Tag: Medical science

The human body is remarkably resilient, with some documented cases of individuals surviving for over a month without food, as long as they have water. The precise answer to how long can the average human survive without food varies dramatically depending on a host of physiological and environmental factors, making a simple, universal timeline impossible to establish.

According to the World Health Organization, severe malnutrition affects millions of children globally and is a leading cause of mortality. A prominent symptom of severe malnutrition is the development of edema, a swelling caused by fluid retention, a condition known as kwashiorkor. Understanding the complex physiological processes that explain how malnutrition leads to edema is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment.

Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking discoveries concerning the mechanisms of autophagy. This award, however, was for fundamental cellular research, not for popular dieting regimens, clarifying the distinction between his scientific achievement and the health trend it influenced.

In medical settings, 0.9% sodium chloride, known as normal saline, is a standard intravenous solution used for fluid and electrolyte replacement. This common medical fluid, often used for hydration, contains two specific electrolytes—sodium and chloride—that are crucial for bodily function.

The human body produces over a liter of mucus every day, a large portion of which is unconsciously swallowed. Despite this constant internal process, the question remains: does snot have calories in it? The short answer is yes, technically, but it's not a source of nutritional energy.

Approximately one-third of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) patients receive a solution that has a milky-white appearance. The simple answer to why is TPN white lies in one of its essential components: the lipid emulsion, a sterile mixture of fats and oils delivered intravenously.

Over 200 million liters of intravenous fluids are used annually in the United States, with normal saline being the most common. Given its widespread use, many wonder, does normal saline increase hydration effectively, or is it more complex than that?

In 2019, the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) issued a permanent ban on Barbara O'Neill from providing health services due to dangerous and unsupported health claims. This article delves into what Barbara O'Neill says about cholesterol, examining her specific claims and comparing them with established medical consensus.

Normal saline is a sterile, 0.9% sodium chloride solution in water, containing no sugar whatsoever. This critical detail is key to understanding intravenous fluid composition and directly answers the question, 'Does normal saline contain dextrose?'.

According to a 2022 review, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a life-saving intervention for patients unable to receive adequate nutrients orally or enterally. This complex intravenous solution is formulated to provide all essential daily nutritional requirements, but what does a TPN contain specifically?