Elizabethkingia is a Gram-negative bacterium in the Flavobacteria family. The bacterium, like the multitude of other species of Flavobacteria, is almost ubiquitous in soils and in water bodies. Occasionally, the species Elizabethkingia meningoseptica occurs as a causative agent of meningitis in premature infants, babies and young children. Since November 2015, a mysterious wave of infection … Elizabethkingia: Infection, Transmission & Diseases
Point-of-care testing refers to diagnostic tests that take place outside of a laboratory. Many of these can be performed by the patient or by an office-based physician. However, the specificity and sensitivity of point-of-care testing is subpar compared with laboratory diagnostics. What is point-of-care testing? Point-of-care testing is a medical term used to describe near-patient … Point-of-care Testing: Treatment, Effects & Risks
Methotrexate is used as a drug for chemotherapy in various malignant tumor diseases. It is a cytostatic drug that prevents the rapid cell division of cancer cells. The drug is also used successfully not only in cancer therapy but also as a basic therapeutic agent for chronic inflammatory processes. What is methotrexate? Methotrexate is used … Methotrexate: Effects, Uses & Risks
Acute kidney failure can trigger a condition called uremia, which is urine poisoning. This occurs when urine backs up in the urinary tract and triggers a variety of symptoms. Treatment of the underlying condition promises a good chance of recovery, but dialysis may still be necessary. What is uremia? Dialysis is a blood purification procedure … Kidney Failure with Urinary Toxicity (Uremia): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Blue diaper syndrome is an inborn error of metabolism with tryptophan malabsorption as the leading symptom. The lack of absorption by the intestines results in conversion and excretion by the kidneys, causing the urine to turn blue. Treatment is equivalent to intravenous tryptophan supplementation. What is blue diaper syndrome? Blue diaper syndrome is also known … Blue Diaper Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
In rhabdomyolysis, voluntary (striated) muscle breaks down. There are many causes, such as an injury to the muscle, autoimmune disease, or alcohol or drug abuse. What is rhabdomyolysis In rhabdomyolysis, muscle fibers in skeletal muscle break down. This means that the muscle begins to disintegrate. In the process, large amounts of myoglobin are released. These … Rhabdomyolysis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Hemodialysis dysequilibrium is a typical complication that develops in some patients in connection with peritoneal or hemodialysis. The condition is also referred to by some physicians with the synonyms dysequilibrium syndrome or first-dialysis syndrome. What is hemodialysis dysequilibrium? Hemodialysis dysequilibrium is based on the fact that the blood loses certain substances during hemodialysis. The loss … Hemodialysis Dysequilibrium: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Dialysis is an apparatus-based method for the treatment of certain diseases or symptoms in which the body’s kidneys are unable to perform their work adequately or at all, or in which the patient no longer has a kidney. In principle, in all variants of dialysis, all the patient’s blood is passed through a kind of … Dialysis
Functionality In general, extracorporeal dialysis taking place outside the body can be distinguished from intracorporeal dialysis taking place inside the body. Most cases involve extracorporeal treatment. Here, the patient is connected to the external dialysis machine, which then performs the blood washing. There are several technical principles for washing the blood. Common to all methods … Functionality | Dialysis
Implementation The point at which a patient has inadequate kidney function and is therefore subject to dialysis is determined on the basis of the patient’s clinical picture together with certain laboratory values. One value that is well related to kidney function is creatinine. Nevertheless, an increase in this value is not sufficient to definitely justify … Implementation | Dialysis
Complications All in all, dialysis is a safe medical procedure with few complications. The most vulnerable component in dialysis therapy is the shunt. As with all invasive procedures, there is a certain basic risk that an infection will spread, which in the worst case can lead to sepsis. However, this risk is extremely low. It … Complications | Dialysis
Myoglobinuria represents an increased concentration of myoglobin in the urine and is a characteristic parameter of myoglobinemia. Severely elevated urinary myoglobin concentrations can damage the kidneys. The cause of myoglobinuria is increased breakdown of muscle cells in the context of various diseases. What is myoglobinuria? The term myoglobinuria identifies an increased concentration of myoglobin in … Myoglobinuria: Causes, Treatment & Help