Essays and Research Papers on Disease

A 5 page overview of the issues surrounding euthanasia. Provides a brief background of the practice and distinguishes between active and passive euthanasia. Suggests that death is a right, not a privilege to be withheld by either medical staff or family. Emphasizes the importance of a living will. Includes a one-half ...

This 20 page report discusses the fact that postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) has been repeatedly linked with breast cancer. Some studies show no increased risk for breast cancer. Others suggest there may be a slight increased risk, while still others say that there is an increased risk, but that it is minimal and occurs only after ten or more ...

A 12 page overview of canine oral spirochetes, concentrating on Treponema denticola, Treponemapectinovorum, and Treponema maltophilum. Notes that although oral microflora cannot be held solely responsible for the presence or absence of periodontal disease and associated conditions, thesemicroflora do manifest differently in healthy verses diseased tissue. This observation is true both in the species ...

A 12 page survey of today's cataract surgery and the health promotion opportunity it presents. This is one of the oldest surgical repairs and one that formerly required a good deal of recuperation time. Advances in technique have served not only to make the surgery less expensive than it could be, they also have improved the ...

A 7 page overview of the concerns of a community assessment for health care concerns. Uses Atlantic County New Jersey as an example of a community with a number of health care concerns which are important in the self-care deficit theory. Provides statistical tables of the demographic, mortality, and disease factors impacting this ...

This 11 page paper applauds this vilified drug by looking into pharmacological aspects. Many details of the drug are outlined, including dosage information, side effects and contraindications. Anxiety disorders are defined and the thesis that Valium has been unfairly reviewed is proven through research on the drug itself. Bibliography lists 10 sources. ...

This 5 page paper reviews an article by Rosegrant that documents problems with tiered pricing for immunizations in order to accommodate third world countries. Pricing models are used to reach solutions for this dilemma. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 21 page paper discussing the causes of cardiovascular disease and some of the preventive measures that individuals can take for themselves. Not all risk factors - age, sex, heredity - can be prevented, but many others are under individuals' control. The bottom line in prevention of cardiovascular disease is to live by the guidelines of ...

This 5 page paper looks at possible causes of cancer. Cancer is discussed in a general sense. Certain cancers are noted specifically such as skin cancer, childhood cancers and breast cancer. Cancer clusters, power lines, and cell phones are all included as topics in light of new research. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 21 page overview of the impacts of second hand smoke in pulmonary function. Contends that secondary smoke can be linked to such a diversity of pulmonary conditions as lung cancer, asthma, and respiratory infection from a variety of viruses and bacteria. Suggests that children in particular are susceptible to this impact. Suggests ...

This 5 page report discusses the fact that for oral cancer, tobacco use is the biggest risk factor and alcohol seems to increase the risk when used in combination with tobacco. In fact, research has shown that alcohol consumption increase the risk twofold to threefold compared with nonsmoking abstainers. Unfortunately, the awareness by the general public of oral cancer in ...

A 5 page paper discussing newly discovered information reported in a 2001 issue of The New York Times and its implication for promoting understanding of AIDS/HIV infection. This discovery is that the HIV virus is able to attack the first line of defense against invasion, the CD-4 cells responsible for collecting invading particles and delivering them to the ...

A 10 page overview of the varying recommendations for sodium intake in infants and children and the conditions which necessitate those recommendations. Includes a detailed discussion of the comparative levels of sodium in human breast milk, infant formulas, and the milk of goats as cows. Provides an overview of differing sodium intake recommendations. ...

8 pages in length. Depth perception is what keeps humans from colliding with other objects in their path; without the proper development of depth perception, an individual's ability to judge proximity to another object is significantly impaired. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 6 page report discusses research findings regarding full-mouth disinfection (FMD). FMD requires that instrumentation, subgingival, buccal mucosa and tongue disinfection all be completed within 24 hours. The concept is based on the idea that in the most common strategy for periodontal treatment that involves consecutive root planings per single quadrant of the mouth at a one- to two-week intervals, re-infection ...

This 5 page paper considers these two drugs, generically known as amoxycillin or amoxicillin and minocycline hydrochloride. The paper considers their uses and similarities and then considers how these two drugs interact, and the potential result of that interaction. The bibliography cites 3 sources.

A 5 page discussion of the manifestations and implications of this eating disorder. Emphasizes that while the condition is typically associated with females, it affects males as well. Provides statistics as to its occurrence as well as information on its causes, symptoms, and long term impacts. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 7 page paper considers the use of the abortion drug RU 486 also known as mifepristone. The paper starts with consideration of the ethical issues surrounding abortion before looking at the back ground and development of the drug. The paper also examines some of the advantages and disadvantages of the drug, including side effects, ...

A 6 page overview of the popular choice of using the prescription drug ritalin to treat Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Delineates the problems with this approach, problems which revolve around the questionable effectiveness of the drug and long term increases in propensity to use other drugs. Suggests that behavior ...

A 5 page paper discussing the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, how is occurs and why it is of such great issue now. Greater awareness in both health care and agriculture can be of immense benefit in at least slowing the rate at which our antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. Bacteria have shown themselves ...

This 6 page paper provides an overview of this bacterium that has become quite controversial. Just as it is recognized as something that causes ulcers, and should be eradicated, another side of the story comes into play, suggesting that the bacterium can actually do some good. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper is written as if it were a personal, but historically accurate account of the time when the bubonic plague was ravaging London. The paper considers the events and actions as well as the feeling of the people in the city. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

This 5 page paper considers the developments in infection control over this pivotal period. Starting with the international development in microbiology, including the contributions of people such as Agostino Bassi de Lodi, Ignaz Semmelweiss, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister and Robert Koch. The paper then goes on to consider how the United Kingdom dealt with public ...

A 9 page paper discussing this condition, which is elevated levels of any blood lipid including cholesterol. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and attention to changing that statistic increasingly has moved from treatment to prevention. It has been believed that hyperlipidemia can be used as a predictor and risk ...

An 8 page discussion of the neurological and environmental processes involved in memory formation and utilization. Emphasizes that the physiology of the phenomena of memory formation is extremely complex. It is a process which is directly associated with the hippocampus area of the brain and involves a number of neurological interactions between the ...