Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Breath Holding
Breath-holding attacks are not uncommon in infants and toddlers. They are characterised by the child suddenly stopping breathing in the midst of a bout of crying provoked by pain, some emotional upset, or loss of temper, and sometimes for no obvious reason. The breath may be held so long that the child goes blue in…
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Breast Screening
A set of investigations aimed at the early detection of breast cancer. It includes self-screening by monthly examination of the breasts, and formal programmes of screening by x-ray mammography in special clinics. In the UK the NHS offers regular mammography examinations to all women between 50 and 70 years of age at 80 special screening…
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Diseases of breasts
The female breasts may be expected to undergo hormone-controlled enlargement at puberty, and later in pregnancy, and the glandular part of the breast undergoes involution (shrinkage) after the menopause. The breast can also be affected by many different diseases, with common symptoms being pain, nipple discharge or retraction, and the formation of a lump within…
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Brain-Stem Death
Brain damage, resulting in the irreversible loss of brain function, renders the individual incapable of life without the aid of a ventilator. Criteria have been developed to recognise that irreversible brain damage without chance of recovery has occurred and to allow ventilation to be stopped: in the UK, these criteria require the patient to be…
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Brain Injuries
Most blows to the head cause no loss of consciousness and no brain injury. If someone is knocked out for a minute or two, there has been a brief disturbance of the brain cells (concussion); usually there are no after-effects. Most patients so affected leave hospital within 1-3 days, have no organic signs, and recover…
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Diseases of brain
These consist either of expanding masses (lumps or tumours), or of areas of shrinkage (atrophy) due to degeneration, or to loss of blood supply, usually from blockage of an artery.
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Brachydactyly
The conditions in which the fingers or toes are abnormally short.
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Brachycephalic
Brachycephalic means short-headed and is a term applied to skulls the breadth of which is at least four-fifths of the length. Having a cephalic index of 81.0 to 85.4. This is considered a short head but not necessarily abnormal, as this index falls within the standard range of variation among humans,
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Bornholm disease
Bornholm disease, also known as devil’s grip, and epidemic myalgia, is an acute infective disease due to coxsackie viruses. It is characterised by the abrupt onset of pain around the lower margin of the ribs, headache, and fever; it occurs in epidemics, usually during warm weather, and is more common in young people than in…
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Bone Transplant
The insertion of a piece of bone from another site or from another person to fill a defect, provide supporting tissue, or encourage the growth of new bone.
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