Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse - 1082 Words

In the United States alone, nearly 18 million people have an addiction to alcohol. This drug can be a mild to chronic addiction and sometimes can turn out fatal for some people (Chakraburtty). Almost 100,000 people have died from overusing this drug (Chakraburtty). Alcoholism and alcohol abuse is not only damaging emotionally, physically, and mentally to the person who is doing it, but to the people around them as well. Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are each categorized as different cases. Alcohol abuse is different from alcoholism because people who are just alcohol abusers still have the ability to stop when they need, or to have the common sense to know when they have had too much. Alcohol abuse is still a very serious case though;†¦show more content†¦People may think that alcohol may be hard only on the liver, but when someone abuses alcohol it can affect much more. For example, alcohol has a major effect on the brain. Alcohol has been known to be a major cause of many suicides, homicides, car accidents, and other death related topics (Chakraburtty). Many people are naà ¯ve into thinking that alcohol can and is harmless, but while they are having that drink to just have a good time, they are unaware of the toll it is taking on their body. Chronic alcohol use is very hard on your health and can lead to many long lasting health problems (Chakraburtty). Alcohol is very harmful to other organs as well as the body’s tissue. According to Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Brain, â€Å"moderate drinking leads to short- term impairment,† but it can also lead to long term impairment as well (Parsons). The long-term impairment that can happen, especially with parents, is the huge effect on the people around the alcoholic. Parents that have a drinking problem tend to be blinded and cannot see the damage that is being done. Children who are exposed to any alcoholism may struggle in school, work, and other activities (â€Å"Teensâ₠¬ ). Parents who are abusing alcohol pay more attention to their own problems and trying to cope with them, rather than focusing on their kids and the damage that is possibly building up in that child. Often times theShow MoreRelatedAlcoholism And Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism Essay1891 Words   |  8 Pagesconsumers of alcohol do not suffer adverse consequences. Individuals with excessive drinking patterns, nevertheless, have an elevated risk for alcohol-linked problems ranging from social to health issues. Alcohol abusers are a sub-population of alcoholic or alcohol-dependent individuals. However, the terms â€Å"abuse of alcohol† and â€Å"alcohol dependence† are dissimilar (Harford Muthen, 2001). Consequently, alcohol abusers may drink excessively without being dependent. In addition, alcohol abuse includesRead MoreAlcoholism and Alcohol Abuse1492 Words   |  6 Pagesmortality rates due to alcohol-related accidents and health issues are close to 35,000† ( â€Å"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse). This fact explains how many problems come along with alcohol abuse, and tell about health issues and accidents that could be caused by alcohol. Alcohol can be very dangerous and threaten the lives of people even if they are not the one consuming alcohol. Wrecks often happen and kill innocent people as a result of people drinking and driving. There are many alcohol related deaths inRead MoreAlcohol Abuse And Alcoholism Abuse1458 Words   |  6 PagesThe alcohol abuse definition is similar to alcoholism in that in both cases alcohol is causing harm to the drinker s life and those around them. The difference is that those who abuse alcohol, but are not yet alcoholics, typically can put some limitations on their drinking and they have not yet become physically addicted to alcohol. The key to the alcohol abuse definition is not in the amount of alcohol consumed but on how it affects an individual. Alcohol abuse is a psychiatric diagnosis in whichRe ad MoreAlcohol Alcoholism And Alcohol Abuse Essay1319 Words   |  6 PagesAlcoholism and alcohol abuse are different, although they have several connected characteristics, including genetics, how you were raised, social environment, and emotional health. Some of the following are indicators of alcohol abuse e.g., craving alcohol, having tried to quit in the past, but could not, spending longer time drinking than you expected, or continuing to drink even though it causes trouble with family or friends. An alcoholic is someone who has no control over alcohol and is unableRead MoreEffects Of Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism1446 Words   |  6 Pageswork, a person should understand the effects of alcohol, not only on an individual, but also the effects on the families. Alcohol is one of the many substances that people use and abuse. Since alcohol is legal for any one over the age of twenty-one, many people begin drinking and then develop an addiction to the substance (Goldberg, 2016). Alcoholism effects people of all ages, background, social status, or ethnic group (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016). A social worker should understand howRead MoreEssay on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse2432 Words   |  10 PagesAlcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America;Read MoreAlcohol Abuse Should Not Be Confused With Alcoholism Or Alcohol Dependence950 Words   |  4 PagesAlcohol abuse should not be confused with alcoholism or alcohol dependence. It is important to note the difference between the three. It is predicted that alcohol abuse affects individual physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Although some psychological, physical and economical effects may occur with both, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (alcoholism) for the purpose of this paper the alcohol abuse is the main focus. Introduction Alcohol abuse is a serious disease that impacts individualRead More Alcohol Abuse: Alcoholism as a Disease Essay2176 Words   |  9 PagesThe problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism, habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Websters Dictionary defines the concept of `disease as follows: Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder. Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it isRead MoreAlcohol Abuse And Alcoholism Is A Big Part Of The Society Essay1410 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol has been a big part of the society. It is how people socialize whether they are a business meeting, a party, a bar, and many more places and events. They tend to consume alcohol without knowing and questioning how much they have had. A huge amount of the population have not asked themselves this question, â€Å"Do I know what a standard drink is?† According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) booklet Rethinking Drinking, â€Å"Many people are surprised to learn what countsRead MoreAlcoholism : A Growing Problem1468 Words   |  6 PagesAlcoholism Alcoholism is a growing problem in today s society. What is alcoholism? Is it a disease? What are the causes of it? What toll does alcohol abuse have on individuals? American society? American economy? What kind of treatments are available to reduce/cure alcoholism? What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a physical or psychological need for an alcoholic beverage, which is taken for non-medical reasons and produces a noticeable effect on the body (Sheen 93). People develop the need for alcohol

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Rise Of Nazi Germany Was The Capstone Of The Inter-War

The rise of Nazi Germany was the capstone of the inter-war period, and led to the outbreak of World War II, shattering the tenuous peace. The Nazi regime s progress was paralleled by the life of its leader, Adolf Hitler. Born in a small town in Austria, Hitler dreamed of being an artist. Unable to demonstrate sufficient artistic skill for entrance into the art academy in Vienna, he did odd jobs and developed an interest in politics. In 1914, Hitler joined the German army, and earned the iron cross for bravery as a message-carrier. He was immensely disturbed by the German defeat in World War I, and blamed the loss on the socialists and Jews, who he said had surrendered the nation. In 1920, Hitler seized control in the German Workers†¦show more content†¦On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag building burned down and a retarded Dutch boy claiming he worked for the communists was arrested for arson. There is evidence to prove that the Nazis themselves had set the fire, but in any case, Hitler used the incident to persuade Hindenburg to restrict all individual rights and declare that the central government could oust any state government failing to maintain order. Hitler systematically took control of all of the state governments this way. Hitler s private army, the S.A., roamed the streets terrorizing political opponents. Even so, the Nazis only won 43.9 percent of the vote in 1933. To gain a two-thirds majority Hitler formed an alliance with the Nationalist party, and declared the communist party illegal. On March 23, 1933, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, giving Hitler the power to make decrees with the status of law, and ending elections. When Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler fused the positions of chancellor and president into one office: Der Fuhrer. He took control as dictator. Hitler constructed the Third Reich under his dictatorship, using the Gestapo, the secret police, to stifle all dissent. There are many explanations for why Hitler was able to come to power in Germany. The first focuses on the evil genius of Hitler himself. He was a master of demagoguery, practicing hisShow MoreRelatedSignificance of the Night of the Long Knives for Hitlers Power1424 Words   |  6 PagesEurope saw the rise of Nazi Germany, which was to become the capstone of the inter-war period, and led to the eruption of World War II, shattering the fragile peace overseen by the League of Nations. But how did a party that was in a state of political decline manage this? The Nazi regimes advancement was paralleled by the life of its leader, Adolf Hitler, who perfected his oratorical skills and worked for the advancement of the Nazi party. Such advancement was slow in coming

Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Black Monkey free essay sample

The Black Monkey by Edith L. Tiempo Two weeks already she had stayed in the hunt on the precipice, alone except for the visits of her husband. Carlos came regularly once a day and stayed three or four hours, but his visits seemed to her too short and far between. Sometimes, after he had left and she thought she would be alone again, one or the other of the neighbors  came up unexpectedly, and right away those days became different, or she became different in a subtle but definite way. For the neighbors caused a disturbed balance in her which was relieving and necessary.Sometimes it was one of the women, coming up with some fruits, papayas, perhaps, or wild ink berries, or guavas. Sometimes the children, to grind her week’s supply of corn meal in the cubbyhole downstairs. Their chirps and meaningless giggles broke the steady turn of the stone grinder, scraping to a slow agitation the thoughts that had settled and almost hardened in the bottom of her mind. She would have liked it better if these visits were longer, but they could not be; for the folks came to see her, yet she couldn’t come to them, and she, a sick woman, wasn’t really with her when they sat there with her. The women were uneasy in the hut and she could say nothing to the children, and it seemed it was only when the men came to see her when there was the presence of real people. Real people, and she real with them. As when old Emilio and Sergio left their carabaos standing in the clearing and crossed the river at low tide to climb solemnly up the path on the precipice, their faces showing brown and leathery in the filtered sunlight of the forest as they approached her door.Coming in and sitting on the floor of the eight-by-ten hut where she lay, looking at her and chewing tobacco, clayey legs crossed easily, they brought about them the strange electric of living together, of showing one to another lustily across the clearing, each driving his beast, of riding the bull cart into the timber to load dead trunks of firewood, of listening in a screaming silence inside their huts at night to the sound of real or imagined shots or explosions, and mostly of another kind of silence, the kid that bogged down between the furrows when the sun was hot and the soils stony and the breadth for words lay tight and furry upon their tongues.They were slow of words even when at rest, rousing themselves to talk numbingly and vaguely after long periods of chewing. Thinking to interest her, their talk would be of the women’s doings, soap-making and the salt project, and who made the most coconut oil that week, whose dog has caught sucking eggs from whose poultry shed, show many lizards and monkeys they trapped and killed in the corn fields and yards around the four houses. Listening to them was hearing a remote story heard once before and strange enough now to be interesting again. But it was last two weeks locatable in her body, it was true, but not so much a real pain as a deadness and heaviness everywhere, at once inside of her as well as outside.When the far nasal bellowing of their carabaos came up across the river the men rose to go, and clumsy with sympathy they stood at the doorstep spiting out many casual streaks of tobacco and betel as they stretched their leave by the last remarks. Marina  wished for her mind to go on following them down the cliff to the river across the clearing, to the group of four huts on the knoll where the smoke spiraled blue glints and grey from charcoal pits, and the children chased scampering monkeys back into forested slopes only a few feet away. But when the men turned around the path and disappeared they were really gone, and she was really alone again.From the pallet where she lay a few inches from the door all she could set were the tops of ipil trees arching over the damp humus soil of the forest, and a very small s ection of the path leading from her hut downward along the edge of the precipice to the river where it was a steep short drop of fifteen or twenty feet to the water. They used a ladder on the bushy side of the cliff to climb up and down the path, let down and drawn up again, and no one from the outside the area could know of the secret hut built so close to the guerilla headquarters. When the tide was low and then water drained toward the sea, the river was shallow in some parts and the ladder could be reached by wading on a pebbly stretched to the base of the cliff. At high tide an outrigger boat had to be rowed across.They were fortunate to have the hiding place, very useful to them whenever they had to flee from their hut on the knoll below, every time a Japanese patrol was reported by the guerillas to be prowling around the hills. Two weeks ago, in the night, they had fled up to the forest again, thinking a patrol had penetrated. Marina  remembered how she and Flavia and Flavia’s daughter had groped their way up to the precipice behind their faster neighbors, how the whole of that night the three of them had cowered in this dark hut while all around monkeys gibbered in the leaves, and pieces of voices from the guerillas on the river pieced into the forest like thin splintered glass.And all the time the whispered talk of their neighbors crouched in the crevices of the high rocks above them floated down like echoes of the whispers in her own mind. Nobody knew the reason for the harm sounded by headquarters unto the next morning when C arlos and two other guerillas paddled around the river from camp and had told everyone to come down from their precipice and return to the huts; it was not enemy troops but the buys chasing after the Japanese prisoner who had escaped. Following the notice of Carlos, old Emilio and others went back to the knoll the day after the alarm. She had stayed, through two weeks now. Sick and paralyzed on one side, she had to stay where she was a liability to no one in case of danger.She had to stay until the Japanese prisoner was caught, and if he had been able to slip across the channel to  Cebu  and a Japanese invasion of this guerilla area was instigated, she would be safe in this hideout. Listening closely for several nights, she had learned to distinguish the noises made by the monkey in the tree nearest her door. She was sure the tree had only one tenant, a big one, because the sounds it made were unusually heavy and definite. She would hear a precise rustle, just as if it shifted once in its sleep and was quiet again, or when the rustling and the grunts were continuous for a while, she knew it was looking for a better perch and muttering at its discomfort.Sometimes there were precipitate rubbing sounds and a thud and she concluded it accidentally slipped and landed on the ground. She always heard it arrive late at night, long after the forest had settled down. Even now as she lay quietly, she knew the invisible group of monkeys had begun to come, she knew from the coughing that started from far up to the slope, sound like wind on the water, gradually coming downward. She must have been asleep about four hours when she awoke uneasily, aware of movements under the hut. Blackness had pushed into the room, heavily and moistly, sticky damp around her eyes, under her chin and down the back of her neck, where it prickled like fine hair creeping on end. Her light had burned out.Something was fumbling at the door of the compartment below the floor, where the supply of rice and corn was stored in tall bins. The door was pushed and rattled cautiously, slow thuds of steps moved around the house. Whatever it was, it circled the hut once, twice and stop again to jerk at the door. It sounded like a monkey, perhaps the monkey in the tree, trying to break in the door to the corn and rice. It seemed to her it took care not to pass the stairs, retracing its steps to the side of the hut each time so she could not see it through her open door. Hearing the sounds and seeing nothing, she could not see it through her open door. Hearing the sounds and seeing nothing, she felt it imperative that she should see the intruder.She set her face to the long slit at the base of the wall and the quick chilly wind came at her like a whisper suddenly flung into her face. Trees defined her line vision, merged blots that seemed to possess life and feeling running through them like thin humming wires. The footsteps had come from the unknown boundary and must have resolved back into it because she could not hear them anymore. She was deciding the creature had gone away when she saw a stooping shape creep along the wall and turn back, slipping by so quickly she could deceive herself into believing she imagined it. A short, stooping creature, its footsteps heavy and regular and then unexpectedly running together as if the feet were fired and sore.She had suspected the monkey but didn’t feel sure, even seeing the quick shaped she didn’t feel sure, until she heard the heavy steps turn toward the tree. Then she could distinguish clearly the rubbing sounds as it hitched itself up the tree. She had a great wish to be back below with the others. Now and then the wind blew momentary gaps through the leaves and she saw fog from the river below, fog white and stingy, floating over the four huts on the knoll. Along about ten in the morning the whole area below would be under the direct that of the sun. The knoll was a sort of islet made by the river bending into the horseshoe shape; on this formation of the two inner banks they had made their clearing and built their huts.On one outer bank the guerilla camp hid in thick grove of madre-de-cacao and undergrowth and on the other outer bank, the other arm of the horseshoe, abruptly rose the steep precipice where the secret hut stood. The families asleep on the knoll were themselves isolated, she thought; they were as on an island cut off by the water and mountain ranges surrounding them; shut in with it, each one tossing his thought to the others, no one keeping it privately, no one really taking a deliberate look at it in the secrecy of his own mind. In the hut by herself it seemed she must play it out, toss it back and forth. Threads of mist tangled under the trees.Light pricked through the suspended raindrops; the mind carried up the soun d of paddling from the river. In a little while him distinctly. Neena! Neena! Her name thus exploded through the air by his voice came like a shock after hours of stealthy noises. He took the three rungs of the steps in one stride and was beside her on the floor. Always he came in a flood of size and motions and she couldn’t see all of him at once. A smell of stale sun and hard walking clung to his clothes and stung into her; it was the smell of many people and many places and the room felt even smaller with him in it. In a quick gesture that had become a habit he touched the back of his hand on her forehead. â€Å"Good,† he announced, â€Å"no fever. †With Carlo’s presence, the room bulged with the sense of people and activity, pointing up with unbearable sharpness her isolation, her fears, her helplessness. â€Å"I can’t stay up here,† she told him, not caring anymore whether he despised her cowardice. â€Å"I must go down. There is something here. You don’t know what’s happening. You don’t know, or you won’t take me stay. † He looked at her and then around the room as though her fear squatted there listening to them. â€Å"It’s the monkey again. † â€Å"Man or monkey or devil, I can’t stay up here anymore. † â€Å"Something must be done,† he said, â€Å"this can’t go on. † â€Å"I’ll go down and be with the others. † He raised his head, saying wearily, â€Å"I wish that were the best thing, Neena, God knows I wish it were.But you must go down only when you’re ready. These are critical days for all of us in this area. If something breaks–the Jap, you know, think what will happen to you down there, with me at headquarters. You’ve known of reprisals. † He looked at her and his sooty black eyes were like the bottom of a deep drained well. â€Å"I wish I could be here at night. What I’m saying is this: it’s a job you must do by yourself, since nobody is allowed out of headquarters after dark. That monkey must be shot or you’re not safe here anymore. † â€Å"You know I can’t shoot. † â€Å"We are continuing our lessons. You still remember, don’t you? † â€Å"It was long ago and it was not really in earnest. †He inspected the chambers of the rifle. â€Å"You didn’t need it then. †Ã‚   He put his life into her hands. She lifted it and as its weight yielded coldly to her hands, she said suddenly, â€Å"I’m glad we’re doing this. † â€Å"You remember how to use the sight? † â€Å"Yes,† and she could not help smiling a little. â€Å"All the o’clock you taught me. † â€Å"Aim it and shoot. † She aimed at a scar on the trunk of the tree near the door, the monkey’s tree. She pressed on the trigger. Nothing happened. She pressed it again. â€Å"It isn’t loaded. † â€Å"It is. † â€Å"The trigger won’t move. Something’s wrong. † He took it from her. â€Å"It’s locked, you forgot it as usual. † He put it aside. â€Å"Enough now, you’ll do. But you unlock first. Remember, nothing can ever come out of a locked gun. † He left early in the afternoon, about two o’clock. Just before the sundown the monkey came. It swung along the trees along the edge of the precipice, then leaped down on the path and wandered around near the hut. It must be very, very hungry, or it would not be so bold. It sidled forward all the time eying her intently, inching toward the grain room below the stairs. As it suddenly rushed toward her all the anger of the last two years of war seemed to unite into one necessity and she snatched up the gun, shouting and screaming, â€Å"Get out! Thief! Thief! † The monkey wavered.It did not understand the pointed gun she brandished and it came forward, softly, slowly, its feet hardly making any sound on the ground. She aimed, and as it slipped past the stairs and was rounding the corner to the grain room she fired again and once again, straight into its back. The loud explosions resounded through the trees. The birds in the forest flew in confusion and their high excited chatter floated down through the leaves. But she did not hear them – the only reality was the twisting, grunting shape near the stairs and after a minute it was quiet. She couldn’t help laughing a little, couldn’t help feeling exhilarated. The black monkey was dead, it was dead, she had killed it.Strangely, too, she was thinking of the escaped prisoner that she strangely feared him but was curious about him, and that now she could think of him openly to herself. She could talk about him now, she thought. Shoe could talk of him to Carlos and to anybody and not hide the sneaky figure of him with the other black terrors of her mind. She realized that she was still holding the gun. This time, she thought, she had unlocked it. And with rueful certainty, she knew she could do it again, tonight tomorrow, whenever it was necessary. The hatter of some monkeys came to her from a far up in the forest. From that distance, it was vague, a lost sound; hearing it jarred across her little triumph, and she wished, like someone lamenting a lost innocence, that she had never seen a gun or fired one.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Peds Definition free essay sample

Effacement: thinning of the cervix Meconium: first feces of newborn Umbilicus: belly button Bili blanket: UV emitting light blanket that helps convert bilirubin to form that can be detoxed by liver Fetal monitor strip: a graphic record of FHR and uterine activity obtained by EFM (electronic fetal monitoring) Placenta accreta: A placenta in which the cotyledons have invaded the uterine musculature, resulting in difficult or impossible separation of the placenta. Complications of manually separating the placenta include hemorrhage, damage to the uterus, and, in rare cases, hysterectomy. Postpartum: first 6 wks after childbirth. Circumcision: Surgical removal of the end of the foreskin of the penis. ROM (R/T intrapartum): rupture of membranes Cesarean: CS Delivery of the fetus by means of an incision through the abdominal wall and into the uterus. Amniotic fluid:fluid that surrounds fetus in utero, protects fetus. Derived from fetal urine and fluid transport from maternal blood across the amnion. We will write a custom essay sample on Peds Definition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Neonatal jaundice: Nonpathological jaundice affecting newborns, usually resulting from the destruction of red blood cells by the immature liver at birth. The destruction of red blood cells causes unconjugated bilirubin to accumulate in the blood and skin. Benign neonatal jaundice manifests 48 to 72 hr after birth, lasts only a few days, and typically does not require therapy. Preeclampsia: An increase in hypertension (HTN), proteinuria, and edema, a complication occurring in about 3% to 5% of pregnancies. It may progress rapidly from mild to severe and, if untreated, to eclampsia. It is the leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and death, esp. in underdeveloped countries. Postpartum depression: PPD Depression occurring up to 6 months after childbirth and not resolving in 1 or 2 weeks. The disease occurs in about 10% to 20% of women who have recently delivered. IUFD: Intrauterine fetal death Prematurity: The state of an infant born any time before completion of the 37th week of gestation. Nullipara: A woman who has never produced a viable offspring Gestational age: The age of an embryo or fetus as timed from the date of onset of the last menstrual period. Gestational age is specified numerically by the following convention: 360/7 indicates an age of 36 weeks, 0 days . 295/7 indicates an age of 29 weeks, 5 days . The first two numbers are the number of weeks of gestation. The number designated as X/7 is the number of days since the completion of the last full week. Perineum: The structures occupying the pelvic outlet and constituting the pelvic floor. The external region between the vulva and anus in a female or between the scrotum and anus in a male. It is made up of skin, muscle, and fasciae. The muscles of the perineum are the anterior portion of the intact levator ani muscle and the transverse perineal muscle. PIH: Pregnancy induced hypertension Homans sign: Pain in the calf when the foot is passively dorsiflexed. This is a physical finding suggestive of venous thrombosis of the deep veins of the calf; however, diagnostic reliability is limited, that is, elicited calf pain may be associated with conditions other than thrombosis, and an absence of calf pain does not rule out thrombosis. Gravida: A pregnant woman Station during labor: Measurement of fetal descent in relation to the ischial spines of the maternal pelvis. Hemorrhoid: Veins of the internal or external hemorrhoidal plexuses and the immediately surrounding tissues. Hemorrhoids are most often referred to only when diseased (i. e. , enlarged, painful, bleeding). Other anorectal conditions (e. g. , anal fissure, condylomata, anal cancers) may produce similar symptoms and must be distinguished from hemorrhoids by appropriate examination. Lochia: The puerperal discharge of blood, mucus, and tissue from the uterus. OFC: Occipitofrontal circumference Dilatation: The gradual opening of the cervical os during labor to allow the fetus to leave the uterus Uterine atony: Lack of normal tone or strength; debility of uterus Apgar score: A system for evaluating an infants physical condition at birth. The infants heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, response to stimuli, and color are rated at 1 min, and again at 5 min after birth. Each factor is scored 0, 1, or 2; the maximum total score is 10. Interpretation of scores: 7 to 10, good to excellent; 4 to 6, fair; less than 4, poor condition. A low score at 1 min is a sign of perinatal asphyxia and the need for immediate assisted ventilation. Infants with scores below 7 at 5 min should be assessed again in 5 more min; scores less than 6 at any time may indicate need for resuscitation. In depressed infants, a more accurate determination of the degree of fetal hypoxia may be obtained by direct measures of umbilical cord blood oxygen, carbon dioxide partial pressure, and pH. Although the Apgar score is eponymous, some practitioners recall its elements with the mnemonic Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration Bulb syringe: a syringe with a bulb on one end; compression of the bulb creates a vacuum for gentle suction of small amounts of bodily drainage, such as oral and nasal secretions. It is also used for intraoperative irrigation. Neonate abstinence scoring: Neonatal abstinence syndrome scoring system, which assigns points based on each symptom and its severity. The infant’s score can help determine treatment. Fontanel: Any of the tough, fibrous membranes lying between the bones of the cranial vault of a fetus or infant. Fontanels, colloquially known as soft spots, allow an infants skull to be compressed during passage through the birth canal. The fontanels ossify generally by age two. LMP: last menstral period Induction of labor: The use of pharmacological, mechanical, or operative interventions to initiate labor or to assist the progression of a previously dysfunctional labor. Induction may be considered when the risks of expectant management outweigh the benefits, placing the fetus and/or the mother in jeopardy. Among the more common indications are preeclampsia or eclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, fetal compromise, maternal medical diseases, chorioamnionitis, intrauterine fetal demise, postdate pregnancy, as well as some psychosocial factors. Contraindications include placenta previa, vasa previa, umbilical cord prolapse, history of classic uterine incision, and transverse fetal lie, as well as many relative contraindications. VDRL/RPR: Venereal Disease Research Laboratories / rapid plasma regain Fundus: the top of the uterus Forceps: A forceps for extracting the fetal head from the pelvis during delivery. In obstetrics, forceps application is classified according to the position of the fetal head when the forceps are applied, i. e. , outlet forceps, low forceps, and midforceps. The forceps allows withdrawal force to be applied to the fetal head and protects the head during the passage. Clonus: Spasmodic alternation of muscular contractions between antagonistic muscle groups caused by a hyperactive stretch reflex from an upper motor neuron lesion. Sustained pressure or stretch of one of the muscles usually inhibits the reflex Rooting during breastfeeding: The turning of an infants mouth toward the stimulus when the infants cheek is stroked. This reflex is present at birth; by age 4 months it is gone when the infant is awake; by age 7 months it is gone when the infant is asleep. Labor: In pregnancy, the process that begins with the onset of repetitive and forceful uterine contractions sufficient to cause dilation of the cervix and ends with delivery of the placenta. Perineal laceration: An injury of the perineum caused by childbirth. The lacerations may be classified as first-, second-, third-, or fourth-degree, depending on the extent of injury. A first-degree laceration may not require repair, but a fourth-degree laceration, which involves the vaginal mucosa, perineal muscles, and the sphincter ani, requires extensive repair. Pre-term labor: Labor that begins before completion of 37 weeks from the last menstrual period. Rhogam: Rho(D) Immune Globulin is a medicine given by intramuscular injection that is used to prevent the immunological condition known as Rhesus disease (or hemolytic disease of newborn). The medicine is a solution of IgG anti-D (anti-RhD) antibodies that suppresses the mothers immune system from attacking Rh-positive blood cells which have entered the maternal blood stream from fetal circulation. Vertex: the top of the head Labor augmentation: the use of pharmacological or surgical interventions to help the progression of a previously dysfunctional labor Gestational diabetes: GDM DM that begins during pregnancy owing to changes in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Non-stress test: NST An external electronic monitoring procedure to assess fetal well-being. An acceleration in fetal heart rate should be evident in response to fetal movement. Reactive test: Two criteria indicate satisfactory fetal status. The monitor records a minimum of two episodes of heart rate acceleration accompanying fetal movement within one 20-min period, and accelerations of 15 beats per minute (BPM) persist for a minimum of 15 sec per episode. Nonreactive test: The monitor record does not meet either criterion for reactivity. This indicates the need for a second test within the next several hours—contraction stress testing, a fetal biophysical profile, or all three. Inconclusive test: The monitor records less than one acceleration in 20 min or an acceleration less than 15 BPM lasting less than 15 sec. Engorgement: Filling of a breast with milk Involution: The return of the uterus to normal size after childbirth EBL: estimated blood loss Abortion: The spontaneous or induced termination of pregnancy before the fetus reaches a viable age. Neonate: A newborn infant up to 1 month of age Leopolds Maneuvers: In obstetrics, the use of four steps in palpating the uterus in order to determine the position and presentation of the fetus. Fetal heart tones: FHT, fetal heart sounds Placenta previa: PP A placenta that is implanted in the lower uterine segment. There are three types: centralis, lateralis, and marginalis. Placenta previa centralis (total or complete PP) is the condition in which the placenta has been implanted in the lower uterine segment and has grown to completely cover the internal cervical os. Placenta previa lateralis (low marginal implantation) is the condition in which the placenta lies just within the lower uterine segment. Placenta previa marginalis is the condition in which the placenta partially covers the internal cervical os (partial or incomplete PP). Tubal ligation: A surgical method of contraception in which the fallopian tubes are severed and their cut ends are tied. It is used to prevent eggs, released from the ovaries, from entering the uterus where they might be penetrated by sperm. Ballard gestatinal assessment score: A system for estimating newborn gestational age by rating physical and neuromuscular characteristics of maturity. For infants born between 20 and 28 weeks gestation, Ballard tools are more accurate than other systems of estimating gestational age. Six neuromuscular markers are assessed: posture, square window (degree of wrist flexion), arm recoil, popliteal angle (degree of knee flexion); scarf sign (ability to extend infants arm across the chest past the midline); and heel-to-ear extension. Seven physical characteristics are also evaluated: skin; lanugo; plantar creases; breast; eye and ear; and genitals. Each factor is scored independently, and then an overall sum is used to determine the gestational age. The tool is most accurate if performed within the first 12 to 20 hr of life or as soon as the babys condition stabilizes. Bloody show: The sanguinoserous discharge from the vagina during the first stage of labor or just preceding menstruation Vacuum extraction: A vacuum extraction is a procedure sometimes done during the course of vaginal childbirth. During vacuum extraction, a health care provider applies the vacuum — a soft or rigid cup with a handle and a vacuum pump — to the babys head to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. This is typically done during a contraction while the mother pushes. DIC: disseminated intravascular coagulation Colostrum: Breast fluid that may be secreted from the second trimester of pregnancy onward but is most evident in the first 2 to 3 days after birth and before the onset of true lactation. This yellowish fluid, which is the first milk produced by the breast after childbirth, contains abundant carbohydrates, proteins (including antibodies), and minimal fat. Contractions: tightening of uterus during pregnancy and labor Episiotomy: Incision of the perineum at the end of the second stage of labor to avoid spontaneous laceration of the perineum and to facilitate delivery. In the U. S. episiotomy is done in about 40% of all vaginal deliveries, making the procedure one of the most common forms of surgery performed on women. Perineal massage in the weeks before delivery can reduce the use of episiotomy. Vernex: A protective sebaceous deposit covering the fetus during intrauterine life, consisting of exfoliations of the outer skin layer, lanugo, and secretions of the sebaceous glands. It helps the neonate conserve body heat. It is most abundant in the creases and flexor surfaces. It is not necessary to remove this after the fetus is delivered. Full-term infant: an infant born between the beginning of the 38th and the end of the 41st week of gestation. Parity: The number of live children a woman has delivered After pains: the pains after delivery while uterus is involuting Newborn screen: Newborn screening tests look for serious developmental, genetic, and metabolic disorders so that important action can be taken during the critical time before symptoms develop. Most of these illnesses are very rare, but are treatable if caught early. Membranes: the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus Lactation: The production and release of milk by mammary glands Kangaroo care: The placing of a newborn infant, esp.. a premature baby, in an upright position between the breasts of the mother for several hours a day.