Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurologic disease, which means that it is a nervous system disease that will get worse over time. More than 4 million people have been diagnosed with the condition worldwide. As of August 2009, there is no cure; treatment concentrates on controlling the symptom

The author recounts his experiences running a humanitarian mission at a medical clinic in a small Indonesian village.

Third-degree heart block occurs when impulse signals are not transmitted from the atria (upper heart chamber) to the ventricle (lower heart chamber). This is also referred to as a complete blockage or atrioventricular (AV) block.

A bandage contact is a soft contact lens worn to protect or help in the healing of an eye wound or infection or following eye surgery such as LASIK and to provide some pain relief. Certain contact lenses are better suited for this use as a type of protection, particularly soft lenses that can be lef

Learn more on the incidence of noninvasive mechanical ventilation use for acute respiratory failure and the associated outcomes in this population-based study.

Find out more about the incidence of intracranial bleeds in patients on warfarin who present with head injuries.

Wound healing in the horse is often complicated by the formation of proud flesh in which exuberant granulation tissue is present.

Fire blankets are woven from special, fire resistant materials such as fiberglass, aramid fibers or wool. They can be used either to extinguish a small fire or to protect an individual trapped in a fire. The National Fire Protection Agency, or NFPA, maintains a specific set of...

Coaching within the surgical environment is an educational method that could significantly improve a surgeon's practice; but how do surgeons feel about the idea of being coached?

When a person is having serious issues with alcohol, drugs or some other sort of problem, it is best to have a trained counselor handle the issues. However, for a variety of reasons, that is not always an option. In some cases, it may be necessary to implement an informal intervention, which is defi

Short organizational delays before appendicectomy may improve provision of surgical services, but is the delay safe for the patient?

Some children suffer from kidney blockage. In this condition the kidney performs its basic function of filtering blood and converting waste into urine, but the blockage keeps the urine from being excreted. In some cases the condition is congenital, or present at birth. Sometimes the defect occurs in

How does the triage of older trauma patients differ from that of similarly injured younger patients? Are older patients undertriaged?

Dr Al Lowenfels reports on one study indicating that wound protectors prevent surgical-site infections and another that found no advantage in them, and proffers ideas for the difference in findings.

This brief article discusses the Society of Hospital Medicine's grassroots approach to advocacy and its lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

A 3-part series looking into the 'black box' of billing to see how a patient encounter turns into cash.

A seaman first class is generally recognized under the title of seaman. Seamen are only found in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as these are maritime-based military organizations. There are two levels of advancement under the rank of seaman and for each service there are different requirements

You should have a protection plan before a tornado strikes.Humo y playa image by hombrefeliz from Fotolia.comWith more than 1,000 confirmed tornadoes per year in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, preparing for personal safety is likely a useful endeavor....

Few things produce as much anxiety as being forced to evacuate your home, taking only the most essential items and leaving the rest of your belongings behind to weather the force of Mother Nature as a hurricane looms. If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, preparation is the key to evacuating a