Hypertonic Health Dictionary

Enlarged veins protruding into the anorectal area, either internal or externally visible. They are either the result of poor sphincter tone and portal congestion, or sphincter hypertonicity, skeletal muscle and adrenergic excess...”Jock Hemmies”.... hemorrhoids

A term applied to solutions which have the same power of di?usion as one another. An isotonic solution used in medicine is one which can be mixed with body ?uids without causing any disturbance. An isotonic saline solution for injection into the blood, so that it may possess the same osmotic pressure (see OSMOSIS) as the blood SERUM, is one of 0·9 per cent strength – that is, containing 9 grams of sodium chloride to 1 litre of water. This is also known as normal or physiological salt solution. An isotonic solution of bicarbonate of soda for injection into the blood is one of 1·35 per cent strength in water. An isotonic solution of glucose for injection into the blood is one of 5 per cent strength in water.

Solutions which are weaker, or stronger, than the ?uids of the body with which they are intended to be mixed are known as hypotonic and hypertonic, respectively.... isotonic

In severely ill patients – especially those who have had major surgery or those with SEPSIS, burns, acute pancreatitis (see PANCREAS, DISORDERS OF) and renal failure – the body’s reserves of protein become exhausted. This results in weight loss; reduction in muscle mass; a fall in the serum albumin (see ALBUMINS) and LYMPHOCYTE count; and an impairment of cellular IMMUNITY. Severely ill patients are unable to take adequate food by mouth to repair the body protein loss so that enteral or parenteral nutrition is required. Enteral feeding is through the gastrointestinal tract with the aid of a nasogastric tube; parenteral nutrition involves the provision of carbohydrate, fat and proteins by intravenous administration.

The preferred route for the infusion of hyperosmolar solutions is via a central venous catheter (see CATHETERS). If parenteral nutrition is required for more than two weeks, it is advisable to use a long-term type of catheter such as the Broviac, Hickman or extra-corporeal type, which is made of silastic material and is inserted via a long subcutaneous tunnel; this not only helps to ?x the catheter but also minimises the risk of ascending infection.

Dextrose is considered the best source of carbohydrate and may be used as a 20 per cent or 50 per cent solution. AMINO ACIDS should be in the laevo form and should contain the correct proportion of essential (indispensable) and non-essential amino acids. Preparations are available with or without electrolytes and with or without fat emulsions.

The main hazards of intravenous feeding are blood-borne infections made possible by continued direct access to the circulation, and biochemical abnormalities related to the composition of the solutions infused. The continuous use of hypertonic solutions of glucose can cause HYPERGLYCAEMIA and glycosuria and the resultant POLYURIA may lead to dehydration. Treatment with INSULIN is needed when hyper-osmolality occurs, and in addition the water and sodium de?cits will require to be corrected.... parenteral nutrition

(hypertonicity) n. exceptionally high tension in muscles.... hypertonia

n. a process occurring in bacteria and plants in which the protoplasm shrinks away from the rigid cell wall when the cell is placed in a *hypertonic solution. Plasmolysis is due to withdrawal of water from the cell by *osmosis.... plasmolysis

n. the endoscopic or surgical removal of a *polyp. The technique used depends upon the site and size of the polyp. Endoscopically, polyps can be removed by various methods. A hot biopsy involves coagulation of a small polyp using a diathermy current passed through biopsy forceps, which obtains a sample for analysis at the same time. Cold biopsy involves removal of a polyp using forceps alone, thereby decreasing the perforation risk. Snare polypectomy uses a wire loop (snare) to cut through the base of the polyp. This is performed with or without a diathermy current (hot snare vs. cold snare); the current reduces the risk of bleeding by coagulating local blood vessels as the snare cuts through the polyp. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) involves lifting a flat polyp by injecting a hypertonic solution into the submucosa beneath the polyp followed by snare polypectomy with diathermy. Nasal polyps may be removed using *endoscopic sinus surgery techniques, sometimes utilizing a *microdebrider.... polypectomy

n. 1. the normal state of slight contraction, or readiness to contract, of healthy muscle fibres. 2. the effective osmotic pressure of a solution. See hypertonic; hypotonic; osmosis.... tonicity

(SIADH) a condition of inappropriately high plasma levels of ADH (see vasopressin) with associated water retention, dilutional *hyponatraemia, and the production of highly concentrated urine. Renal, adrenal, thyroid, and hepatic function are normal, as is the volume of circulating blood (euvolaemia). It is caused by a variety of pathological conditions, usually intrathoracic and intracerebral, and also by a number of drugs, including antidepressants, chemotherapy agents, and some of the older antidiabetic agents. The treatment involves fluid restriction, treatment (or removal) of the underlying cause (or drug), and, in severe cases, administration of *demeclocycline to reduce the effects of ADH on the kidney. Very rarely, hypertonic saline is given.... syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone