[...]... authorities INTRODUCTION The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health is a unique and invaluable source of information for the nursing or allied health student This collection of over 850 entries provides in-depth coverage of specific diseases and disorders, tests and procedures, equipment and tools, body systems, nursing and allied health professions, and current health issues This book is... Bacteria or amoeba from the intestines can spread through the blood to the liver and cause abscesses • Psoas abscess Deep in the back of the abdomen, on either side of the lumbar spine, lie the psoas muscles They flex the hips An abscess can develop in one of these muscles, usually when it spreads from the appendix, the large bowel, or the fallopian tubes Diagnosis The common findings of inflammation—heat,... illustrations, as well as over 50 tables ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The editor would like to express appreciation to all of the nursing and allied health professionals who wrote, reviewed, and copyedited entries for the Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health Cover photos were reproduced by the permission of Delmar Publishers, Inc., Custom Medical Photos, and the Gale Group G A L E E N C Y C L O P E D I A O F N... READ—IMPORTANT INFORMATION The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health is a medical reference product designed to inform and educate readers about a wide variety of diseases, treatments, tests and procedures, health issues, human biology, and nursing and allied health professions The Gale Group believes the product to be comprehensive, but not necessarily definitive While the Gale Group has made substantial... gap between health information designed for laypeople and that provided for medical professionals, which may be too complicated for the beginning student to understand The encyclopedia does use medical terminology, but explains it in a way that students can understand SCOPE The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health covers a wide variety of topics relevant to the nursing or allied health student... resistant to the spread of infection, it acts as a barrier, often keeping the toxic chemicals of an abscess from escaping the body on their own Thus, the pus must be drained from the abscess by a physician The surgeon determines when the abscess is ready for drainage and opens a path to the outside, allowing the pus to escape Ordinarily, the body handles the remaining infection, sometimes with the help of antibiotics... and allied health textbooks, general medical encyclopedias, and consumer health guides The advisory board, composed of advanced practice nurses, allied health professionals, health educators, and medical doctors, evaluated the topics and made suggestions for inclusion Final selection of topics to include was made by the advisory board in conjunction with the Gale editor ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS The essays... H ADVISORY BOARD A number of experts in the nursing and allied health communities provided invaluable assistance in the formulation of this encyclopedia The advisory board performed a myriad of duties, from defining the scope of coverage to reviewing individual entries for accuracy and accessibility The editor would like to express appreciation to them for their time and their expert contributions... differentiates it from other mycobacteria) Identification Based on the volume of specimens submitted, the ability of performance, and the expertise of the clinical laboratory personnel, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) have recommended levels of service for clinical laboratories testing of mycobacteria The ATS recommends 16 four levels of testing while the CAP lists... of medical information on a topic • Valuable contact information for medical, nursing, and allied health organizations is included with each entry An Appendix of Nursing and Allied Health organizations in the back matter contains an extensive list of organizations arranged by subject INCLUSION CRITERIA A preliminary list of topics was compiled from a wide variety of sources, including nursing and allied . differences of medical opinion exist among authorities. INTRODUCTION GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH VII The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied. 2383 Appendix of Nursing and Allied Health Organizations 2663 General Index 2669 PLEASE READ—IMPORTANT INFORMATION The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health is