Organ Transplantation
Defintion Organ transplantation is an integral component of modern medicine that has transformed the management of a wide variety of pediatric and adult medical conditions, in many cases providing long-term…
Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis
Kidney disease can be caused by acute (i.e., bacterial infection, obstruction in the urinary tract, or damage to the renal parenchyma) or chronic conditions. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is emphasized…
Diabetes Mellitus
Definition Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and the inability to produce and/or use insulin. The disease is defined by abnormal…
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Definition Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major global health problem. The worldwide burden is difficult to estimate across the more than 30 infectious diseases known to be transmitted through…
Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation
Tobacco use by smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) or by smokeless products (chewing tobacco, snuff) is an addictive disease that continues to be a major public health problem. Smoking is the…
Liver Disease
The liver has a number of key functions, including metabolism of the byproducts of food, detoxification of drugs, conversion of nitrogenous substances to be excreted by the kidneys, formation of…
Heart Failure (or Congestive Heart Failure)
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) as a complex clinical syndrome that can result from…
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Cardiac arrhythmia refers to any variation in the normal heartbeat and includes disturbances in rhythm, rate, or the conduction pattern of the heart. Cardiac arrhythmias are present in a significant…
Ischemic Heart Disease
Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease is the leading health problem in the United States and the world. Atherosclerosis is the thickening of the intimal layer of the arterial wall caused by…
Infective Endocarditis
Definition Infective endocarditis (IE) is a microbial infection of the endothelial surface of the heart or heart valves that most often occurs in proximity to congenital or acquired cardiac defects….
Hypertension
Hypertension is an abnormal elevation in arterial pressure that can be fatal if sustained and untreated. People with hypertension may not display clinical signs or symptoms for many years but…
Patient Evaluation and Risk Assessment
The practice of dentistry continues to evolve, not only in techniques and procedures but also in the types of patients encountered. As a result of advances in medical science, people…
