Palpation Health Dictionary

A set of investigations aimed at the early detection of breast cancer. It includes self-screening by monthly examination of the breasts, and formal programmes of screening by palpation and mammography in special clinics. In the UK the NHS o?ers regular mammography examinations to all women between 50 and 64 years of age; in 1995–6, 1.1 million women were screened – 76 per cent of those invited. More than 5,500 cancers were detected – 5.3 per 1,000 women screened.... breast screening

Usually contracted in a tropical country during foreign travel. Likely to be associated with amoebic dysentery by the organism Entamoeba histolytica from contaminated drinking water or decaying foods (uncooked vegetables), foods exposed to flies. Onset of the disease may not be apparent until years after original infection. It presents with tenderness over the liver. On palpation, liver area is tender and the diaphragm elevated.

Symptoms. Fever, sweating, constitutional upset.

Differential diagnosis: diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, salmonella, carcinoma, bacillary dysentery.

Alte rnative s:– Blue Flag, Boneset, Burdock, Chaparral, Echinacea, Elecampane, Elder flowers, Eucalyptus, Fringe Tree, Milk Thistle, Marshmallow, Queen’s Delight, Thyme (garden), Wild Indigo, Wild Yam, Yarrow, Yellow Dock.

Tea. Combine: equal parts, Yarrow, Burdock leaves, Marshmallow leaves. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water: infuse 10-15 minutes; 1 cup freely.

Decoction. Echinacea 2; Fringe Tree bark 1; Yellow Dock root 1. 2 teaspoons to 2 cups water gently simmered 20 minutes. Half a cup freely.

Formula: Combine: Echinacea 2; Fringe Tree bark 1; Boneset 1; Goldenseal quarter. Dose: Liquid Extracts: 2-4ml. Tinctures: 4-8ml. Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules, or one-third teaspoon). In water, honey, or cup of Fenugreek tea.

Cold puree. Pass Garlic corm through food blender. Eat with a spoon as much as tolerated. Blend with adjutants: carrots, raisins, apple. ... amoebic liver abscess

The part of a medical consultation in which the doctor looks, feels, and listens to various parts of the patient’s body to assess the patient’s condition or to gather information to help make a diagnosis.

Most examinations include palpation, by which the doctor examines relevant parts of the body for signs such as swelling, tenderness, or enlargement of organs. In some cases, percussion of the chest, or other parts of the body, may be performed by tapping with the fingers and then listening to the sound produced. Auscultation may be used to listen to blood flow through arteries and sounds made by the heart and lungs. The doctor may take the pulse or blood pressure, examine the eyes and ears, and assess the strength and coordination of the muscles.... examination, physical

n. inflammation of the vermiform *appendix. The typical presentation of acute appendicitis is central abdominal pain, which later migrates to the right lower abdomen; other symptoms include malaise, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, and even diarrhoea. Palpation of the abdomen may reveal tenderness overlying the inflamed appendix (see McBurney’s point). Unusual positions of the appendix may cause pain in different sites, leading to difficulty in diagnosis. Acute appendicitis is a surgical emergency requiring removal of the appendix (appendicectomy). Failure to do so may lead to abscess formation, perforation, peritonitis, life-threatening sepsis, and circulatory shock. Conditions that mimic appendicitis include mesenteric *lymphadenitis, terminal ileitis (see Crohn’s disease), right-sided ectopic pregnancy, a right-sided kidney stone, *pyelonephritis, and (rarely) right-sided pneumonia.... appendicitis

n. 1. a crackling sound or grating feeling produced by bone rubbing on bone or roughened cartilage, detected by palpation on movement of an arthritic joint. Crepitus in the knee joint is a common sign of *chondromalacia patellae in the young and *osteoarthritis in the elderly. 2. a similar sound heard with a stethoscope over an inflamed lung when the patient breathes in. 3. a similar sound heard over an inflamed extensor tendon in the hand in *scleroderma caused by thickening of the skin, or over a tendon injured by repetitive use in de Quervain’s *tendovaginitis.... crepitus

n. vibrations or tremors in a part of the body, detected by feeling with the fingers or hand (*palpation) or by listening (*auscultation). The term is most commonly applied to vibrations perceived through the chest when a patient breathes, speaks (vocal fremitus), or coughs. The nature of the fremitus gives an indication as to whether the chest is affected by disease. For example, loss of vocal fremitus suggests the presence of fluid in the pleural cavity; its increase suggests consolidation of the underlying lung.... fremitus

n. a system of diagnosis and treatment based on the theory that many diseases are associated with disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Diagnosis and treatment of these disorders involve palpation, manipulation, and massage. Osteopathy provides relief for many disorders of bones and joints, especially those producing back pain. —osteopath n. —osteopathic adj.... osteopathy

(Dance’s sign, signe de Dance) a feeling of emptiness on palpation of the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, which is thought to be characteristic of *intussusception. [J. B. H. Dance (1797–1832), French physician]... sign of dance