For patients and caregivers, understanding clinical progression, diagnostic imaging results, and pharmacological treatment options is vital for managing acute and chronic health conditions.
Blood potassium levels are closely regulated since both high and low levels can have life-threatening consequences. A normal potassium blood level is typically 3.5 to 5 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L. The normal range may vary slightly among testing laboratories, however.
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The major signs of a surgical site infection are pain, fever and changes in the appearance of the incision and surrounding skin. Infection after surgery can lead to more pain, prolonged time in the hospital, readmission to the hospital and, in rare cases, life-threatening illness.
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In the United States, blood glucose readings are usually expressed in units of milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood, or mg/dL. Internationally and in scientific journals, blood glucose is typically expressed in millimoles per liter, or mmol/L.
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Tiny amounts of blood in the stools occur in about 20 percent of marathon runners, according to "Marathon Medicine." This occult -- or hidden -- bleeding is only detectable by laboratory tests. Visible blood in the stools plus cramping are much less common.
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Medicines called antiemetics are sometimes needed to ward off nausea and vomiting from anesthesia, chemotherapy, motion sickness or something else. Doctors choose from several categories, including drugs that work primarily through the chemical messengers serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine and histamine.
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