Extra Health Dictionary

A concentrate of dried, less volatile aromatic plant part obtained by solvent extraction with a polar solvent... extract

This is a complex part of the nervous system, extending from the cortex to the medulla in the BRAIN, from which emerge descending spinal pathways which in?uence voluntary motor activity throughout the body. Although the normal functions of the system are poorly understood, there are characteristic signs of an extrapyramidal LESION. These include disturbance of voluntary movements, notably slowness and ‘poverty’ of movement; disturbance of muscular tone, which may be increased or decreased; and involuntary movements, such as a tremor, irregular jerking movements, or slow writhing movements.

Diseases There are several diseases that result from lesions to the extrapyramidal system, of which the most common is PARKINSONISM. Others include WILSON’S DISEASE, KERNICTERUS, CHOREA and ATHETOSIS.... extrapyramidal system

An adjective that describes an object or event outside a cell. An example is extracellular ?uid, the medium surrounding a cell.... extracellular

Outside the DURA MATER, the outermost of the three membranes that cover the BRAIN and SPINAL CORD. The extradural or epidural space is the space between the vertebral canal and the dura mater of the spinal cord. (See ANAESTHESIA

– Local anaesthetics: epidural.)... extradural

Extrasystole is a term applied to premature contraction of one or more of the chambers of the heart. A beat of the heart occurs sooner than it should do in the ordinary rhythm and is followed by a longer rest than usual before the next beat. In an extrasystole, the stimulus to contraction arises in a part of the heart other than the usual. Extrasystoles often give rise to an unpleasant sensation as of the heart stumbling over a beat, but their occurrence is not usually serious.... extrasystole

An escape of ?uid from the vessels or passages which ought to contain it. Extravasation of blood due to tearing of vessel walls is found in STROKE, and in the commoner condition known as a bruise. Extravasation of urine takes place when the bladder or the URETHRA is ruptured by a blow on the abdomen or on the crutch (PERINEUM), or torn in a fracture of the pelvis. Intravenous infusions frequently extravasate.... extravasation

Also called a ventouse. The idea of the glass suction cup applied to the emerging head of the baby to assist in delivery was ?rst considered by Younge in 1706, but it was not until 1954 that the modern (ventouse) vacuum extractor was introduced. The value of the ventouse as against the FORCEPS has been disputed in di?erent clinics, the former being less popular in the UK. Indications are similar for the use of obstetric forceps. Even if the OCCIPUT is not in the anterior position, the extractor may still be applied; many obstetricians would choose forceps or perform manual rotation of the fetus in such cases.

In cases of prolongation of the ?rst stage of labour, the ventouse may be used to accelerate dilatation of the cervix – provided that the cervix is already su?ciently dilated to allow application of the cup. The ventouse cannot be applied to the breech or face; in urgent cases of fetal distress the operation takes too long, and forceps delivery is preferred. There is some doubt about its safety when used on premature babies; many obstetricians feel that forceps delivery reduces the risk of intracranial haemorrhage. The vacuum extractor, while resulting in a slower delivery than when forceps are used, has a lower risk of damage to the mother’s birth canal. (See PREGNANCY AND LABOUR – Some complications of labour.)... vacuum extractor

Housing where there is additional support (such as the provision of meals and extra communal facilities) to that usually found in sheltered housing. Sometimes called ‘very sheltered housing’.... extra care sheltered housing

Malt extract; contains alcohol; sometimes added to herbal preparations.... extracto de malta

Extracts are preparations, usually of a semi-solid consistency, containing the active parts of various plants extracted in one of several ways. In the case of some extracts, the juice of the fresh plant is simply pressed out and puri?ed; in the case of others the active principles are dissolved out in water, which is then to a great extent driven o? by evaporation. Other extracts are similarly made by the help of alcohol, and in some cases ether is the solvent.... extracts

An alleged way of perceiving current events (clairvoyance), future events (precognition) or the thoughts of other people (telepathy). ESP has never been scienti?cally proven and does not involve the use of any known senses.... extrasensory perception (esp)

A premature contraction of the heart. It can be caused by nervousness, indigestion, a tired and enlarged heart - anything up to overt organic heart disease.... extrasystoles

See ECTOPIC PREGNANCY.... extrauterine pregnancy

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

The world’s most comprehensive source of drug information in a single volume. Provides an accurate and concise summary of the properties, actions, and uses of plant and other medicines in clinical use. All information evaluated by expert editorial staff of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. ... martindale, the extra pharmacopoeia

Removal of teeth by a dentist. Extraction may be performed when a tooth is severely decayed or too badly broken to be repaired, or when an abscess (see abscess, dental) has formed. Teeth may also be removed if there is crowding or malocclusion, if the teeth are loose due to gum disease, or if they are preventing another tooth from erupting (see eruption of teeth).

For most extractions, local anaesthesia is used (see anaesthesia, dental). Teeth are usually extracted with dental forceps, which grasp the root of the tooth. In difficult extractions, some gum and bone may also need to be removed from around the tooth.... extraction, dental

Extra-systoles. An occasional beat or beats may arise prematurely from an abnormal focus in atrium or ventricle. Such is a common occurrence and is little cause for alarm. Simple arrythmia may be the outraged protest of a heart under the influence of alcohol, heavy meals, too much tea or coffee, smoking or excitement. If persistent, examination by a trained practitioner should be sought. For uncomplicated transient extra-systole:–

Alternatives. Teas: Balm, Motherwort, Hawthorn flowers or leaves. Tablets: Hawthorn, Motherwort, Mistletoe, Valerian.

Tincture Lily of the Valley: 8-15 drops when necessary.

Broom: Spartiol drops. (Klein) 20 drops thrice daily.

Broom decoction. 1oz to 1 pint water gently simmered 10 minutes. 1 cup morning and evening. ... heart – extra beats

Fluid Extract (F.E.). The most concentrated form in which a herbal medicine can be prepared. Stronger than a tincture. Almost all liquid extracts contain alcohol. Made by a number of methods including cold percolation, evaporation by heat, or under pressure. A popular commercial form of administering herbs as a medicine. Usually taken in water.

Strength: “One part by volume of liquid is equal to 1 part by weight of herb.” Thus, one ounce of fluid is equal to one ounce of crude material. For instance, 1oz Stone root liquid extract would have the same therapeutic potency as 1oz Stone root.

In the making of liquid extracts there is often a loss of valuable volatile constituents which is believed to reduce efficacy of a plant. For this reason tinctures are becoming popular among practitioners. Dosage of L.E.s may vary from 5 to 60 drops according to the plant. For instance, the maximum dosage of Goldenseal is 15, Black Cohosh 30, and Yarrow 60 drops. A general average would appear to be 15-60 drops, though a practitioner would be more specific. The bottle should be shaken vigorously before use to remix any natural sediment.

One millilitre = 15 drops. One teaspoonful = 5ml (5 millilitres) or 75 drops liquid medicine. For liquid medicines, always use medicine glass graduated in millilitres, or standard dropper. ... liquid extract (l. e.)

Bleeding into the space between the inner surface of the skull and the external surface of the dura mater, the outer layer of the meninges. Extradural haemorrhage usually results from a blow to the side of the head that fractures the skull and ruptures an artery running over the surface of the dura mater. A haematoma (collection of clotted blood) forms and enlarges, causing an increase in pressure inside the skull and resulting in symptoms several hours or even days after the injury. Symptoms may include headache, drowsiness, vomiting, paralysis affecting one side of the body, and seizures. Untreated, extradural haemorrhage may be life-threatening.

CT scanning or MRI confirms the diagnosis.

Surgical treatment consists of craniotomy, draining the blood clot, and clipping the ruptured blood vessel.... extradural haemorrhage

An obstetric procedure to facilitate the delivery of a baby. It may be used if the second stage of labour (see childbirth) is prolonged, if the mother becomes exhausted, or if the baby shows signs of fetal distress. Vacuum suction techniques are also used to perform early abortions.

The vacuum extraction instrument consists of a suction cup connected to a vacuum bottle. The suction cup is placed on the baby’s head in the birth canal, and the vacuum machine sucks the baby’s scalp into the cup. The obstetrician draws the baby out of the mother’s vagina by gently pulling on the cup with each uterine contraction.

The baby is born with a swelling on the scalp, but this disappears after a few days, usually without treatment.... vacuum extraction

surgical removal of a cataract from the eye. In extracapsular cataract extraction the cataract alone is removed, leaving the lens capsule behind. Intracapsular cataract extraction is the removal of the whole lens, including the capsule that surrounds it.... cataract extraction

adj. not involving a joint. The term is commonly used to specify a fracture pattern or the position of a bone tumour. It is also used to describe nonarticular or systemic manifestations of severe rheumatoid arthritis; for example, inflammation of the eyes, lungs, and heart, skin nodules and vasculitis, and nerve damage (neuropathy). See also intra-articular; periarticular.... extra-articular

adj. situated or occurring outside the body. Extracorporeal circulation is the circulation of the blood outside the body, as through a *heart-lung machine or in *haemodialysis.... extracorporeal

(ECMO) a technique that is accepted as a rescue treatment for otherwise fatal respiratory failure in newborn babies or infants due to prematurity or overwhelming septicaemia (e.g. meningitis). It involves modified prolonged *cardiopulmonary bypass to support gas exchange, which allows the lungs to rest and recover. ECMO is only available in selected high-technology centres.... extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

n. 1. the surgical removal of a part of the body. Extraction of teeth is usually achieved by applying *elevators and extraction *forceps to the crown or root of the tooth to dislocate it from its socket. When this is not possible, for example because the tooth or root is deeply buried within the bone, extraction is performed surgically by removing bone and, where necessary, dividing the tooth. 2. the act of pulling out a baby from the body of its mother during childbirth.... extraction

n. an instrument used to pull out a natural part of the body, to remove a foreign object, or to assist delivery of a baby (see ventouse).... extractor

(exocoelom) the cavity, lined with mesoderm, that surrounds the embryo from the earliest stages of development. It communicates temporarily with the coelomic cavity within the embryo (peritoneal cavity). Late in pregnancy it becomes almost entirely obliterated by the growth of the *amnion, which fuses with the *chorion.... extraembryonic coelom

the membranous structures that surround the embryo and contribute to the placenta and umbilical cord. They include the *amnion, *chorion, *allantois, and *yolk sac. In humans the allantois is always very small and by the end of pregnancy the amnion and chorion have fused into a single membrane and the yolk sac has disappeared.... extraembryonic membranes

life-prolonging treatments that are not regarded as beneficial (i.e. they do nothing to promote recovery or relieve suffering) and that may even be burdensome to the patient. It has been argued that there is no moral obligation to prolong life and/or to impose greater suffering by extraordinary means. ‘Extraordinary’ does not mean unusual: treatments that are considered routine may be classed as extraordinary when they are no longer clinically effective or are considered *futile. Another way to describe the appropriateness of such interventions is to talk of ‘proportionate’ and ‘disproportionate’ means. See artificial nutrition and hydration.... extraordinary means

adj. relating to the tissues of the chest wall outside the parietal *pleura.... extrapleural

symptoms caused by a reduction of dopamine activity in the extrapyramidal system due to the adverse effects of *dopamine receptor antagonists, notably phenothiazine *antipsychotic drugs. These effects include *parkinsonism, *akathisia, and *dyskinesia.... extrapyramidal effects

adj. outside the uterus.... extrauterine

n. see extroversion.... extraversion

see extraction.... tooth extraction