Medicine Reference Libraries

The urinary bladder is a hollow organ that holds the urine, a fluid by-product excreted from the kidneys. Once enough urine is collected within the bladder, pressure initiates the process of urination which expels the urine from the system completely. Formation and Orientation Bladders are a common organ in the Animal Kingdom but are unique in characteristics to each species. Within the...

The pancreas is a digestive and an endocrine organ with both endocrine and exocrine functions. It is about six inches long located in the upper portion of the abdominal cavity. The head of the pancreas lies within the indentation of the duodenum and is connected to it by the pancreatic duct. The uncinate process extends from the head and the neck connects to the body of the pancreas, which lies...

The precordial thump is an application of mechanical energy through a calculated strike to the torso when in a specific fatal heart rhythm. This procedure is used in very specific circumstances by highly trained health professionals with ACLS certifications. The Procedure While in the presence of a patient that is suffering a potentially fatal heart rhythm, a medical provider can strike a...

In 1861 Adam Politzer of Vienna spent much time studying the air movement in the Eustachian tubes and the ear canal. He would measure the air movement by attaching a manometer, a very large gauge, to the ear canal and the pharynx. He developed an apparatus known as the Politzer bag in 1863 which is a less invasive way to clear the Eustachian tubes. Procedure Politzerization, also known as...

Heat therapy is a treatment in the medical field to relieve pain and improve over health. It can be a therapy used only once, repeatedly in rehabilitation sessions, or as part of an after-care routine in sports medicine. It can be delivered in many forms with success in all. How the Heat Helps As heat is introduced to the area, the temperature will increase beginning from the outer layer...

Electrooculography, sometimes shortened to EOG, is the tracing of electricity used for operation of the retina in different phases, specifically the resting potential. The results are recorded on an electrooculogram. These are interpreted for opthalmological diagnosis and in recording eye movements. Eye movement measurements: Usually, pairs of electrodes are placed either above and below the...

The Colposcopy is a preventive procedure to identify a possible abnormal cells or tissue on the cervix, vagina and vulva. By illuminating and magnifying the area with a coloscope during the examination, areas of concern can be identified earlier by the colposcopist. The procedure was developed by a German physician Hans Hinselmann in 1925 with the help of Dr. Helmut Wirths. Cause for the...

Taking a patient's temperature is an initial part of a full clinical examination. The moment the medical provider comes within inches of the patient’s skin, they can tell if there is a change in the patient’s temperature. Heat radiates from a febrile patient, skin becomes clammy when cardiac output is reduced, and cold skin can be an ominous sign when combined with other negative findings....

Percussion is a technique used during a clinical examination to elicit sounds while tapping on the body surface. These sounds can give clues to physicians as to the state of the underlying structures. Percussion can be utilized during well checks or during development of the physician’s differential diagnosis. Percussion was introduced to distinguish between empty and filled barrels of liquor...

Palpation is a technique used by a physician or medical provider during a physical examination. By placing hands on a patient, data can be gathered that is otherwise unknown by visualization only. What Information it Provides Information such as the temperature of the skin, the moistness or dryness of the skin, the shape of a structure, the location of pain, the radiation of the pain, the...