Abruptio placentae

Abruptio placentae

A premature separation of a normally implanted placenta from the uterine wall, usually occuring in the third  trimester of pregnancy.

Etiology and Incidence

Etiology is unknown but has been linked to hypertension, cocaine use, smoking and blunt force trauma to abdomen. Abruptio placentae occurs in 0.4% to 3.5% of all deliveries and accounts for 15% of all perinatal deaths. About one third of infants born to women with abruptio placentae die from either prematurity or intrauterine hypoxia. There is a 1% maternal mortality rate.

Pathophysiology

The placentae releases from th e wall of the uterus, and retroplacental bleeding occurs. The degree of release may vary from a few milimeters to complete detachment. Blood can accumulate under the placenta (concealed hemorhage) or can be passed out the cervix (external  hemorhage).

Risk Factors

Hypetension, cocaine use, cigarette use (15% to 25% of cases linked to smoking), blunt force abdominal trauma (auto accident and maternal battering), previous separation of placenta (risk of recurrence 4%; risk after two separations rises to 25%), multiple fetuses, premature rupture of membranes for more than 24 hours.

Clinical manifestations

Signs and symptoms vary with degree of separation and hemorrhage. Severe cases involve profuse vaginal bleeding, maternal shock (hypotension, dizziness, rapid pulse, dyspnea and pallor); sudden, severe pain; tender, tightly contracted uterus; and fetal distress or fetal death.

Complications

Complications include hypofibrinogenemia with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), uteroplacental apoplexy (couvelaire uterus), and renal failure. Preexisting preeclampsia compounds complications.

Diagnostic tests

History and physical examination

Abdominal ultrasound to rule out placenta previa

Abruptio placentae

What is anemia?

What is anemia?

It is a condition in which red blood cells that carry oxygen due to the body tissues decreases. This function is carried out by a protein called hemoglobin. Anemia usually means inadequate of hemoglobin .Normal level of Haemoglobin is between 11.5 to 16.5g/dL for women and 12.5 for men to 18.5g/dL.

Causes of anemia

1. Blood loss (either acute or chronic)
* Acute blood loss can be seen during the car accident or after surgery.  Blood loss of more than 500ml of blood is usually required fiber.
* Chronic blood loss usually occurs during excessive menstruation, worm infestation and other conditions.

2. The formation of red blood cells that is not enough from bone marrow .

This may be caused by:

* Lack of important factors such as iron, vitamin B12, folate, and erythropoietin.

- Expansion of a sudden for the young, resulting in increased iron          requirements where they exceed the level of iron absorption.

-  menstrual cycle in women with a loss estimated 30mg of iron each month cause iron deficiency.

* Toxic factors: inflammatory disease, liver and kidney failure, drugs.
* Lack of hormones: low thyroid hormone levels.
* Attacks the bone marrow: blood cancer, bone marrow disease.
* Disorders of red blood cell formation: conditions such as thalassemia.
2. The destruction of red blood cells over

May occur in some infections, or taking any medication.

Common type of anemia are:

* Anemia due to iron deficiency.
* Thalassemia

Signs and symptoms
Many teenagers suffer from anemia and do not know why.
Symptoms include:

* Nausea all the time
* Dizziness
* Shortness of breath when performing physical atktiviti
* Skin pale
* Rapid heart rate
* Poor memory
* Less weight

Complications of anemia

If anemia is severe it can cause:

* The failure of the heart in which heart function become weak and inadequate.
* Problems during pregnancy such as premature birth and fetal growth retardation when they are in content.

Treatment of anemia

Hemoglobin examination to determine whether you have anemia or can not be done in a clinic near you.

Treatment of anemia depends on the type of anemia encountered.

* If it is caused by medical problems such as thalassemia, Leukaemia, special treatment is needed.
* If it is caused by iron deficiency, then it must take a balanced diet containing a high iron and iron pill increase. Please see Table 1 for the iron content in food.

Other tips: For the treatment of iron deficiency:

* It is recommended to take extra iron tablets with vitamin C to help absorption of iron.
* Common causes such as infection and inflammation of the intestinal worms to be treated.

Preventing Bone Disease in Healthy Aging

Each day we live, we grow older failing to see that our bones and muscles demand activities to continue strength, endurance and resistance to life’s nasty living demands. Our bones need continued activities through out our lives starting as a child. Until we turn 30, the bones continue to build. After this age, the bones begin to disintegrate. You can cutback this degeneration process by taking care of your bones in youthful days.

How it is achieved:
Bone health is achieved through activities, such as exercise. In addition, you maintain healthy bones by increasing calcium. Supplements are available, which include the FDA marked remedies to help reduce bone loss from natural aging.

Taking calcium is very important during our entire life. Children should drink 2 cups of milk each day and adults 3 cups. Calcium in food is better to take than pills because you get more of it; food sometimes doesn’t have the right amounts in it due to the way it has been processed. Get that calcium in your body at an early age and keep it there. Besides calcium however, your bones demand a mixture of magnesium. You will also need a healthy dose of phosphorous. Vitamin D facilitates calcium to flow through the bloodstream. Free flowing bloods make a healthier you.

To improve bones, we also need to start at an early age getting plenty of vitamin D. As we get older, we have a tendency to stay out of the sun more. Don’t sit in the house all day. Rather try to get outside around noon and get some sun with all those vitamin D rays. Supplements can be used but again the sun is better. Maybe take a walk for 15-20 minutes each day to get the sun.

As we aging into the later years of our life, we have to keep those bones strong. You can benefit from weight bearing works, such as walking. Keeping those bones strong will help you survive falls. Falls is one of the leading reasons of bone breakage or fractures, especially as we grow older.

Unfortunately, adolescents don’t realize the importance of taking care of our bones. As these adolescents pass puberty however, their bones start to decline. Once a person reaches 50, the bones start to deteriorate, which puts you at high risk of fractures, disease and breakage. As the bones weaken, the muscles and joints will also degenerate. Injures then can lead to gouty arthritis, arthritis, osteoporosis and so on.

The high-risks of bone fractures are charted, which include hip fractures being the most common injure amongst the elderly. Hip fractures may sound like a minor ordeal, yet the truth is hip fractures are responsible for some deaths.

Weak bones are avertable even once you are middle age. It’s never to late to repair or mend our bodies.

Staying fit is the key to preventing risks of disease, hip fractures etc since the bones will stay healthy. In view of the fact, you want to consider a daily schedule, which includes activities and exercise. You want to keep those muscles free to move, since the muscles protect the bones. Stretch workouts and exercise will prevent your joints from feeling stiff as well, which joints support the muscles and bones.

When you exercise you, maintain weight. As you start to age, the body fat increases to more than 30%. This is too much added weight for the muscles, joints and bones. Carrying around this kind of weight on the feet, legs, etc will cause problems later. Maintaining your weight will help prevent and lower your risks of heart disease, bone disease, high-blood, high-cholesterol, diabetes and so on.

Determining The Signs of Colic

Crying is the primal means of an infant to express him or herself. This is why it experts say that it is only a common occurrence if a baby cries often everyday. However, if an infant shows sudden irritability, excessive crying for more than 3 hours a day, and suffer from noticeable discomfort, then this could be a sign colic.

Indeed, one of the difficult phases of parenting is dealing with the infant when he or she shows signs of colic—a severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera such as the intestines. Known as a common problem from the first three weeks up to first three months of a child’ s life, colic is becoming one of the foremost concerns of more and more parents because they also experience and discomfort when their baby starts crying endlessly.

Usually evident from the first 3 weeks of an infant’s life, colic consists of recurrent spasm and abdominal pain. This period of pain usually lasts from three hours up to 12 to 15 hours daily depending on the severity of the case.

When a baby suffers from colic, he or she becomes hypertonic and can show alternating body postures that involve contractions, sudden stretching, spastically stiffening while he or she turns red. When these signs occur, parents should start observing their babies intently because it might be a simple colic or can be signs of a more serious digestive problem.

Until now, doctors and people in the medical world have yet to discover the causes of colic in infants. Although, there have been various studies that indicate the possible causes of the condition that affects 20 percent of babies in the world. Researchers say that colic can originate in a baby’s intestines since he or she has sensitive and developing digestive and nervous system.

Others say that colic can be a result of some environmental factors like certain milk formulas and cow’s milk for certain infants.

THE SIGNS

One of the most common signs of colic in infants is excessive crying with no apparent reason. Statistics show that 1 in every 10 babies experience colic because it is an apparent abdominal pain experienced in early infancy. Usually, colic attacks are evident before, during and after each meal. The cry usually starts out and can continue for 3 hours and more. Aside from loud and excessive crying, periods of irritability, and body contractions are also apparent signs of colic. Other signs of colic include:

Vigorous and excessive for long periods of time despite extreme efforts of consolation

Onset crying that starts around the same time everyday or night and can be ending or never-ending

- Suffers from gas discomfort
- Slight bloating of the abdomen
- Has a hard and bloated stomach
- Unlikely and patterned body contortions like pulling of knees to the chest
- Hard-clenched fists
- Flailing arms and legs
- Arched back
- Frequent sleeplessness
- Chronic irritability
- Unreasonable fussiness
- Reddening face due to ling periods of crying
- Excessive belching or spitting up after feeding
- Passing gas
- Experience difficulty in passing stools

This list includes only the usual signs of colic. It is best if you visit a doctor once you see these symptoms in your baby so you can be sure that he or she is not experiencing more serious illness as early as now.