Bird Flu: From 1 Different Sources
see avian influenza.
The clear ?uid contained within the AMNION that surrounds the FETUS in the womb and protects it from external pressure. The ?uid, comprising mainly water, is produced by the amnion and is regularly circulated, being swallowed by the fetus and excreted through the kidneys back into the amniotic sac. By the 35th week of pregnancy there is about 1 litre of ?uid, but this falls to 0.5 litres at term. The amniotic sac normally ruptures in early labour, releasing the ?uid or ‘waters’.... amniotic fluid
A PENICILLINASE-resistant PENICILLIN used to treat penicillin-resistant staphylococci infection (see also STAPHYLOCOCCUS; ANTIBIOTICS).... flucloxacillin
An oral triazole antifungal drug used to treat local and systemic infections.... fluconazole
Generally refers to helminth in the Class Trematoda or trematodes.... fluke
See FLUORINE.... fluoridation
An drug of the antimetabolite group – a group that disrupts normal cell division. Fluorouracil is used intravenously to treat recurrent and inoperable carcinoma of the colon and rectum, as well as secondaries from cancer of the breast. It can be used topically for some malignant and premalignant skin lesions. (See CYTOTOXIC.)... fluorouracil
Better known by its trade name Prozac®, this drug – one of the SELECTIVE SEROTONINREUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIS) – has been widely used, especially in North America, for the treatment of depression and anxiety (see MENTAL ILLNESS). Though causing fewer side-effects than TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS (the ?rst such drugs widely used), SSRI drugs should be prescribed with care and should not be stopped abruptly. Unlike benzodiazepine tranquillisers such as Valium®, ?uoxetine is not addictive, but there have been rare reports of it allegedly provoking people to acts of violence. The drug acts by modifying the activities of neurotransmitters, notably DOPAMINE and SEROTONIN in the brain, thus prolonging the effects of these chemical messengers.... fluoxetine
See BENZODIAZEPINES.... flurazepam
A sign obtained from collections of ?uid by laying the ?ngers of one hand upon one side of the swelling, and, with those of the other, tapping or pressing suddenly on a distant point of the swelling. The ‘thrill’ communicated from one hand to the other through the ?uid is one of the most important signs of the presence of an ABSCESS, or of e?usion of ?uid into joints or into the peritoneal cavity (see PERITONEUM).... fluctuation
A synthetic drug used as an intravenous adjunct to amphotericin to treat severe systemic fungal infections such as candidiasis (see CANDIDA) and cryptococcosis.... flucytosine
Flukes are a variety of parasitic worms. (See FASCIOLIASIS.)... flukes
A drug with the trade name Rohypnol®, ?unitrazepam is one of the BENZODIAZEPINES with a prolonged action prescribed as a hypnotic (see HYPNOTICS). The British National Formulary warns that the drug may be particularly subject to abuse (see DRUG-ASSISTED RAPE).... flunitrazepam
Fluocinolone is one of the CORTICOSTEROIDS and is applied to the skin as a cream, lotion or ointment. It is more potent than hydrocortisone. It must not be given by mouth.... fluocinolone
A dye which has the special property of absorbing blue-light energy and emitting this energy as green light. This property is made use of in examining the cornea for scratches or ulceration; it is also used to detect abnormally permeable (or leaking) blood vessels in the retina and iris – especially in diabetic retinopathy and diseases of the macula (see EYE; EYE, DISORDERS OF).... fluorescein
An apparatus for rendering X-rays visible after they have passed through the body, by projecting them on a screen of calcium tungstate. The technique is known as ?uoroscopy. It provides a method of being able to watch, for instance, the beating of the heart, or the movements of the intestine after the administration of a barium meal. (See also X-RAYS.)... fluoroscope
One of the halogen series of elements. In the form of ?uoride it is one of the constituents of bone and teeth. Supplementing the daily intake of ?uorine diminishes the incidence of dental caries (see TEETH, DISORDERS OF). In America and in Britain, evidence indicates that people who, throughout their lives, have drunk water with a natural ?uorine content of 1 part per million have less dental caries than those whose drinking water is ?uorine-free. All the available evidence indicates that this is the most satisfactory way of giving ?uorine, and that if the concentration of ?uorine in drinking water does not exceed 1 part per million, there are no toxic effects. Several water companies in the UK have added ?uoride to the public water supply, but opponents of this policy, who claim that ?uoride has serious side-effects, have prevented ?uoridation being introduced nationwide.... fluorine
One of the phenothiazine derivatives, of value as an antipsychotic drug. (See also NEUROLEPTICS.)... fluphenazine
An antiandrogen (see ANDROGEN) drug used in the treatment of cancer of the PROSTATE GLAND, sometimes in conjunction with GONADORELIN.... flutamide
One of the STATINS group of drugs used to reduce the levels of LDL-CHOLESTEROL in the blood and thus help to prevent coronary heart disease, which is more prevalent in people with raised blood cholesterol levels (see HEART, DISEASES OF).... fluvastatin
Fasciola hepatica is a parasite infesting sheep and occasionally invading the bile ducts and liver of humans (see FASCIOLIASIS).... liver fluke
Hot flashes (American). Flushing and sweating experienced by menopausal women. Waves of redness and intense heat sweep upwards from the neck to face at any time of the day or night. A similar condition (non-hormonal) may happen to men after eating curries or hot spicy foods, or who suffer from diabetes or certain skin complaints. (See: INDIGESTION, DIABETES, etc).
Alternatives. Agnus Castus, Ho-Shou-Wu, Black Cohosh, Damiana, Goldenseal, Lime flowers, Lobelia, Mistletoe, Rue, Sarsaparilla, Shepherd’s Purse, Wild Yam, Chamomile tea. Teas, tablets, liquid extracts, powders, tinctures.
Official treatment may include oestrogenic preparations (HRT) with risks of blood clotting and thrombosis.
Non-hormonal relief: combination.
Tea, equal parts, Lime flowers, Motherwort, Wild Carrot. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes. 1 cup freely.
Liquid extracts. Formula. Black Cohosh half; Mistletoe 1; Agnus Castus 1. Dosage: 1 teaspoon thrice daily in water.
Tinctures: same formula, double dose.
Evening Primrose (capsules).
Wessex traditional. Hawthorn flowers and leaves 4; Hops 1. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-10 minutes; 1 cup freely.
Diet. Lacto-vegetarian.
Supplement. Vitamin E, 400iu morning and evening. ... hot flushes
A mineral that helps to prevent dental caries by strengthening tooth enamel (see teeth), making it more resistant to acid attacks. Fluoride may also reduce the acid-producing ability of microorganisms in plaque. In the , fluoride is added to the water supply; it can also be applied directly to the teeth as part of dental treatment or used in the form of mouthwashes or toothpastes. Ingestion of excess fluoride during tooth formation can lead to fluorosis.... fluoride
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used particularly to ease the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.... flurbiprofen
Also known as pigeon breeder’s lung, this is a form of extrinsic allergic ALVEOLITIS resulting from sensitisation to birds. In bird fanciers, skin tests sometimes show sensitisation to birds’ droppings, eggs, protein and serum, even through there has been no evidence of any illness.... bird fancier’s lung
The appropriate balance of ?uid input and output (along with dissolved salts essential for life) over 24 hours. During this period, about 2,500 millilitres (ml) of ?uid should be taken in by a 70-kg man and the same amount excreted; of this, 1,500 ml will be drunk, 800 ml will be in the food eaten, and 200 ml produced by food metabolism. Excreted water is made up of 1,500 ml of urine, 800 ml insensible loss and 200 ml in the faeces. A 70-kg man’s total body ?uid is 42 litres – 60 per cent of body weight. Intracellular ?uid comprises 28 litres, extracellular, 14 litres and blood, 5 litres. Water is controlled mainly by the sodium concentration in the body ?uids via the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH – see VASOPRESSIN) from the posterior part of the PITUITARY GLAND. In seriously ill people, close monitoring of ?uid intake and output, along with measurements of PLASMA sodium and calcium concentrations, is an essential factor in treatment.... fluid balance
An extract of an herb that is made according to official (and unofficial) pharmaceutical practice, with a strength of 1:1. That means each ounce of the fluidextract has the solutes found in an ounce of the dried herb. Advantageous for some herbs (such as Arctium or Taraxacum), where the active constituents retain the same proportions as in the plant, even though reduced to a very small volume of menstruum, it is deadly for others (such as Hydrastis or Lobelia), whose constituents may have wildly varying solubility, and whose fluidextract will contain only the most soluble constituents and lack others completely. The gradual disappearance of herbal preparations in Standard Medicine in the 1930s can partly be attributed to the almost complete reliance on fluidextracts. Some manufacturers (notably Lilly and SK&F) sold Tinctures (1:5 strength and meant to, at the least, contain EVERYTHING in the plant) that were made from diluted fluidextracts. Some fluidextracts were even made from dilutions of what were termed Solid Extracts....heat-evaporated tars, easy to store, easy to make in huge labor-minimal batches, where 100 pounds of Blue Cohosh could be reduced to 25 pounds of solid extract. This convenience pitch, with many constituents oxidized by heat, others never even extracted, could be diluted four times to sell as a fluidextract, TWENTY time to market as a tincture. These practices by American pharmaceutical manufacturers, with eyes perhaps on the larger drug trade (the use of crude drugs being a diminished part of their commerce, yet needing MANY different preparations...and being labor-intensive and profit-minimal...and sort of old-fashioned) ended up supplying terminally impaired products. Their value being reduced, physicians relied more and more on mainstream pharmaceuticals...and the medical use of whole plant preparations died.... fluidextract
A tranquilliser used in the treatment of schizophrenia (see MENTAL ILLNESS).... flupenthixol
An aerosol corticosteroid drug used in the prevention and treatment of attacks of ASTHMA. Inhaled corticosteroids have few or no systemic side-effects unless given in excessive dosage.... fluticasone
The hydrogel that surrounds cells in soft tissues. It is a mucopolysaccaride starch gel, and the serum that leaves the blood capillaries flows through this gel, some to return to the exiting venous blood, some to enter the lymph system. There is an old medical axiom: the blood feeds the lymph, and the lymph feeds the cells. Interstitial fluid that flows through the starch colloid is this lymph.... interstitial fluid
Trematode worms infecting the lungs of humans and other crab-eating mammals. Belong to the genusParagonimus and are found in parts of Africa, Latin America, Asia and SE Asia.... lung flukes
Another term for liquid extracts, chiefly used in America and among a modern generation of herbal practitioners. Largely solutions of alcohol and water, strength 1:1. Prepared from crude material or solid extract, the alcohol content differing with each product. See: LIQUID EXTRACTS. ... fluid extracts
Accumulation of fluid beneath the skin; frequent sites – fingers, abdomen, breast, ankles.
Symptoms. Headache, frequency of urine, palpitation, possible irritable bowel syndrome. “My feet are killing me”, “I can’t get my wedding ring off” are typical complaints by women with FRS. Sometimes a complication of diabetes, or follows abuse of laxatives or diuretic drugs. A part of the premenstrual syndrome.
Alternatives. Teas. Any of the following: Buchu, Dandelion, Hawthorn, Motherwort, Yarrow. One or more cups daily, cold.
Tablets. Popular combination. Powdered Dandelion root BHP (1983) 90mg; powdered Horsetail extract 3:1 10mg; powdered Uva Ursi extract 3:1 75mg. (Gerard House)
Formula. Equal parts: Hawthorn, Dandelion, Broom. Dose: Powders: 750mg (three 00 capsules or half a teaspoon). Liquid extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 1-2 teaspoons. Thrice daily.
Practitioner. Tincture Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) BHP (1983) (1:5 in 40 per cent alcohol). Dose 8- 15 drops (0.5-1ml). Thrice daily.
Aromatherapy. 6 drops Lavender oil on wet handkerchief: use as a compress for relief of ankles during a journey.
Traditional Gypsy Medicine. The sufferer is exposed to the rising smoke of smouldering Juniper berries which exudes volatile oils and has a gentle diuretic effect.
Diet. Salt-free. High protein. Dandelion coffee. Supplements. Vitamin B-complex, Potassium, Copper. ... fluid retention syndrome (frs)
Excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues. Mild fluid retention is common with premenstrual syndrome but disappears with the onset of menstruation. However, more severe fluid retention may be associated with an underlying heart, liver, or kidney disorder (see ascites; nephrotic syndrome; oedema). Diuretic drugs may be used to treat the condition.... fluid retention
The watery liquid present in the tiny gaps between body cells, also known as interstitial fluid.... tissue fluid
a condition in which amniotic fluid enters the maternal circulation causing a complex cascade similar to that seen in anaphylactic and septic *shock. It is a rare event (1 in 50,000–100,000 deliveries), with a 60–80% maternal mortality. The sudden onset of cardiopulmonary collapse, together with coma or seizures, in labour or shortly after delivery, should prompt the diagnosis. Most of the women who survive have permanent neurological damage.... amniotic fluid embolism
a form of extrinsic allergic *alveolitis caused by the inhalation of avian proteins present in the droppings and feathers of certain birds, especially pigeons and caged birds (such as budgerigars). As in *farmer’s lung, there is an acute and a chronic form.... bird-fancier’s lung
n. a synthetic mineralocorticoid (see corticosteroid) used to treat disorders of the adrenal glands marked by deficient production of aldosterone. Side-effects include muscle weakness, bone disorders, digestive and skin disorders, and fluid retention.... fludrocortisone
the radiographic finding of a straight line between fluid and gas within a hollow organ or cavity when a horizontal X-ray beam strikes the fluid surface tangentially. Multiple long fluid levels are seen in loops of small bowel that are obstructed. A fluid level in the lung suggests a cavity that is partially filled with fluid (e.g. an abscess).... fluid level
n. a *benzodiazepine antagonist drug, used to reverse the sedative effects of benzodiazepines given during anaesthesia.... flumazenil
n. an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drug used in the prevention and treatment of hay fever. The most common side-effect is local irritation.... flunisolide
a water-soluble orange dye that glows with a brilliant green colour when blue light is shone on it. A dilute solution is used to detect defects in the surface of the cornea, since it stains areas where the *epithelium is not intact. In retinal *angiography it is injected into a vein and its circulation through the blood vessels of the retina is viewed and photographed by a special camera.... fluorescein sodium
n. the emission of light by a material as it absorbs radiation from outside. The radiation absorbed may be visible or invisible (e.g. ultraviolet rays or X-rays). See fluoroscope. —fluorescent adj.... fluorescence
see fish.... fluorescence in situ hybridization
(FDG) n. a variant of normal glucose in the body that is not metabolized and therefore accumulates in areas of high metabolism, such as tumours and areas of infection. It can be labelled with radioactive fluorine-18 and is in common use in PET scanning (see positron emission tomography).... fluorodeoxyglucose
n. any one of a class of *antimetabolite drugs used in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies and breast cancer. They include *fluorouracil and the orally administered drugs *capecitabine and tegafur.... fluoropyrimidine
n. the use of a *fluoroscope to visualize X-ray images. *Videofluoroscopy is synonymous with X-ray screening. It is valuable for observing moving structures (e.g. swallowed barium sulphate) or for guiding *interventional radiology procedures.... fluoroscopy
(flupenthixol) n. a thioxanthene *antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia and other psychoses and depression. Possible side-effects include abnormal involuntary movements (see extrapyramidal effects).... flupentixol
a corticosteroid used for the prophylaxis of asthma, the prophylaxis and treatment of hay fever and perennial rhinitis, and the treatment of dermatitis and eczema.... fluticasone proprionate
n. an *antidepressant drug that acts by prolonging the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in the brain (see SSRI). Side-effects may include sleepiness, agitation, tremor, vomiting, and diarrhoea.... fluvoxamine
n. an abnormally copious flow from an organ or cavity. Alvine flux is *diarrhoea.... flux
a mixture of potassium dichromate, sodium sulphate, mercuric chloride, formaldehyde, and distilled water, used in the preservation of bone marrow. [K. Helly (20th century), Swiss pathologist]... helly’s fluid
a salt of sodium used to prevent tooth decay. Taken in excess by mouth, it may cause digestive upsets and large doses may cause fluorine poisoning. See also fluoridation.... sodium fluoride
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