External carotid artery

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is also known as Diastolic Heart Failure, this “is characterized by restrictive filling and reduced diastolic volume of either [one] or both ventricles with normal or near normal systolic function and wall thickness.” There are many types of Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive cardiomyopathy is the least common type. The tell-tale sign of RCM is diastolic dysfunction. Diastolic dysfunction is when the heart does not fill up correctly, either too slowly or too quickly.…

The heart is one of the strongest muscles in the human body. It is mostly made up of cardiac muscle, which causes the contractions of the heart, or heartbeat. The cardiac muscle works constantly to pump blood throughout the body and is one of the three major types of muscle. The cells in the heart are closely connected so that they all beat at the same time, and they form the thick middle layer of the heart, in between the outer epicardium and the inner endocardium layers. There are two main…

Primary Angioplasty – A Life-saving Procedure Primary angioplasty is a term used to describe an angioplasty done as a life-saving emergency procedure in a patient with an on-going heart attack [PAMI - Primary Angioplasty in acute Myocardial Infarction]. The international accepted door to balloon time intervention is within 90 minutes and 3 to 6 hours from the onset of heart attack for PAMI. Doing angioplasty in a critical patient of heart attack is in itself challenging and doing so in the…

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and is one of the leading causes of disability. Just like everything else in our body, our brain is fed by blood through arteries. And just as high blood pressure can damages the arteries of our heart, it can damages the arteries leading to our brain. If the arteries to our brain are only partially blocked, you can experience a transient ischemic attack- kind of like mini stroke. Its a brief, temporary disruption of blood to your brain caused…

Introduction Sepsis is a serious infection of the blood or tissues that affects the whole body. Septic shock is the final, most serious stage of this infection. It is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment. What are the causes? Septic shock is caused by a drop in blood pressure. The drop keeps your organs from getting enough oxygen, causing them to fail. What increases the risk? You are more likely to develop this condition if: You are very young or elderly. You have AIDS or…

Merriam-Webster defines hypothermia as a condition in which the temperature of the body is very low. This condition is a medical emergency that occurs when the body loses more heat than what it is able to produce; hence, the body temperature decreases. The part of the brain called the hypothalamus is responsible for controlling body temperature; therefore, hypothermia is the result of the dysfunction of the hypothalamus. In order for a person to become hypothermic, their body temperature must be…

Hypovolemia is a state in which the blood volume, specifically the volume of the blood plasma, is decreased. This can also lead to an imbalance in the volume contraction, or a decrease in the volume of body fluid, which includes osmolytes. Hypervolemia is often linked with sodium depletion, and is distinctly different from dehydration. Causes include loss of blood, loss of plasma, and loss of osmolytes via diarrhea and vomiting. It is recognized by tachycardia and diminished blood pressure, as…

mesenteric ischemia and injuries to the arteries; it can locate the exact bleeding site by showing the leakage of contrast into lumen if the patient is active bleeding…

Post-Biopsy Care and Complications: After the procedure is done, the skin nick is cleaned and dressed, and a repeat scan is obtained to rule out the presence of a pneumothorax. Most institutions obtain two post-biopsy chest radiographs, one immediate baseline and a repeat 2-3-hour study, to ensure no enlarging pneumothorax. The patients are observed until the follow up radiograph is obtained while fasting in case a chest tube insertion is needed (Fig. 5). The patient is discharged if the follow…

Moyamoya disease is a progressive, occlusive disease affecting the cerebral vasculature and the arteries that feed it. Moyamoya is a Japanese term meaning “puff of smoke.” When you view the appearance of the disease on an angiogram the abnormal vascular collateral networks developing adjacent to the stenotic vessels. This disease causes the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed. This will cause the blood flow to your brain to become greatly reduced. Tiny blood vessels…