Baseline: From 1 Different Sources
An observation or value that represents the background level of a measurable quantity.
The special technique whereby X-rays are used to show the structure of the breast or any abnormalities in it (see BREASTS; BREASTS, DISEASES OF). It is an e?ective way of distinguishing benign from malignant tumours, and can detect tumours that are not palpable. In a multi-centre study in the USA, called the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project and involving nearly 300,000 women in the 40–49 age group, 35 per cent of the tumours found were detected by mammography alone, 13 per cent by physical examination, and 50 per cent by both methods combined. The optimum frequency of screening is debatable: the American College of Radiologists recommends a baseline mammogram at the age of 40 years, with subsequent mammography at one- to two-year intervals up to the age of 50; thereafter, annual mammography is recommended. In the United Kingdom a less intensive screening programme is in place, with women over 50 being screened every three years. As breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in western women and is increasing in frequency, the importance of screening for this form of cancer is obvious.... mammography
(CGI) rating scales commonly used by clinicians to measure symptom severity and treatment response in treatment studies of patients with psychiatric illnesses. Many researchers consider them to be a good tool to measure the clinical utility or relevance of a given treatment. The Clinical Global Impression–Severity scale (CGI-S) is used to rate the severity of the patient’s symptoms relative to the clinician’s past experience with patients who have the same diagnosis. Scores range from 1 (normal) to 7 (extremely ill). The Clinical Global Impression–Improvement scale (CGI-I) measures change in the patient’s presentation from baseline. Scores range from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse). A score of 4 indicates no change.... clinical global impression
(GLP-1) a hormone – an *incretin – that is produced in the small intestine. GLP-1 has a half-life in the blood circulation of less than two minutes due to rapid breakdown by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV). It is a potent antihyperglycaemic hormone, stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreatic beta cells in response to a rising blood glucose level after eating. This glucose-sensitive action also allows the effect of GLP-1 on the beta cells to switch off when the blood glucose level comes down to the normal baseline between meals. Thus the *GLP-1 receptor agonist group of drugs, used in type 2 diabetes, can restrict the rise in blood glucose level after meals but have a low risk of causing subsequent *hypoglycaemia.... glucagon-like peptide-1
a measure of a person’s wellbeing that is relevant in two ways in medical ethics. (1) The experience, burden, and effects of disease as opposed to its duration are often invoked in debates about *abortion, *assisted suicide, *euthanasia, and the withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment. The criteria for determining another person’s wellbeing are complex and contested, and some argue that competent adults are the best judges of their own quality of life. (2) The formal evaluation of losses and gains is employed to determine who will benefit most from a treatment and, on this basis, who should receive priority where resources are scarce. In such cases a calculation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) is made, rather than a simpler estimate of how long a successfully treated patient can expect to live. Each expected year of full health is scored 1, each expected year with various degrees of illness or disability less than 1, and death 0. Research priorities are often made on the basis of a related metric, *disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which seeks to minimize the burden of disease. Both metrics have been criticized for discriminating against those with prior medical conditions, which lower their baseline score, and the elderly, whose longevity is short. See also need.... quality of life
tests used to assess the ability of the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. Serum cortisol is measured before and then 30 minutes (or 5 hours) after an intramuscular injection of 250 ?g (or 1 mg) tetracosactide (Synacthen), an analogue of *ACTH. The adrenal glands are considered to be inadequate if there is a low baseline concentration of cortisol or the rise is less than a certain predefined amount.... synacthen tests
signs that a patient is alive, on which are based a commonly performed set of measurements used internationally as a general baseline in medicine and surgery. These include measurements of *body temperature (T), *blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR; see pulse), and *respiratory rate (RR) and can also include assessment of consciousness using the *Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and of urine output (UO, in millilitres per hour).... vital signs
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