body surface area

Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substances to treat disease. In its modern-day use, it refers primarily to cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer. In its non-oncological use, the term may also refer to antibiotics (antibacterial chemotherapy). In that sense, the first modern chemotherapeutic agent was Paul Ehrlich's arsphenamine, an arsenic compound discovered in 1909 and used to treat syphilis. This was later followed by sulfonamides discovered by Domag ...

Including:

• Chemotherapy - History
• Chemotherapy - Principles
• Chemotherapy - Types
• Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A
• Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B
• Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C
• Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX
• Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D
• Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy
• Chemotherapy - Dosage
• Chemotherapy - Delivery
• Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes
• Chemotherapy - Side-effects
• Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression
• Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting
• Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia - Chemotherapy

The SPF (sun protection factor) of a sunscreen is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen. The higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UVB (the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn). SPF is the inverse of the proportion of UVB that penetrates the sunscreen. Thus a sunscreen with an SPF of p blocks a proportion (p−1)/p of UVB. For example: In theory the SPF is a multiplier that can be applied to the time taken to burn. For example, someone who would burn after 12 ...

See also:

Sunscreen, Sunscreen - History, Sunscreen - Mechanism of Action, Sunscreen - Sun protection factor, Sunscreen - Melanin, Sunscreen - See Also

Read more here: » Sunscreen: Encyclopedia II - Sunscreen - Sun protection factor

When symptomatic, aortic stenosis can cause syncope, angina and congestive heart failure. More symptoms indicate a worse prognosis. Treatment requires replacement of the diseased valve with either a porcine aortic valve or a cadaveric aortic valve, or an prosthetic aortic valve. Aortic valve stenosis - Congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a grave prognosis in patients with AS. Patients with CHF that is attributed ...

See also:

Aortic valve stenosis, Aortic valve stenosis - Pathophysiology, Aortic valve stenosis - Etiology, Aortic valve stenosis - Physical examination, Aortic valve stenosis - Symptoms and signs of aortic stenosis, Aortic valve stenosis - Congestive heart failure, Aortic valve stenosis - Syncope, Aortic valve stenosis - Angina, Aortic valve stenosis - Associated symptoms, Aortic valve stenosis - Calculation of valve area, Aortic valve stenosis - Planimetry, Aortic valve stenosis - The continuity equation, Aortic valve stenosis - The Gorlin equation, Aortic valve stenosis - The Hakki equation

Read more here: » Aortic valve stenosis: Encyclopedia II - Aortic valve stenosis - Symptoms and signs of aortic stenosis

In renal patients, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is used. This is calculated by comparing urine creatinine levels with the blood test results. It gives a more precise indication of the state of the kidneys. The GFR is expressed in ml/min. For most patients, a GFR over 60 ml/min is adequate. But, if the GFR has significantly declined from a previous test result, this can be an early indicator of kidney disease requiring medical intervention. The sooner kidney dysfunction is diagnosed and treated, the greater odds of preserv ...

See also:

Renal function, Renal function - Indirect markers, Renal function - Glomerular filtration rate, Renal function - Cockroft-Gault formula, Renal function - MDRD formula, Renal function - Children: Schwartz

Read more here: » Renal function: Encyclopedia II - Renal function - Glomerular filtration rate

In much higher doses (termed pharmacologic doses), glucocorticoids are used to suppress various allergic, inflammatory, and autoimmune disorders. They are also administered as posttransplantory immunosuppressants to prevent the acute transplant rejection and the graft-versus-host disease. Nevertheless, they do not prevent an infection and also inhibit later reparative processes. Some drugs used are cortisol (hydrocortisone), prednisone and d ...

See also:

Glucocorticoid, Glucocorticoid - Effects, Glucocorticoid - Mode of action, Glucocorticoid - Pharmacologic properties, Glucocorticoid - Physiologic replacement of glucocorticoid, Glucocorticoid - Medical uses and effects of high dose glucocorticoids, Glucocorticoid - Immunosuppressive mechanism, Glucocorticoid - Antiinflammatory effects, Glucocorticoid - Side effects, Glucocorticoid - Adrenal suppression and withdrawal

Read more here: » Glucocorticoid: Encyclopedia II - Glucocorticoid - Medical uses and effects of high dose glucocorticoids

Flecainide is used in the treatment of many types of supraventricular tachycardias, including AV nodal reciprocating tachycardia (AVNRT) and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW). This is because of the action of flecainide on the His-Purkinje system. It also has limited use in the treatment of certain forms of ventricular tachycardia (VT). In particular, flecainide has been useful in the treatment of ventricular tachycardias that are not in the setting of an acute ischemic event. It has use in the treatment of right ventricular outflo ...

See also:

Flecainide, Flecainide - Uses, Flecainide - Dosing, Flecainide - Mechanism of action, Flecainide - Metabolism and drug interactions, Flecainide - Serious adverse reactions, Flecainide - Toxicity, Flecainide - Long term effects

Read more here: » Flecainide: Encyclopedia II - Flecainide - Uses

The SPF (sun protection factor) of a sunscreen is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen. The higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UVB (the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn). SPF is the inverse of the proportion of UVB that penetrates the sunscreen. Thus a sunscreen with an SPF of p blocks a proportion (p−1)/p of UVB. For example: In theory the SPF is a multiplier that can be applied to the time taken to burn. For example, someone who would burn after 12 ...

See also:

Sunscreen, Sunscreen - History, Sunscreen - Mechanism of Action, Sunscreen - Sun protection factor, Sunscreen - Melanin

Read more here: » Sunscreen: Encyclopedia II - Sunscreen - Sun protection factor

The majority of chemotherapeutic drugs can be divided in to: alkylating agents, antimetabolites, anthracyclines, plant alkaloids, topoisomerase inhibitors, and antitumour agents. All of these drugs affect cell division or DNA synthesis and function in some way. Some newer agents don't directly interfere with DNA. These include the new tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate (Gleevec® or Glivec®), which directly targets a molecular abnormality in certain types of cancer (chronic myelogenous leuke ...

See also:

Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy - History, Chemotherapy - Principles, Chemotherapy - Types, Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A, Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B, Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C, Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX, Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D, Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy - Dosage, Chemotherapy - Delivery, Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes, Chemotherapy - Side-effects, Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression, Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting, Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia II - Chemotherapy - Types

The ancient Greeks used olive oil as a type of sunscreen. However, this was not very effective. Throughout the early twentieth century, H.A. Milton Blake, a South Australian chemist, as well as several other inventors attempted to create an effective sunscreen but failed. It was not until 1944 that the first effective sunscreen was invented. At that time, World War II was in full swing and many soldiers were getting serious sunburn. A pharmacist named Benjamin Greene decided to create something that would save the soldiers from the su ...

See also:

Sunscreen, Sunscreen - History, Sunscreen - Mechanism of Action, Sunscreen - Sun protection factor, Sunscreen - Melanin

Read more here: » Sunscreen: Encyclopedia II - Sunscreen - History

When the aortic valve becomes stenotic, it causes a pressure gradient between the left ventricle (LV) and the aorta. The more constricted the valve, the higher the gradient between the LV and the aorta. For instance, with a mild AS, the gradient may be 20 mmHg. This means that, at peak systole, while the LV may generate a pressure of 140 mmHg, the pressure that is transmitted to the aorta will only be 120 mmHg. So, while a blood pressure cuff may measure a normal systolic blood pressure, the actual p ...

See also:

Aortic valve stenosis, Aortic valve stenosis - Pathophysiology, Aortic valve stenosis - Etiology, Aortic valve stenosis - Physical examination, Aortic valve stenosis - Symptoms and signs of aortic stenosis, Aortic valve stenosis - Congestive heart failure, Aortic valve stenosis - Syncope, Aortic valve stenosis - Angina, Aortic valve stenosis - Associated symptoms, Aortic valve stenosis - Calculation of valve area, Aortic valve stenosis - Planimetry, Aortic valve stenosis - The continuity equation, Aortic valve stenosis - The Gorlin equation, Aortic valve stenosis - The Hakki equation

Read more here: » Aortic valve stenosis: Encyclopedia II - Aortic valve stenosis - Pathophysiology

There are a number of strategies in the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs used today. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or it may aim to prolong life or to palliate symptoms. Combined modality chemotherapy is the use of drugs with other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy or surgery. Most cancers are now treated in this way. Combination chemotherapy is a similar practice which involves treating a patient with a number of different drugs simultaneously. The drugs differ in their mechanism and side effects. The biggest advantage is minimising the ...

See also:

Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy - History, Chemotherapy - Principles, Chemotherapy - Types, Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A, Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B, Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C, Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX, Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D, Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy - Dosage, Chemotherapy - Delivery, Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes, Chemotherapy - Side-effects, Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression, Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting, Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia II - Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes

Results of a medical study known as the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) demonstrated that patients with structural heart disease (such as a history of MI (heart attack), or LV Dysfuction) and also patients with ventricular arrythmias, should not take this drug. In patients with these kinds of heart diseases, flecainide actually increases the chance of suffering a fatal arrythmia. The dose may need to be adjusted in certain clinical scenarios. As with all other antiarrhythmic agents, there is a risk of proarrhythmia associa ...

See also:

Flecainide, Flecainide - Uses, Flecainide - Dosing, Flecainide - Mechanism of action, Flecainide - Metabolism and drug interactions, Flecainide - Serious adverse reactions, Flecainide - Toxicity, Flecainide - Long term effects

Read more here: » Flecainide: Encyclopedia II - Flecainide - Serious adverse reactions

In children, the Schwartz formula is used. This employs the serum creatinine, the child's height and a constant to estimate the creatinine clearance. k - the constant is 0.33-0.45 in infants, 0.55 in children or adolescent girls, or 0.70 in adolescent boys. ...

See also:

Renal function, Renal function - Indirect markers, Renal function - Glomerular filtration rate, Renal function - Cockroft-Gault formula, Renal function - MDRD formula, Renal function - Children: Schwartz

Read more here: » Renal function: Encyclopedia II - Renal function - Children: Schwartz

Flecainide has high bioavailability after an oral dose8, meaning that most of the drug that is ingested will enter the systemic blood stream. Peak serum concentrations can be seen 1 to 6 hours after ingestion of an oral dose. While the plasma half life is about 20 hours, it is quite variable, and can range from 12 to 27 hours9. During oral loading with flecainide, a steady state equilibrium is typically achieved in 3 to 5 days. The majority of flecainide is eliminated by the kidneys, with the remainder metabolise ...

See also:

Flecainide, Flecainide - Uses, Flecainide - Dosing, Flecainide - Mechanism of action, Flecainide - Metabolism and drug interactions, Flecainide - Serious adverse reactions, Flecainide - Toxicity, Flecainide - Long term effects

Read more here: » Flecainide: Encyclopedia II - Flecainide - Metabolism and drug interactions

The treatment can be physically exhausting for the patient. Current chemotherapeutic techniques have a range of side effects mainly affecting the fast-dividing cells of the body. Important common side-effects include (dependent on the agent): Hair loss Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea or constipation Anemia Depression of the immune system hence (potentially lethal) infections and sepsis Hemorrhage Secondary neoplasms Cardiotoxicity Hepatotoxicity Nephrotoxicity Ototoxicity Chemotherapy - I ...

See also:

Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy - History, Chemotherapy - Principles, Chemotherapy - Types, Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A, Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B, Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C, Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX, Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D, Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy - Dosage, Chemotherapy - Delivery, Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes, Chemotherapy - Side-effects, Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression, Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting, Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia II - Chemotherapy - Side-effects

Flecainide works by blocking the Nav1.5 sodium channel in the heart, causing prolongation of the cardiac action potential.6 This thereby slows conduction of the electrical impulse within the heart. The greatest effect is on the His-Purkinje system and ventricular myocardium. The effect of flecainide on the ventricular myocardium causes decreased contractility of the muscle, which leads to a decrease in the ejection fraction. The effect of flecainide on the sodium channels of the heart increases as the heart rate increases.< ...

See also:

Flecainide, Flecainide - Uses, Flecainide - Dosing, Flecainide - Mechanism of action, Flecainide - Metabolism and drug interactions, Flecainide - Serious adverse reactions, Flecainide - Toxicity, Flecainide - Long term effects

Read more here: » Flecainide: Encyclopedia II - Flecainide - Mechanism of action

Most doctors use creatinine, urea and electrolytes to determine renal function. These measures are adequate to determine whether a patient is suffering from kidney disease. Unfortunately, BUN and creatinine will not be outside the normal range until 60% of total kidney function is lost. Hence, creatinine clearance is a more accurate measure and is used whenever renal disease is suspected ...

See also:

Renal function, Renal function - Indirect markers, Renal function - Glomerular filtration rate, Renal function - Cockroft-Gault formula, Renal function - MDRD formula, Renal function - Children: Schwartz

Read more here: » Renal function: Encyclopedia II - Renal function - Indirect markers

The name glucocorticoid derives from early observations that these hormones were involved in glucose metabolism. In the fasted state, cortisol stimulates several processes that collectively serve to increase and maintain normal concentrations of glucose in blood. These effects include: Stimulation of gluconeogenesis, particularly in the liver: This pathway results in the synthesis of glucose from non-hexose substrates such as amino acids and lipids and is particularly important in carnivores and certain herbivores. Enhanc ...

See also:

Glucocorticoid, Glucocorticoid - Effects, Glucocorticoid - Mode of action, Glucocorticoid - Pharmacologic properties, Glucocorticoid - Physiologic replacement of glucocorticoid, Glucocorticoid - Medical uses and effects of high dose glucocorticoids, Glucocorticoid - Immunosuppressive mechanism, Glucocorticoid - Antiinflammatory effects, Glucocorticoid - Side effects, Glucocorticoid - Adrenal suppression and withdrawal

Read more here: » Glucocorticoid: Encyclopedia II - Glucocorticoid - Effects

The treatment can be physically exhausting for the patient. Current chemotheraputic techniques have a range of side effects mainly affecting the fast-dividing cells of the body. Important common side-effects include (dependent on the agent): Hair loss Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea or constipation Anemia Depression of the immune system hence (potentially lethal) infections and sepsis Hemorrhage Secondary neoplasms Cardiotoxicity Hepatotoxicity Nephrotoxicity Ototoxicity Chemotherapy - I ...

See also:

Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy - History, Chemotherapy - Principles, Chemotherapy - Types, Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A, Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B, Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C, Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX, Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D, Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy - Dosage, Chemotherapy - Delivery, Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes, Chemotherapy - Side-effects, Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression, Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting, Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia II - Chemotherapy - Side-effects

There are a number of strategies in the administration of chemotheraputic drugs used today. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or it may aim to prolong life or to palliate symptoms. Combined modality chemotherapy is the use of drugs with other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy or surgery. Most cancers are now treated in this way. Combination chemotherapy is a similar practice which involves treating a patient with a number of different drugs simultaneously. The drugs differ in their mechanism and side effects. The biggest advantage is minimising the ...

See also:

Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy - History, Chemotherapy - Principles, Chemotherapy - Types, Chemotherapy - Alkylating agents L01A, Chemotherapy - Anti-metabolites L01B, Chemotherapy - Plant alkaloids and terpenoids L01C, Chemotherapy - Topoisomerase inhibitors L01CB and L01XX, Chemotherapy - Antitumour antibiotics L01D, Chemotherapy - Hormonal therapy, Chemotherapy - Dosage, Chemotherapy - Delivery, Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes, Chemotherapy - Side-effects, Chemotherapy - Immunosuppression and myelosuppression, Chemotherapy - Nausea and vomiting, Chemotherapy - Other side effects

Read more here: » Chemotherapy: Encyclopedia II - Chemotherapy - Treatment schemes