Medicine, SEI-VIR
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
seizure, sudden, uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain. Seizures produce a wide range of symptoms, including......
semaglutide, drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and to aid weight loss in persons who are severely overweight.......
semen analysis, laboratory examination of a sample of seminal fluid, usually consisting of the determination of......
sensitivity and specificity, two measures used to determine the validity of a test, typically in a clinical setting......
sensitivity training, psychological technique in which intensive group discussion and interaction are used to increase......
serological test, any of several laboratory procedures carried out on a sample of blood serum (the clear liquid......
sex therapy, form of behaviour modification or psychotherapy directed specifically at difficulties in sexual interaction.......
sexology, interdisciplinary science that focuses on diverse aspects of human sexual behavior and sexuality, including......
shock therapy, method of treating certain psychiatric disorders through the use of drugs or electric current to......
Siddha medicine, traditional system of healing that originated in South India and is considered to be one of India’s......
silicone breast implant, prosthesis made from a polymer gel contained within a flexible casing that is used for......
silver nitrate, caustic chemical compound, important as an antiseptic, in the industrial preparation of other silver......
single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), imaging technique used in biomedical research and in diagnosis.......
skin graft, transplantation of healthy skin from one area of the body to cover and heal a large wound or burn in......
skin test, introduction of a specific test substance into the skin of an individual, either by injection or by......
smallpox vaccine, preparation of vaccinia virus given to prevent smallpox. Vaccinia virus is a type of poxvirus......
smart drug, any of a group of pharmaceutical agents used to improve the intellectual capacity of persons suffering......
smelling salts, any of several different preparations of ammonia-based product and other ingredients used to revive......
Snellen chart, chart used to measure visual acuity by determining the level of visual detail that a person can......
somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), technique in which the nucleus of a somatic (body) cell is transferred to......
sore throat, painful inflammation of the passage from the mouth to the pharynx or of the pharynx itself. A sore......
spa, spring or resort with thermal or mineral water used for drinking and bathing. The name was taken from a town......
speech therapy, therapeutic treatment to correct defects in speaking. Such defects may originate in the brain,......
sphygmomanometer, instrument for measuring blood pressure. It consists of an inflatable rubber cuff, which is wrapped......
spironolactone, diuretic drug that is used primarily to treat conditions related to edema (fluid retention), hypertension......
sports medicine, medical and paramedical supervision, of athletes in training and in competition, with the goal......
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the leading pediatric hospitals and health care charities in the......
statin, drug that acts to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA (5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme......
stereotaxic surgery, a three-dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located......
sterilization, in medicine, surgical procedure for the permanent prevention of conception by removing or interrupting......
stethoscope, medical instrument used in listening to sounds produced within the body, chiefly in the heart or lungs.......
stimulant, any drug that excites any bodily function, but more specifically those that stimulate the brain and......
streptomycin, antibiotic synthesized by the soil organism Streptomyces griseus. Streptomycin was discovered by......
sulfa drug, any member of a group of synthetic antibiotics containing the sulfanilamide molecular structure. Sulfa......
suramin, synthetic drug used in the treatment of sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis), a disease caused......
surgeon general of the United States, supervising medical officer of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned......
surgery, branch of medicine that is concerned with the treatment of injuries, diseases, and other disorders by......
suzetrigine, pain-relieving drug, the first to be developed in a class of agents known as non-opioid analgesics,......
syphilis test, any of several laboratory procedures for the detection of syphilis. The most commonly used tests......
tamoxifen, synthetic hormone, used primarily in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, that inhibits the......
telemedicine, field in which telecommunication technologies and medicine interact to allow for the provision of......
tetracycline, any of a group of broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds that have a common basic structure and are......
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), active constituent of marijuana and hashish that was first isolated from the Indian......
thalidomide, compound in medicine initially used as a sedative and an antiemetic until the discovery that it caused......
Female genital cutting (FGC) is a procedure that is performed on the genital tissue of a female ranging in age......
With the growing movement to legalize marijuana in the United States, the drug is in the news more than ever before.......
For those of us who got our introduction to Dr. Frankenstein and his monster from the movies, reading Mary Shelley’s......
Across many cultures, humans have regarded blood as a substance with important regenerative properties since long......
This special report has been provided to Britannica by NewsGuard, which offers the service HealthGuard to fight......
- Introduction
- MYTH: The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 do not fit the CDC and FDA’s definitions of a vaccine, which state that vaccines have to both stimulate immunity and disrupt transmission of a virus.
- MYTH: The increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in India between February and May 2021 was caused by COVID-19 vaccinations.
- MYTH: The CDC director said that COVID-19 vaccines fail to protect against the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus and that vaccinated individuals can be superspreaders of the virus, because they have higher viral loads than the unvaccinated.
Since 1999, the death rate from opioid drug overdose in the United States has been on the rise. The rate nearly......
theobromine, diuretic drug and major alkaloidal constituent of cocoa. Theobromine is a xanthine alkaloid, a methylxanthine,......
theophylline, alkaloidal drug used in medicine as an antiasthmatic, coronary vasodilator, and diuretic. Theophylline......
Theranos, Inc., medical diagnostic company founded in 2003 by Stanford University dropout and entrepreneur Elizabeth......
therapeutic index, margin of safety that exists between the dose of a drug that produces the desired effect and......
therapeutics, treatment and care of a patient for the purpose of both preventing and combating disease or alleviating......
- Introduction
- Treatment, Symptoms, Drugs
- Sleep Hygiene, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Herbal Remedies
- Diet, Nutrition, Health
- Elderly Care, Medication, Treatment
- Hypertension, Treatment, Prevention
- Plasma Therapy, Blood Components, Immunomodulation
- Immunotherapy, Biologics, Vaccines
- Drug Therapy, Pharmacology, Treatment
- Indications, Uses, Benefits
- Systemic Drug, Treatment, Pharmacology
- Nervous System, Drugs, Treatments
- Surgery, Treatment, Prevention
- Surgery, Extirpation, Treatment
- Surgery, Techniques, Procedures
- Psychotherapy, Mental Health, Treatment
- Group Therapy, Mental Health, Support
thimerosal, mercury-containing organic compound with antimicrobial and preservative properties. Thimerosal was......
Thomson Corporation, Canadian publishing and information services company. Its specialty reporting covers the fields......
thoracentesis, medical procedure used in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the pleural space—the......
three-parent baby, human offspring produced from the genetic material of one man and two women through the use......
thymol turbidity, laboratory test for the nonspecific measurement of globulins, a group of blood proteins that......
thyroid function test, any laboratory procedure that assesses the production of the two active thyroid hormones,......
tirzepatide, synthetic antidiabetic drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide is the first drug......
tissue engineering, scientific field concerned with the development of biological substitutes capable of replacing......
Tommy John surgery, surgery performed to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on the medial side of the elbow......
tomography, radiologic technique for obtaining clear X-ray images of deep internal structures by focusing on a......
toxicological examination, medical inspection of an individual who is, or is suspected of being, poisoned. In most......
toxicology, study of poisons and their effects, particularly on living systems. Because many substances are known......
toxicology test, any of a group of laboratory analyses that are used to determine the presence of poisons and other......
toxoid, bacterial poison (toxin) that is no longer active but retains the property of combining with or stimulating......
tracheotomy, a procedure in which an incision is made through the front of the neck into the trachea to allow placement......
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), system of medicine at least 23 centuries old that aims to prevent or heal disease......
tranquilizer, drug that is used to reduce anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and related states of mental disturbance.......
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), technique based on electromagnetic induction that is used to stimulate......
transfer factor, small polypeptide that is produced by a type of white blood cell called a T cell and that when......
translational medicine, area of research that aims to improve human health and longevity by determining the relevance......
transplant, in medicine, a section of tissue or a complete organ that is removed from its original natural site......
trazodone, drug used to treat depression and to induce sedation in persons with certain anxiety disorders and sleep......
triage, Division of patients for priority of care, usually into three categories: those who will not survive even......
tropical disease, any disease that is indigenous to tropical or subtropical areas of the world or that occurs principally......
tropical medicine, medical science applied to diseases that occur primarily in countries with tropical or subtropical......
tube feeding, method of delivering nutrients directly into the stomach or small intestine through a flexible tube.......
tuberculin test, procedure for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection by the introduction into the skin, usually......
Tuskegee syphilis study, American medical research project that earned notoriety for its unethical experimentation......
Tylenol, trademarked brand of acetaminophen, an aspirin-free pain reliever and fever reducer introduced in 1955......
ultrasound, in medicine, the use of high-frequency sound (ultrasonic) waves to produce images of structures within......
Unani medicine, a traditional system of healing and health maintenance observed in South Asia. The origins of Unani......
United Nations Foundation, public charity created in 1998 to assist the United Nations (UN) and its humanitarian......
urinalysis, laboratory examination of a sample of urine to obtain clinical information. Most of the substances......
urography, X-ray examination of any part of the urinary tract after introduction of a radiopaque substance (often......
urology, medical specialty involving the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the urinary tract......
uroscopy, medical examination of the urine in order to facilitate the diagnosis of a disease or disorder. Examining......
urostomy, the surgical formation of a new channel for urine and liquid wastes following the removal of the bladder......
vaccine, suspension of weakened, killed, or fragmented microorganisms or toxins or other biological preparation,......
Valium, trade name of a tranquilizer drug introduced by the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche in 1963. Safer......
variolation, historical method of immunizing healthy individuals against smallpox by infecting them with substance......
vasectomy, severing of the vas deferens in the male reproductive tract to bring about sterility or to prevent infection.......
ventricular assist device (VAD), machine designed to facilitate the pumping of blood from the ventricles (lower......
veterinary medicine, medical specialty concerned with the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases......
Viagra, trade name of the first oral drug for male impotence, introduced by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer,......
viral vector, in molecular biology, a tool used to deliver genetic material to cells. Viruses are useful delivery......