Author Archives: arizela

About arizela

I'm a NICU nurse and lactation counselor, currently on hiatus to pursue a PhD in nursing which focuses on the development of health across the lifespan. I write books, articles, and blogs in between my duties as mom, wife, and student. I own a tool belt, and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rare Disease Column: Guillain-Barre

Posted on July 5, 2008 by arizela

Guillain-Barre may sound like a pub with a bit of a French flare, but this nasty little syndrome strikes seemingly at random and causes progressive muscle weakness, loss of sensation, paralysis, and in about 5% of cases, even death. Guillain-Barre … Continue reading →

Posted in Autoimmune, Rare Diseases | Tagged , | 1 Comment

If a character gets an overdose of pain meds, what will modern medicine do for him?

Posted on July 1, 2008 by arizela

Pain medications are classified as narcotic or non-narcotic. There are numerous drugs in each class. Non-narcotic pain meds are often used for purposes other than just pain relief. There are also quite a few drugs out there used to help … Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs, Treatments | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How premature does a baby have to be to have trouble breathing?

Posted on July 1, 2008 by arizela

Any baby can have trouble breathing after birth, regardless of prematurity or size, but breathing problems are much more common in babies who are very early, very small and underdeveloped, or very large. Some common reasons for respiratory distress syndrome … Continue reading →

Posted in Infants, Pregnancy/Birth | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Rare Diseases: Necrotizing Fasciitis

Posted on June 26, 2008 by arizela

Necrotizing Fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease as the media likes to call it, is a rapidly spreading infection along the fascia or the layer of tissue that binds skin to muscle. This deadly disease is caused by a virulent strain of … Continue reading →

Posted in infection, Rare Diseases | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Infected Cuts

Posted on June 26, 2008 by arizela

Q: What do infected cuts look like? A: First off, there is likely to be an angry red color around the margins that extends anywhere from a few millimeters to several inches (reasonable size for a smallish cut 1-5cm). The … Continue reading →

Posted in infection, wounds | Tagged , | 1 Comment