunotherapy. He developed extracts of bacteria to treat patients, particularly children, with sarcoma.

8 Sep 2016

Hope for Those with Tinnitus

Having been an audiologist for many years now, often the first comment made by members of the public when discussing tinnitus is “I know there is nothing you can do about it and I just have to learn to live with it”.

29 Jun 2016

Sarcomas - Latest Developments in Diagnosis and Treatment

Sarcomas are rare tumours of connective tissue, and as a result they can affect any part of the body.

22 Apr 2016

Living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating and fatal lung disease that affects approximately 3 million people worldwide.

12 Apr 2016

The Risks of Prediabetes

While many are familiar with type 2 diabetes, few are aware of prediabetes, a condition that affects 86 million Americans and often leads to type 2 diabetes.

12 Apr 2016

Hidden Signs of Heart Problems

Since 1 in 4 deaths in the UK are related to a heart or circulatory disease, addressing heart health is a concern of national importance. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men over 50, and an estimated 7 million of us are living with an undiagnosed risk factor – high blood pressure.

1 Apr 2016

New Approaches for Fighting Demodex Mites

Demodex mites are one of the most challenging problems that ophthalmologists and optometrists face in the routine care of their patients.

24 Mar 2016

New tuberculosis technologies: importance of access in the private health sector

Cepheid Inc., produces Xpert MTB/RIF, which is an automated, fast test for TB using molecular diagnostics. Compared to the standard test for TB in developing countries, sputum smear microscopy, it is considerably more accurate.

4 Mar 2016

Safety, Not “Sharing,” Must Guide Visitor Policies for Cesarean Surgery

Giving birth is one of life’s most exciting events – one that many women want to experience with family members and capture on video. But the desire to share the delivery with others has resulted, in some cases, in a crowded delivery room of supportive (and occasionally fainting) observers.

20 Jan 2016

Does cigarette smoking damage the skin?

Smoking damages nearly every organ in the body. Whilst most people are familiar of its association with lung cancer, stroke and heart disease, it also has profound effects on the body’s largest organ – skin.

8 Oct 2015

How safe are ‘black henna’ tattoos?

While on holiday, many people opt to have a ‘fun’ temporary henna tattoo applied when they’re on the beach, by the pool or when at a festival. These are often advertised as ‘black henna’ temporary tattoos (BHTT), but there is no such thing as ‘black henna’: true henna extract is orange-red in colour.

23 Sep 2015

Nitrous Oxide for Labor: Choose Wisely

Nitrous oxide has been used for over 100 years to manage pain during medical procedures. In numerous countries in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand, it is common to use nitrous oxide as an option in laboring women, in order to help them cope with pain. But although nitrous oxide was once available for labor in the United States, its popularity diminished in the 1970s with the advent of the epidural.

14 Sep 2015

Occupational Therapy: Your Life by Design

The role of an occupational therapist is often not fully understood, or is confused with the role of a physical therapist. What’s the differentiator? Cue the “your life by design” approach.

19 May 2015

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is now widely recognised as the second most common type of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer disease.

5 Jan 2015

Endometriosis: Delayed Diagnosis Impacts Disease Management and Patient Well-Being

Endometriosis is a common yet poorly understood illness that affects women of reproductive age and is often under and misdiagnosed. It is believed that endometrial cells that normally line the uterus grow outside the uterus, attaching to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outer surfaces of the uterus or intestines, and on the lining of the pelvic cavity.

14 Aug 2014

Idiopathic Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is the most extreme form of severe allergic reactions which can be life threatening and requires emergency medical treatment. It can affect anyone of any age, sex, race and stature.

28 Apr 2014

Art as Therapy

The most common misconception held about art therapy, is that it involves the therapist interpreting the artwork, and deciphering and unravelling the meanings hidden within; on the contrary, it is the creator of the image, not the therapist, who has this pleasure. The role of the therapist is primarily an insightfully enabling one.

8 Apr 2014