Medicine, IBU-MED
Humans have long sought to find cures for the ailments and injuries that befall them. This has led to a long history of diverse attempted treatments, including herbal remedies, leeching, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, and more, all the way up to the most recent science-based treatments that have come into use during the development of today's modern medicine. Medical research and the study of the causes of disease have led to rapid and significant advances in medicine, improving both the efficacy of treatments and our understanding of illnesses and how they operate. The importance of preventive medicine has grown, and the field of medicine has become increasingly specialized as medical disciplines and branches such as endocrinology, immunology, psychiatry, radiology, epidemiology, and nanomedicine have emerged.
Medicine Encyclopedia Articles By Title
ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of minor pain, fever, and inflammation. Like......
IG Farben, (German: “Syndicate of Dyestuff-Industry Corporations”), world’s largest chemical concern, or cartel,......
imatinib, anticancer drug used primarily in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Imatinib was approved......
imidazole, any of a class of organic compounds of the heterocyclic series characterized by a ring structure composed......
imipramine, synthetic drug used in the treatment of depression and enuresis (bed-wetting). Introduced into medicine......
immunization, process by which resistance to disease is acquired or induced in plants and animals. This discussion......
immunologic blood test, any of a group of diagnostic analyses of blood that employ antigens (foreign proteins)......
immunology, the scientific study of the body’s resistance to invasion by other organisms (i.e., immunity). In a......
immunosuppressant, any agent in a class of drugs that is capable of inhibiting the immune system. Immunosuppressants......
immunosuppression, reduction in the ability of the immune system to defend against disease or infection. Immunosuppression......
immunotherapy, medical treatment in which the body’s own cells or chemicals are used to help the natural immune......
Imperial College London, institution of higher learning in London. It is one of the leading research colleges or......
in vitro fertilization (IVF), medical procedure in which mature egg cells are removed from a woman, fertilized......
index case, in public health, the first case of a disease or other condition that is noticed by health authorities.......
infant stimulation program, approach to sensory enrichment for very young children, particularly those who are......
inoculation, process of producing immunity that consists of introduction of the infectious agent into the body.......
insulin, hormone that regulates the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood and that is produced by the beta cells......
insulin shock therapy, form of psychiatric treatment in which patients were given increasingly large doses of insulin......
intensive care unit, hospital facility for care of critically ill patients at a more intensive level than is needed......
interferon, any of several related proteins that are produced by various types of cells in the body as a defensive......
internal medicine, medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis and medical, as opposed to surgical, treatment......
International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), confederation primarily comprising national sports medicine......
International Unit (IU), in pharmacology, quantity of a substance, such as a vitamin, hormone, or toxin, that produces......
inulin clearance, procedure by which the filtering capacity of the glomeruli (the main filtering structures of......
Les Invalides, an extensive complex of 17th-century structures and courtyards in Paris designed for the care and......
Hallucinogens are a class of psychoactive drugs that produce temporary mental changes that include distorted sensory......
iodoform, a yellow, crystalline solid belonging to the family of organic halogen compounds, used as an antiseptic......
ipecac, dried rhizome and roots of the tropical New World plant Carapichea ipecacuanha of the madder family (Rubiaceae).......
iproniazid, the first drug of the monoamine-oxidase inhibitor series to be introduced into medicine (1958). It......
iron lung, mechanical medical device, sufficiently large to enclose most of an individual’s body, used to maintain......
isolation, in medicine, separation of an infected individual (human or animal) from the healthy until that individual......
isoniazid, drug used in the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. Isoniazid commonly is used in combination......
itching, a stimulation of free nerve endings, usually at the junction of the dermis and epidermis of the skin,......
Itzamná, principal pre-Columbian Mayan deity, ruler of heaven, day, and night. He frequently appeared as four gods......
ivermectin, antiparasitic drug used as a dewormer in livestock and other animals and to treat onchocerciasis (river......
jimsonweed, (Datura stramonium), annual herbaceous plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Possibly native......
Karolinska Institute, a Swedish institute for medical education and research, founded in 1810. The primary interest......
ketamine, general anesthetic agent related structurally to the hallucinogen phencyclidine (PCP). Ketamine was first......
ketoconazole, antifungal drug used to treat skin and bodily infections caused by various types of fungi. Ketoconazole......
khat, (Catha edulis), slender evergreen tree or shrub, the leaves and young buds of which are chewed for a euphoric......
khitān, in Islam, circumcision of the male; by extension it may also refer to the circumcision of the female (properly......
kidney function test, any clinical and laboratory procedure designed to evaluate various aspects of renal (kidney)......
kidney transplant, replacement of a diseased or damaged kidney with a healthy one obtained either from a living......
kinesiology, Study of the mechanics and anatomy of human movement and their roles in promoting health and reducing......
knee-jerk reflex, sudden kicking movement of the lower leg in response to a sharp tap on the patellar tendon, which......
knockout mouse, genetically engineered laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) in which a specific gene has been inactivated,......
kratom, (Mitragyna speciosa), large evergreen tree of the coffee or madder family, the leaves of which function......
labanotation, system of recording human movement, originated by the Hungarian-born dance theorist Rudolf Laban.......
The Lancet, British medical journal established in 1823. The journal’s founder and first editor was Thomas Wakley,......
laparoscopy, procedure that permits visual examination of the abdominal cavity with an optical instrument called......
laparotomy, opening of the abdominal (or peritoneal) cavity. After laparotomy became reasonably safe, the whole......
laryngectomy, surgical procedure to remove all or a portion of the larynx (voice box). The procedure most often......
laryngology, a branch of medicine dealing with the larynx, nose, and pharynx. See...
LASIK, laser-based eye surgery commonly used to correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and......
lateral flow test, method for the rapid detection and quantification of chemicals and other substances (analytes)......
laudanum, originally, the name given by Paracelsus to a famous medical preparation of his own, composed of gold,......
laxative, any drug used in the treatment of constipation to promote the evacuation of feces. Laxatives produce......
leeching, the application of a living leech to the skin in order to initiate blood flow or deplete blood from a......
lethargy, in medicine, a morbid condition of deep and lasting drowsiness from which the sufferer can be aroused......
letrozole, anticancer drug used to inhibit the synthesis of estrogen in postmenopausal women who have breast cancers......
leukapheresis, the separation and collection of white blood cells (leukocytes) from other blood components, including......
levallorphan, drug derived from morphine that can activate certain receptors and inhibit others. Levallorphan’s......
levodopa, Organic compound (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) from which the body makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter......
lidocaine, synthetic organic compound used in medicine, usually in the form of its hydrochloride salt, as a local......
lifesaving, any activity related to the saving of life in cases of drowning, shipwreck, and other accidents on......
lincosamide, any agent in a class of antibiotics that are derived from the compound lincomycin and that inhibit......
lithium, in pharmacology, drug that is the primary treatment for bipolar disorder. Given primarily in its carbonate......
liver function test, any laboratory procedure that measures and assesses various aspects of liver function. Because......
lobotomy, surgical procedure in which the nerve pathways in a lobe or lobes of the brain are severed from those......
lockdown, the ordered confinement of one or more people to a specific location, most commonly for protection from......
lorazepam, drug used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and epilepsy, as a sedative, and to......
Many people know Louis Pasteur for the process that bears his name—pasteurization. However, Pasteur made several......
LSD, potent synthetic hallucinogenic drug that can be derived from the ergot alkaloids (as ergotamine and ergonovine,......
Lugol’s solution, antiseptic mixture of iodine and potassium iodide introduced into medicine in 1829 by French......
lumbar puncture, direct aspiration (fluid withdrawal) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a hollow needle. The......
lung ventilation/perfusion scan, in medicine, a test that measures both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion)......
macrolide, class of antibiotics characterized by their large lactone ring structures and by their growth-inhibiting......
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), three-dimensional diagnostic imaging technique used to visualize organs and structures......
magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diagnostic imaging technique based on the detection of metabolites in tissues.......
magnetoencephalography (MEG), imaging technique that measures the weak magnetic fields emitted by neurons. An array......
malabsorption test, any of a group of noninvasive medical procedures used to diagnose abnormalities associated......
malachite green, triphenylmethane dye used medicinally in dilute solution as a local antiseptic. Malachite green......
malpractice, Negligence, misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or breach of duty in the performance of a professional......
mammography, medical procedure employing X-ray technology to detect lesions in the breast that may be indicative......
managed care, type of health insurance and system of delivering health care services that is intended to minimize......
marijuana, crude drug composed of the leaves and flowers of plants in the genus Cannabis. The term marijuana is......
massage, in medicine, systematic and scientific manipulation of body tissues, performed with the hands for therapeutic......
mastectomy, surgical removal of a breast, usually to remove a malignancy but also performed in the treatment of......
Mayo Clinic, nonprofit surgical and medical clinic with facilities located in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville,......
Mayo family, the most famous group of physicians in the United States. Three generations of the Mayo family established......
mechanical ventilation, the use of an automated machine to move air in and out of the lungs, doing the work of......
mediastinoscopy, medical examination of the mediastinum (the region between the lungs and behind the sternum, or......
medical association, professional organization or learned society developed to promote high standards in medical......
medical cannabis, herbal drug derived from plants of the genus Cannabis that is used as part of the treatment for......
medical examiner, any physician who is charged with the diligent investigation and rigorous examination of the......
medical tourism, international travel for the purpose of receiving medical care. Many patients engage in medical......
medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), intervention used in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), a condition......
medicine, the practice concerned with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease.......
- Introduction
- Costs, Accessibility, Quality
- Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention
- Russia, History, Practices
- Developing Countries, Health Care, Access
- Developing Countries
- Alternative, Complementary, Holistic
- Industrial, Prevention, Safety
- Geriatrics, Elderly Care, Aging
- Japanese History, Practices, & Beliefs
- Clinical Research, Evidence-Based, Diagnosis
- Surgery, Procedures, Techniques
medicine man, member of an indigenous society who is knowledgeable about the magical and chemical potencies of......
history of medicine, the development of the prevention and treatment of disease from prehistoric and ancient times......
- Introduction
- Traditional Asia, Surgery, Medicine
- Chinese Practices, Discoveries, & Innovations
- Japan, Traditional, Modern
- Hellenistic, Roman, Practices
- New Learning, Spread, Medical Advancements
- 18th Century, Advancements, Practices
- Germ Theory, Microbes, Vaccines
- 20th Century, Advancements, Innovations
- Immunology, Vaccines, Microbes
- Immunization, Viral Diseases, Vaccines
- Insulin, Diabetes, Treatment
- Malignant Disease, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Pre-WWI Changes
- Shock, Treatments, Prevention
- WW2, Advancements, Healthcare
- Organ Transplantation