Category: N

Causative organism of cerebrospinal meningitis and cerebrospinal fever, N. meningitidis is characteristically seen as an intracellular Gram-negative diplococcus in the neutrophilic pus cells of infected CSF. Cultures are derived from CSF and blood, from the nasopharynx of carriers, rarely from other sites (e.g., lung). The organism grows best on serum-or blood-agar in air plus 5…

Causative organism of gonorrhoea, the gonococcus is morpho¬ logically identical with the meningococcus, the intracellular diplococci occurring in the pus cells of urethral or vaginal discharge, less commonly in peritoneal organs, in the conjunctiva of infants infected at birth, and other sites. Cultures grow slowly (2 – 3 days) on fresh, moist blood agar with…

Aerobic Gram-negative cocci about 1 μm in diameter, occurring in pairs with parallel flattened adjacent sides, and including both pathogenic and non-pathogenic species.  

Overlying a film of bacteria with Indian ink (Bum’s Method) or Nigrosin (Fleming) so showing the organisms as unstained shapes against a dark background.  

An antibiotic with a high level of activity against Gram-negative organisms, nalidixic acid is chemically l-ethyl-7-methyl-4-oxo-l, 8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid. Usually taken orally, the principal use of the drug is in the treatment of urinary infections. Antibiotic used to treat certain infections of the urinary tract. Adverse effects include neurological and gastrointestinal disturbances, and the possibility of…

Confirmatory test for Clostridium welchii, consisting of demonstration of the lethicinase activity of the alpha toxin on half of a serum agar plate seeded with the suspect Clostridium. On the other half of the plate the application of Cl. welchii antitoxin neutralizes the toxin as it is formed, and colonies are not surrounded by the…

Determining the nutritional status of an individual or a group through physical, biochemical, or dietary intake indicators.  

Nutrients which are alleged or proven to be active in preventing or treating disease. Vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, and other supplements are the major classes of such products. Examples, with some of the claims made for them, are beta-carotene (prevention of cancer); fish oils, niacin, oat bran (prevention of heart disease); fiber-based appetite suppressants (weight…

The provision of nourishment. In health care, the nourishment under consideration is that required for the mental, spiritual, emotional, and social wellbeing of the patient and family as well as their physical well-being. The topic is getting increasing attention as hospital stays are becoming shorter and hospitalization is often being avoided altogether; the nurturing formerly…

Those services normally provided by nurses, including personal care, administration of drugs and other medications and treatments, assessment of patients’ needs and care requirements, and preparation of care plans for individual patients. Nurse practice acts (laws) in the various states place limitations on the tasks (for example, administration of intravenous medication) which can be performed…