Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Something that is normal, that is due neither to anything pathologic nor significant in terms of causing illness. For example, physiologic jaundice is jaundice that is within normal limits.

A thick volume that provides a guide to prescription drugs available in the United States. Although not exactly recommended fare for bedtime reading, the PDR is the most commonly used drug reference. The information is the same as the leaflet in the drug package, also known as the package insert. Drug companies pay to have their drug…

A physician assistant (PA) is a mid-level medical practitioner who works under the supervision of a licensed doctor (an MD) or osteopathic physician (a DO). The physician assistant came about in the 1960s as a response to the need for more clinicians and better access to health care. The first PA program was developed by Dr. Eugene Stead, chairman…

A person who is trained in the art of healing. In the UK, a physician is a specialist in internal or general medicine, whereas in the US a physician is any doctor of medicine. The term generally refers to a person who has earned a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) degree…

A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities. Abbreviated PT. PT is appropriate for many types of patients, from infants born with musculoskeletal birth defects, to adults suffering from sciatica or the after effects of injury or surgery, to elderly poststroke patients.

Next to child neglect, physical abuse is the second most frequently reported form of child abuse, accounting for 25% of all cases of child abuse. Physical child abuse is physical injury inflicted upon the child with cruel and/or malicious intent. Physical abuse can be the result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, or otherwise harming…

A good trivia or crossword item. An over-consonanted Greek word meaning “a dwindling or wasting away.” Pronounced TIE-sis. Phthisis is an archaic name for tuberculosis. A person afflicted with tuberculosis in the old days was destined to dwindle and waste away like Mimi, the heroine of Puccini’s 1896 opera “La Boheme.” Nephronophthisis is derived from “nephron” + “phthisis.” The…

The Public Health Service, the agency responsible for the public health of the American people. The Public Health Service (PHS) administers a number of critically important health agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Founding: In 1798, Congress established the U. S. Marine Hospital…

Treatment with light. For example, a newborn with jaundice may be put under special lights to help reduce the amount of bilirubin pigment in the skin.

Oversensitivity of skin to light. Photosensitivity can be a side effect of medications or result from diseases, such as lupus. Treatment depends on the severity of the reaction and the cause. Photosensitivity can be prevented by avoiding skin exposure to ultraviolet light.