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Pyothorax
Pleural empyema is a collection of pus in the pleural cavity. It is caused by microorganisms, usually bacteria. It often happens in the context of a pneumonia, injury, or chest surgery. It is one of the various kinds of pleural effusion. Pleural empyema contain three stages: exudative: when there is an increase in pleural fluid with or without the presence of pus; fibrinopurulent: when fibrous septa form localized pus pockets, and the final organizing stage: when there is scarring of the pleura membranes with possible inability of the lung to expand. Simple pleural effusions occur in up to 40% of bacterial pneumonias. They are usually small and resolve with appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, if an empyema develops additional intervention is required. Signs and symptoms The clinical presentation of both the adult and pediatric patient with pleural empyema depends upon several factors, including the causative micro-organism. Most cases present themselves in the setting of a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pleural Effusion
A pleural effusion is accumulation of excessive fluid in the pleural space, the potential space that surrounds each lung. Under normal conditions, pleural fluid is secreted by the parietal pleural capillaries at a rate of 0.6 millilitre per kilogram weight per hour, and is cleared by lymphatic absorption leaving behind only 5–15 millilitres of fluid, which helps to maintain a functional vacuum between the parietal and visceral pleurae. Excess fluid within the pleural space can impair inhalation, inspiration by upsetting the functional vacuum and hydrostatically increasing the resistance against lung expansion, resulting in a fully or partially collapsed lung. Various kinds of fluid can accumulate in the pleural space, such as serous fluid (hydrothorax), blood (hemothorax), pus (pyothorax, more commonly known as pleural empyema), chyle (chylothorax), or very rarely urine (urinothorax) or feces (coprothorax). When unspecified, the term "pleural effusion" normally refers to hydro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empyema
An empyema (; ) is a collection or gathering of pus within a naturally existing anatomical cavity. The term is most commonly used to refer to pleural empyema, which is empyema of the pleural cavity. It is similar or the same in meaning as an abscess, but the context of use may sometimes be different. For instance, appendicular abscess is also formed within a natural cavity as the definition of empyema. Empyema most commonly occurs as a complication of pneumonia but can also result from other infections or conditions that lead to the collection of infected fluid in a body cavity. Classification Empyema occurs in: * the pleural cavity ( pleural empyema also known as pyothorax) * the thoracic cavity * the uterus ( pyometra) * the appendix (appendicitis) * the meninges ( subdural empyema) * the joints (septic arthritis) * the gallbladder Diagnosis Chest X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans can reveal the presence of fluid within the pleural space and help assess its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydro-pneumothorax
Hydropneumothorax is defined as the presence of both air and fluid within the pleural space. An upright chest x-ray will show air fluid levels. The horizontal fluid level is usually well defined and extends across the whole length of one of the hemithorax. Signs and symptoms This can be remembered by the 4 'S': straight line dullness, shifting dullness, splash, sound of coin. Causes * Iatrogenic: Introduction of air during pleural fluid aspiration in effusion * Presence of a gas-forming organism * Thoracic trauma Diagnosis Diagnosis can be via CXR. CT is better for outlining borders of air-fluid levels, however, CT has a greater radiation exposure. Ultrasound imaging Medical ultrasound includes diagnostic techniques (mainly imaging) using ultrasound, as well as therapeutic applications of ultrasound. In diagnosis, it is used to create an image of internal body structures such as tendons, muscles, join ... has also proven to be a useful tool for hydropneumothora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mucolytic
Mucoactive agents are a class of pharmacologic agents that include expectorants, mucolytics, mucoregulators, and mucokinetics that can affect the volume, viscosity, transportation, and composition of mucus or sputum. They often aid in clearing mucus or sputum from the upper and lower airways. These medications are used to treat respiratory diseases complicated by the oversecretion or inspissation of mucus. These drugs can be further categorized by their mechanism of action. Mechanism of action Mucoactive agents—expectorants—include mucolytics, secretolytics and mucokinetics (also called secretomotorics) * Mucolytics: thin (reduce the viscosity of) mucus * Secretolytics: increase airway water or the volume of airway secretions * Mucokinetics: increase mucociliary transport (clearance) and transportability of mucus by cough * Mucoregulators: suppress underlying mechanisms of mucus hypersecretion Alternatively, attacking the affinity between secretions and the biological ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fibrinolytic
Fibrinolysis is a process that prevents thrombus, blood clots from growing and becoming problematic. Primary fibrinolysis is a normal body process, while secondary fibrinolysis is the thrombolysis, breakdown of clots due to a medicine, a medical disorder, or some other cause. In fibrinolysis, a fibrin clot, the product of coagulation, is broken down. Its main enzyme plasmin cuts the fibrin mesh at various places, leading to the production of circulating fragments that are cleared by other proteases or by the kidney and liver. Physiology Plasmin is produced in an inactive form, plasminogen, in the liver. Although plasminogen cannot cleave fibrin, it still has an affinity for it, and is incorporated into the clot when it is formed. Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase are the agents that convert plasminogen to the active plasmin, thus allowing fibrinolysis to occur. t-PA is released into the blood slowly by the damaged endothelium of the blood vessels, such that, after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymerase Chain Reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample rapidly, allowing scientists to amplify a very small sample of DNA (or a part of it) sufficiently to enable detailed study. PCR was invented in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation. Mullis and biochemist Michael Smith (chemist), Michael Smith, who had developed other essential ways of manipulating DNA, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. PCR is fundamental to many of the procedures used in genetic testing and research, including analysis of Ancient DNA, ancient samples of DNA and identification of infectious agents. Using PCR, copies of very small amounts of DNA sequences are exponentially amplified in a series of cycles of temperature changes. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique used in medical laboratory research for a broad variety of applications including biomedical research and forensic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sensitivity And Specificity
In medicine and statistics, sensitivity and specificity mathematically describe the accuracy of a test that reports the presence or absence of a medical condition. If individuals who have the condition are considered "positive" and those who do not are considered "negative", then sensitivity is a measure of how well a test can identify true positives and specificity is a measure of how well a test can identify true negatives: * Sensitivity (true positive rate) is the probability of a positive test result, conditioned on the individual truly being positive. * Specificity (true negative rate) is the probability of a negative test result, conditioned on the individual truly being negative. If the true status of the condition cannot be known, sensitivity and specificity can be defined relative to a " gold standard test" which is assumed correct. For all testing, both diagnoses and screening, there is usually a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, such that higher sensiti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sputum Culture
A sputum culture is a test to detect and identify bacteria or fungi that infect the lungs or breathing passages. Sputum is a thick fluid produced in the lungs and in the adjacent airways. Normally, fresh morning sample is preferred for the bacteriological examination of sputum. A sample of sputum is collected in a sterile, wide-mouthed, dry, leak-proof and break-resistant plastic-container and sent to the laboratory for testing. Sampling may be performed by sputum being expectorated (produced by coughing), induced (saline is sprayed in the lungs to induce sputum production), or taken via an endotracheal tube with a protected specimen brush (commonly used on patients on respirators) in an intensive care setting. For selected organisms such as Cytomegalovirus or " Pneumocystis jiroveci" in specific clinical settings (immunocompromised patients) a bronchoalveolar lavage might be taken by an experienced pneumologist. If no bacteria or fungi grow, the culture is negative. If organi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Culture
A blood culture is a medical laboratory test used to detect bacteria or fungi in a person's blood. Under normal conditions, the blood does not contain microorganisms: their presence can indicate a bloodstream infection such as bacteremia or fungemia, which in severe cases may result in sepsis. By culturing the blood, microbes can be identified and tested for resistance to antimicrobial drugs, which allows clinicians to provide an effective treatment. To perform the test, blood is drawn into bottles containing a liquid formula that enhances microbial growth, called a culture medium. Usually, two containers are collected during one draw, one of which is designed for aerobic organisms that require oxygen, and one of which is for anaerobic organisms, that do not. These two containers are referred to as a ''set'' of blood cultures. Two sets of blood cultures are sometimes collected from two different blood draw sites. If an organism only appears in one of the two sets, it is mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and symptoms include fever, tachycardia, increased heart rate, hyperventilation, increased breathing rate, and mental confusion, confusion. There may also be symptoms related to a specific infection, such as a cough with pneumonia, or dysuria, painful urination with a pyelonephritis, kidney infection. The very young, old, and people with a immunodeficiency, weakened immune system may not have any symptoms specific to their infection, and their hypothermia, body temperature may be low or normal instead of constituting a fever. Severe sepsis may cause organ dysfunction and significantly reduced blood flow. The presence of Hypotension, low blood pressure, high blood Lactic acid, lactate, or Oliguria, low urine output may suggest poor blood flow. Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gram Stain
Gram stain (Gram staining or Gram's method), is a method of staining used to classify bacterial species into two large groups: gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. It may also be used to diagnose a fungal infection. The name comes from the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram, who developed the technique in 1884. Gram staining differentiates bacteria by the chemical and physical properties of their Cell wall#Bacterial cell walls, cell walls. Gram-positive cells have a thick layer of peptidoglycan in the cell wall that retains the primary stain, crystal violet. Gram-negative cells have a thinner peptidoglycan layer that allows the crystal violet to wash out on addition of ethanol. They are stained pink or red by the counterstain, commonly safranin or fuchsine. Lugol's iodine solution is always added after addition of crystal violet to form a stable complex with crystal violet that strengthens the bonds of the stain with the cell wall. Gram staining is almost al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hounsfield Unit
The Hounsfield scale ( ), named after Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, is a quantitative scale for describing radiodensity. It is frequently used in CT scans, where its value is also termed CT number. Definition The Hounsfield unit (HU) scale is a linear transformation of the original linear attenuation coefficient measurement into one in which the radiodensity of distilled water at standard pressure and temperature (STP) is defined as 0 Hounsfield units (HU), while the radiodensity of air at STP is defined as −1000 HU. In a voxel with average linear attenuation coefficient \mu, the corresponding HU value is therefore given by: HU = 1000\times\frac where \mu_ and \mu_ are respectively the linear attenuation coefficients of water and air. Thus, a change of one Hounsfield unit (HU) represents a change of 0.1% of the attenuation coefficient of water since the attenuation coefficient of air is nearly zero. Calibration tests of HU with reference to water and other materials may be done to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
