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Showing posts from February, 2009

How is Obstetric Cholestasis Diagnosed?

Diagnosing Obstetric Cholestasis Pregnancy-specific reference ranges for liver function tests (LFTs) should be used. Other causes of itching and of liver dysfunction should be excluded. C - Postnatal resolution of pruritus and LFTs should be confirmed Treatment of Obstetric Cholestasis  There is no evidence that any specific treatment improves maternal symptoms or neonatal outcomes. All such therapies should be discussed with the individual woman with this in mind. Topical Emollients C - Topical emollients are safe but their efficacy is unknown. S-Adenosyl Methionine A - There is insufficient evidence to show whether S adenosyl methionine is effective for either control of maternal symptoms or for improving fetal outcome. Ursodeoxycholic acid A - There are insufficient data to support the widespread use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) outside of clinical trials. Women should be aware of the lack of robust data concerning improvement in pruritus, protection again...

Abdominal Mass Detection and Treatment

An abdominal mass is usually detected on routine physical examination. Most of the time they develop slowly. You may not be able to feel the mass. Where the pain occurs helps the doctor make a diagnosis. For example, the abdomen is usually divided into four areas: Right-upper quadrant Left-upper quadrant Right-lower quadrant Left-lower quadrant Other terms used to specify the location of abdominal pain or masses include: Epigastric -- center of the abdomen just below the ribcage Periumbilical -- the area around the bellybutton The location of the mass, and its firmness, texture, and other qualities can provide clues as to the cause of an abdominal mass. Home Care All abdominal masses should be examined as soon as possible by the health care provider. Changing your body position may help relieve pain due to an abdominal mass. When to Contact a Medical Professional Seek immediate medical help if you have a pulsating lump in your abdomen along with severe abdominal pain. This...

Acute Pancreatitis Diagnosing and Treatment

During acute pancreatitis, the blood contains at least three times the normal amount of amylase and lipase, digestive enzymes formed in the pancreas. Changes may also occur in other body chemicals such as glucose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate. After the person’s condition improves, the levels usually return to normal. Diagnosing acute pancreatitis is often difficult because of the deep location of the pancreas. The doctor will likely order one or more of the following tests: Abdominal ultrasound. Sound waves are sent toward the pancreas through a handheld device that a technician glides over the abdomen. The sound waves bounce off the pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and other organs, and their echoes make electrical impulses that create a picture called a sonogram on a video monitor. If gallstones are causing inflammation, the sound waves will also bounce off them, showing their location. Computerized tomography (CT) scan. The CT scan is a noninvasive x ray ...

Gallbladder Diseases

Doctors diagnose cholecystitis based mainly on symptoms and results of imaging tests. Ultrasonography is the best way to detect gallstones in the gallbladder. Ultrasonography can also detect fluid around the gallbladder or thickening of its wall, which are typical of acute cholecystitis. Often, when the ultrasound probe is moved across the upper abdomen above the gallbladder, people report tenderness. Cholescintigraphy, another imaging test, is useful when acute cholecystitis is difficult to diagnose. For this test, a radioactive substance (radionuclide) is injected intravenously. A gamma camera detects the radioactivity given off, and a computer is used to produce an image. Thus, movement of the radionuclide from the liver through the biliary tract can be followed. Images of the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder, and upper part of the small intestine are taken. If the radionuclide does not fill the gallbladder, the cystic duct is probably blocked by a gallstone. Liver blood tests are...

Cholestasis Treatments

A blockage of the bile ducts can usually be treated with surgery or endoscopy (using a flexible viewing tube with surgical instruments attached). A blockage within the liver may be treated in various ways depending on the cause. If a drug is the suspected cause, the doctor stops its use. If acute hepatitis is the cause, cholestasis and jaundice usually disappear when hepatitis has run its course. A person with cholestasis is advised to avoid or stop using any substance that is toxic to the liver, such as alcohol and certain drugs. Diagnosis of Cholestasis Typically, the blood levels of two enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, are very high in people with cholestasis. A blood test that measures the level of bilirubin indicates the severity of the cholestasis but not its cause. An imaging study, usually ultrasonography, is almost always done if blood test results are abnormal. Computed tomography (CT) or sometimes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be d...

When to worry Green Bowel Movement?

Green bowel movements, if alone without any of the following reasons, are normal, and don't require any action. If other symptoms like fever, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, or general malaise are found, you should contact a doctor immediately, because there might be a serious underlying disorder. P.S. Please keep in mind that all medical information on the internet is just for the sake of information and not designed to replace your doctor.

Loose Green Bowel Movement

Diarrhea and loose bowel movements: There might be many reasons of loose bowel movements, including food poisoning (giardia and salmonella infection often resulting in green diarrhea), rotavirus infection, food allergies, lactose intolerance, fructose malabsorption, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, etc., GERD, Thyrotoxicosis (elevated levels of hormone thyroxine in the blood), usually due to autoimmune thyroid disorder (Grave's disease) Impaired gut innervation(often in diabetes). Bile salts are absorbed into blood mainly IN last part of small intestine (terminal ileum). Causes of impaired bile re-absorption are: Inflammation of small intestine, mainly due to Crohn's disease Surgical removal of terminal ileum

Cholestatic infants - Polyunsaturated Patty Acids

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for the growth and early development of the central nervous system. Cholestatic infants suffer from fat malabsorption and disturbed lipid metabolism and therefore may be at risk of developing polyunsaturated fatty acid depletion. Cholestatic infants and relationship to disease severity, degree of undernutrition, antioxidant status and mode of feeding. 

Soothing Techniques for Colic Babies

The first step is to stay calm (easier said than done, certainly, but it can be done with some willpower). The second is to remember that the crying isn't your fault, and it won't last forever. Then try some of these potential tear-reducing strategies: Carry him for at least a few hours every day, in your arms or in a sling or front carrier (during the crying jags, and at other times too). Most babies enjoy being walked or swayed. Ban smoking around your baby. There are countless reasons to keep tobacco smoke out of your home; one is that it can reduce colicky crying. Ask your pediatrician about trying simethicone drops (such as Mylicon); these can alleviate gas, which causes pain and crying in some babies. Shut out excess stimuli by keeping your home quiet and dimly litl. One colic-cause theory is that newborns lack the ability to block out the overwhelming cacophony of sounds, sights, and smells that surround them. Rhythmic sounds (the hum of a humidifier or a soothing r...

Diagnosing Colic - Rule of Three

Here are the most common colic baby symptoms: Babies do not cry himself to sleep rather cry relentlessly, sometimes for hours. Babies do not tend to wind down; instead they tend to wind up and work themselves into frenzy. Babies do not always follow a pattern. What calms them at a given moment may excite them at another. Unlike other infants, when crying begins the colicky infant will rarely stop crying on his own, so waiting is out usually does not work. Instead, intervening quickly is helpful. Experts usually define colic by the "Rule of Threes." What's that mean? Well, "rule of threes means a baby is otherwise healthy and well-fed (i.e. is gaining weight and exhibits no signs of illness); but has episodes of crying, irritability and fussiness that: Begin within the first three weeks of life Last up to or more than three hours a day Occur at least three or more days a week Continue for at least three weeks Disappear at about three months of age

Paddlewheel Method for Colic Pain

Method # 1: First lie baby flat on his back. Put the palm of your hand on the top of baby's chest, with your fingers pointing up to his head. Stroke your hand down from the top of the chest to the groin. As you are half way down the abdomen place your other hand at the top of the chest and repeat the stroke. We call this "the paddlewheel", one hand strokes while the other hand comes back up preparing for the next stroke. Your stroke should be smooth and firm enough that you feel the "dip" when your hand leaves his ribcage. You can repeat this five to ten times.

Baby Belly Massage in Colic Pain

Here are three simple massage strokes to soothe baby from suffering from colic. Use a small amount of warm massage oil in your palms before you begin. Method # 2 Place the baby's heel up next to his bottom by bending his knee sharply. Move the leg, still sharply bent, until the top of the thigh rests against the tummy. Get both legs in this position. Grab the baby's ankles and gently shake his legs in an up-and-down motion, unbending the knees gradually, until his heels rest on the blanket and his legs are straight. Repeat five to ten times. Method # 3 Using as much of your fingers/palm as possible, circle the belly button in a clockwise motion. This gets any remaining gas moving in the proper direction for the baby to easily pass it. Another way to do this is to rub clockwise "parentheses" around the belly button, i.e., if the belly button is the centre of a clock, one hand moves from ten to one o'clock and the other from four to seven.

Pumping Method for Colic Pain

Place the baby's heel up next to his bottom by bending his knee sharply. Move the leg, still sharply bent, until the top of the thigh rests against the tummy. Get both legs in this position. Grab the baby's ankles and gently shake his legs in an up-and-down motion, unbending the knees gradually, until his heels rest on the blanket and his legs are straight. Repeat five to ten times.