Appendicitis

Pain
Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders

Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is pain that occurs between the chest and pelvic regions. Abdominal pain can be cramp-like, achy, dull, or sharp. Organs in the abdomen are: intestines kidneys appendix spleen stomach gallbladder liver pancreas Inflammation  More »
HLCMS

Fever
Fever is also known as hyperthermia, pyrexia, or simply elevated temperature. It describes a body temperature that is higher than normal. Fever can affect children and adults alike. A short-term increase in body temperature can help the body fig  More »
HLCMS

Abdominal Tenderness
Point tenderness in your abdomen is pain that occurs when your abdomen is pressed in a specific area. It is also known as abdominal tenderness. Point tenderness is often a sign that something is wrong with one or more organs in the area being pres  More »
HLCMS

Abdominal Rigidity
Abdominal rigidity is a stiffness of your stomach muscles that occurs when the abdomen is touched. This is an involuntary response to prevent pain caused by pressure on your abdomen. Another term for this protective mechanism is "guarding." Thi  More »
HLCMS

Abdominal CT Scan
A CT scan is a type of X-ray that can show cross-sectional images of a specific area of the body. The machine circles the body and sends the images to a computer, where they are viewed by a technician. Each picture is viewed as a cross-section of t  More »
HLCMS

History and Physical Exam
The health status of populations and of individuals is assessed for many reasons. Assessing needs for care helps guide the allocation of resources— diagnostic assessments guide treatment, prognostic assessments contribute to planning, and assessin...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health

White Blood Cell Count
White blood cells (WBCs), also called leukocytes, are an important part of the immune system. These cells help fight infections by attacking bacteria, viruses, and germs that invade the body. White blood cells originate in the bone marrow, but ci  More »
HLCMS

Abdominal Ultrasound
Ultrasound scans use high-frequency sound waves to capture images and video. This helps doctors view portions of the body's interior without making an incision. Just as sonar and radar help the military detect planes and ships, ultrasound  More »
HLCMS

Complete Blood Count (CBC) Test
A complete blood count, or CBC, is an easy and very common test that screens for certain disorders that can affect your health. A CBC measures several components of your blood and can help diagnose a broad range of conditions, from anemia and infe  More »
HLCMS

Appendectomy
Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The appendix is a worm-shaped hollow pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine.  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Laparoscopic Appendectomy
Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The appendix is a worm-shaped hollow pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine.  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery

Imipenem-cilastatin
IMIPENEM; CILASTATIN (i mi PEN em; sye la STAT in) is a carbapenem antibiotic. It is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.  More »
GOLD

Metronidazole
METRONIDAZOLE (me troe NI da zole) is an antiinfective. It is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial and protozoal infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.  More »
GOLD

Ciprofloxacin
CIPROFLOXACIN (sip roe FLOX a sin) is a quinolone antibiotic. It is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.  More »
GOLD

Ampicillin
AMPICILLIN (am pi SILL in) is a penicillin antibiotic. It is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.  More »
GOLD

Clindamycin
CLINDAMYCIN (KLIN da MYE sin) is a lincosamide antibiotic. It is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.  More »
GOLD

Acupressure
Acupressure is a form of touch therapy that utilizes the principles of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In acupressure, the same points on the body are used as in acupuncture, but are stimulated with finger pressure instead of with the insertion ...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

Peritonitis
You have a thin layer of tissue covering the inside of your abdomen and most of its organs. This is called the peritoneum . Inflammation of the peritoneum is called peritonitis. The inflammation is caused by a fungal or bacterial infection, usual  More »
HLCMS

Ruptured Appendicitis
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is the worm-shaped pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix has no known function in the body, but it can become diseased. Appendicitis is a medical emer...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Abscess
A skin abscess, sometimes also known as a boil , is painful and can be pretty unpleasant to look at or deal with. The good news is that a skin abscess is usually not very serious. However, if you have one, you'll probably want to have it  More »
HLCMS