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Goiter literally means the enlargement of the thyroid gland, independent of its cause. Historically, this terminology specifically was reserved for a visibly enlarged thyroid gland. During the past few decades of modern medical practice, the term has come to include both visible as well as palpable thyroid enlargement. This article will review the pathophysiologic processes leading to goiter formation and will provide a logical approach to the diagnosis and management of different entities, the end result of which is an enlarged thyroid gland.
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Can women who are breast-feeding use a levonorgestrel intrauterine system? What is the impact of fluconazole (Diflucan, Pfizer; New York City), an oral medication used to treat vaginal yeast infections, on oral contraceptive (OC) efficacy?
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Women now rely on contraception in such new forms as a transdermal patch and a vaginal ring. In fact, about 75% of readers participating in the 2003 Contraceptive Technology Update Contraception Survey say their facilities are offering these birth control options. What if women could get reliable birth control from a spray-on application to the skin?
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A pill designed to prevent unintended pregnancy and birth defects is moving closer to commercial reality following a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees unanimous vote to back such a combination product.
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As you check the chart of your next patient, you note she is scheduled for her quarterly injection of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera; Pfizer, New York City). While she is on time for this shot, she was late for two such appointments in the previous year. What if there was a contraceptive injection that your patients could be instructed to use in self-injection?
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Be honest: Are you entirely comfortable caring for a patient with an invasive line? If your answer is no, you could be putting a patients life in danger, says Reneé Semonin Holleran, RN, PhD, CEN, CCRN, CFRN, clinical manager of the ED at University of Utah Hospital and Clinics in Salt Lake City.
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A cancer patient with a pericardial effusion was upset about something other than her condition when she arrived at the ED at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor: not being able to see her regular oncologist.
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Sievers V, Murphy S, Miller JJ. Sexual assault evidence collection more accurate when completed by sexual assault nurse examiners: Colorados experience. J Emerg Nurs 2003; 29:511-514.
