With the increasing use of ecstasy (MDMA) as a recreational drug, overdosing is fairly common. Ecstasy is an illicit drug, often used in combination with other drugs, which greatly increases the risk of toxicity. There is no such thing as a safe dose of the drug and even a minimum amount can produce toxicity and death. It >> Read More ...
What is acetaminophen or paracetamol? Acetaminophen or paracetamol is one of the most common agents used for intentional self-poisoning because of its easy availability. It is the active ingredient found in many over the counter (OTC) and prescription drugs used as an analgesic (pain reliever) or antipyretic (for reducing >> Read More ...
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and other salicylates are present in many over-the-counter (OTC) drugs which are used as analgesics (pain relievers), antipyretics (for controlling fever), and anti-inflammatory medicines. Due to its antiplatelet effect, aspirin is prescribed in low doses for prevention of heart attack, >> Read More ...
Poisoning is a common medical emergency seen in both children and adults. Prompt treatment is often a matter of life or death and the measures that are first undertaken, even by a person that is not medically trained, can greatly alter the outlook. In most cases the poison is self-administered. Self-poisoning may be >> Read More ...
Compound fractures are not just a type of fracture, but have a completely different entity, when it comes to managing their symptoms and complications. Not only are they prone to develop several complications, but they have some peculiar symptoms, which if noted, herald the onset of a multitude of interventions by several >> Read More ...
Sudden and severe breathlessness is extremely distressing if it arises for no known reason and persists for even a few minutes. Breathlessness includes shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing or discomfort when breathing that restricts the breathing rate and depth. While an acute shortness of breath is >> Read More ...
A finger or digit pulse oximeter is a non-invasive device for measuring the oxygen content of blood, also known as oxygen saturation. It is a highly portable device, which is indispensable for any emergency room or operation theater. Oxygen saturation is a measure of the body’s ability to pump oxygenated blood to all >> Read More ...
Certain drugs are more likely to be misused or abused due to a tendency to be addictive. This addiction may either be psychological or physiological. In the former, a person may display behavior that is characteristic of addiction and feel that they need the drug on a regular basis but do not usually show withdrawal >> Read More ...
What is a Fever? A fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is an elevation in the body temperature above the norm. This is broadly defined as oral temperature reading above 37.5 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Farenheit) and a core body temperature (rectally) above 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees >> Read More ...
Vomiting and diarrhea are two common ailments which may not be due to any serious cause if the vomiting is once off or the diarrhea only lasts for a day. However, the presence of both vomiting and diarrhea simultaneously may be a cause for concern, especially if it is sudden in onset and violent or explosive. In order to >> Read More ...
