What is the femur bone? The femur or thigh bone is the longest and strongest bone in the body. It usually takes a lot of force to break the femur. A femoral osteotomy corrects deformities of the femur (thigh bone). Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of femur fractures. The femur is the …
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What is a trigger finger? A trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is a painful condition in which one of the fingers gets stuck in one position and then snaps straight. The affected finger may bend or straighten with a snap like a trigger being pulled and released. A digital flexor injection treats a trigger finger with a corticosteroid to prevent pain …
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What is a biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy? A sphincterotomy is a complex procedure that involves the use of an endoscope (a long, thin, flexible tube that has a light and camera at one end) and imaging techniques to manipulate the sphincter of Oddi. A biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy removes gallstones and bile duct blockages. A biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy is a procedure …
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What is pulse oximetry? Dr. Richard Levitan, MD, says that the use of home finger pulse oximeters by patients with COVID-19 could preempt the precipitous oxygen desaturation that leads to a crisis that needs intensive care. Pulse oximetry is a quick, noninvasive test that measures the oxygen level (oxygen saturation) in the blood. It is an easy, painless method to measure …
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What is pneumonectomy? A pneumonectomy is a type of surgery to remove one of the lungs. Lungs are a part of the respiratory system that removes oxygen from the air and pass it into your blood. Every individual has two lungs; these lungs connect to mouth through a series of tubular structures. A pneumonectomy is a type of surgery to …
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What is a pulmonary function test? Four common types of lung tests are spirometry, lung volume test, gas diffusion test, and exercise stress test. Pulmonary function test or lung function test is a group of tests that check the workings of the lungs. They are noninvasive test which can determine the functional status of the lung cells and how well …
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What is antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection? Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a complete treatment regimen for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, with a combination of three or more classes of drugs. Each drug class targets the virus at a different stage in its replication cycle, which improves the chances of controlling the infection. HIV infection has …
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What is HIV infection? Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is caused by a virus that attacks the T-cells of the human immune system. This results in progressive weakening of the immune system leading to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), when the body is no longer able to fight infection effectively. HIV has no cure and can only be controlled by …
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What are NNRTIs in antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection? Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are one of the classes of drugs that form part of the antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The first NNRTI drug was introduced in 1996, and since then this drug class has been an integral part of HIV treatment. What is antiretroviral …
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What are protease inhibitors in antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection? Protease inhibitors are one of the classes of drugs in the combination of drugs used for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Protease inhibitors were first introduced in 1995 and are effective for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) form the backbone of …
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