Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) : Complications

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Complications could include:
Loss of ability to care for self; Inhaling food or fluid; Pneumonia; Respiratory failure (see adult respiratory distress syndrome; Skin breakdown (pressure sores; Weight loss.
Source:ADAM
Date:August 7, 2006
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for movement. The motor neurons (nerve cells which send an impulse to illicit muscular contraction or movement) in an...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part I
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for movement. The motor neurons (nerve cells which send an impulse to illicit muscular contraction or movement) in an...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part II
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that breaks down tissues in the nervous system (a neurodegenerative disease) of unknown cause that affects the nerves responsible for movement. It is also known as motor neuron disease and Lou Gehri...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that breaks down tissues in the nervous system (a neurodegenerative disease) of unknown cause that affects the nerves responsible for movement. It is also known as motor neuron disease and Lou Gehri...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Self-care behavior, a key concept in health promotion, refers to decisions and actions that an individual can take to cope with a health problem or to improve his or her health. Examples of self-care behaviors include seeking information (e.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Many different organisms can cause it, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Pneumonia can range from mild to severe, and can even be deadly. The severity depends on the type of organism causing pneumonia, as well as your age and underlying health.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 14, 2008
The most common mechanism by which the lung is inoculated with pathogenic organisms is through microaspiration of oropharyngeal contents, a process that occurs in otherwise healthy individuals during sleep ( Chapter 82 ). Colonization of the oral pharynx with pathogenic organisms, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae ( Chapter 303 ), can thereby lead to delivery of sufficient quantities of organisms to infect the lung.
Source:Elsevier
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung, and can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections. These include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Introduction Pneumonia has been recognized as a disease entity since remote times, with definitions of the condition traceable in ancient Greek, Roman, and Arabic writings. Definitive recognition of the etiologic role of microorganisms in pneumonia, and the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae as the most common causative agent was only achieved roughly 120 years ago.
Source:Elsevier
The actual incidence of pneumonia in ambulatory patients is difficult to estimate because the etiologic agent is rarely identified except in clinical trials, and CAP is not currently considered a reportable disease. Each year in the United States there are 2 to 3 million cases of CAP.
Source:Elsevier
The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of pneumococcal pneumonia and was adapted by materials published by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the CDC.
Source:Elsevier
Pneumocystis pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs primarily in people with weakened immune systems- especially people who are HIV-positive. The disease agent is an organism whose biological classification is still uncertain.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lung that impairs breathing. Small air sacs in the lung (alveoli) become filled with pus, mucus or other fluid, and cannot supply oxygen to circulating blood .
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Eosinophilic pneumonia is a group of diseases in which there is an above normal number of eosinophils in the lungs and blood. Eosinophilia is an increase in the number of eosinophils.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Chlamydial pneumonia refers to one of several types of pneumonia that can be caused by various types of the bacteria known as Chlamydia . Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It results in an inflammatory response within the small air spaces of the lung (alveoli).
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
One of the most common pulmonary complications affecting cancer patients, pneumonia is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of one or both lungs. Causes Serious side effects in cancer patients most often occur in the lungs and may indicate that the cancer is progressing or that the patient has developed a new problem.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections . These include bacteria, amoebae, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Pneumococcal pneumonia is a common but serious infection and inflammation of the lungs. It is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae .
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Respiratory failure is nearly any condition that affects breathing function or the lungs themselves and can result in failure of the lungs to function properly. The main tasks of the lungs and chest are to get oxygen from the air that is inhaled into the bloodstream, and, at the same to time, to eliminate carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) from the blood through air that is breathed out.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Respiratory failure occurs when the lungs ' ability to either add oxygen to the bloodstream or remove carbon dioxide from it is impaired. Respiratory failure can have any one of several causes, such as lung disease or infection , electrolyte imbalance, interruption of the nerve signals that regulate breathing or nervous system damage, structural (rib cage) collapse, or airway obstruction.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
A pressure ulcer is an area of skin that breaks down when you stay in one position for too long without shifting your weight. This often happens if you use a wheelchair or you are bedridden, even for a short period of time (for example, after surgery or an injury. The constant pressure against the skin reduces the blood supply to that area, and the affected tissue dies. A pressure ulcer starts as reddened skin but gets progressively worse, forming a blister, then an open sore, and finally a crater. The most common places for pressure ulcers are over bony prominences (bones close to the skin) like the elbow, heels, hips, ankles, shoulders, back, and the back of the head.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 18, 2007
Age and weight loss Question:Why does it get harder to lose weight with age?Answer:One must burn more calories than one takes in to lose weight at any age. This can be done either with caloric restriction or with exercise. Although metabolism slow...
Source:ADAM
Date:November 13, 2007
Weight loss is a reduction in body mass characterized by a loss of adipose tissue (body fat) and skeletal muscle. Unintentional weight loss is the most common symptom of cancer and often a side effect of cancer treatments.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
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