Category: S

A group of disorders in which the affected individuals suffer from repeated physical symptoms for which no physical cause can be discovered. Somatization is the process by which a person’s psychological needs are expressed in the form of physical symptoms.  

A disinfectant by virtue of the fact that it gives off chlorine. For domestic use as, for example, for sterilizing baby feeding bottles it is available in a variety of proprietary preparations. An antiseptic used in root canal therapy. This solution is not suitable for application to wounds. Common household bleach; an effective disinfectant for…

An organic iodine salt that is radio-opaque and therefore used as a contrast medium to outline various organs in the body in X-ray films. It is given intravenously. Its main use is in pyelography that is, in rendering the kidneys radio-opaque but it is also used to outline the blood vessels (angiography) and the gallbladder and…

Used in the prophylaxis of asthma, it is administered by inhalation; it can reduce the incidence of asthmatic attacks but is of no value in the treatment of an acute attack. It acts by preventing the release of pharmacological mediators of bronchospasm, particularly histamine, by stabilizing mast-cell membranes. It is of particular use in patients…

A gold compound given by deep intramuscular injection in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in children and adults. Known as a second-line or disease-modifying antirheumatoid drug, its therapeutic effect may take up to six months to achieve a full response. Gold treatment is particularly useful for palindromic arthritis in which the disease comes and goes.  

An operation in which large breaches of skin surface due to wounding, burns or ulceration are closed by transplantation of skin from other parts. There are three methods by which this is done. Most frequently the epidermis only is transplanted, using a method introduced by Reverdin and by Thiersch, and known by their names. For…

They may be local to the skin, or a manifestation of systemic disorders inherited or acquired.  

Accommodation that has been adapted to cater for the special requirements of those elderly people who can largely look after themselves but benefit from some discreet supervision. The accommodation is usually a small flat, and a warden will supervise a group of flats. Meals and other services may be provided, and the payment system varies…

This is a type of non-accidental head-injury to infants, which results in cerebral haemorrhage and can cause severe brain damage or even death. There is controversy as to whether it can be caused simply by violent shaking or whether impact against a hard surface is also necessary. In addition, some pathologists claim that identical lesions…

The way in which a characteristic or an illness determined by the sex chromosomes in an individual’s cells is passed on to the succeeding generation. Men have one X and one Y sex chromosome and women have two X chromosomes. Disorders that result from an abnormal number of sex chromosomes include klinefelter’s syndrome, which affects…