Infant Thermometer Position

Infant Thermometer Position

Vicks Gentle Touch Behind the Ear Thermometer: Illustrations for instructions for use and positioning.

The Vicks Gentle Touch Behind Ear thermometer revolutionized the way body temperature was taken in infants and children Back when this project was commissioned. With a simple touch, the thermometer was gentle enough to be used without waking a sleeping infant, and provided accurate measurements in one second.

The Vicks Gentle Touch Behind Ear thermometer uses a novel heat flow technique to measure the temperature of the blood carotid artery which runs behind the ear, bringing blood to the brain and hypothalamus (the temperature-regulating gland) and so accurately reflecting core body temperature.

MenoDepression

MenoDepression

The illustration depicted was created for the April 2013 26(4) issue of JAAPA feature article, Treatment options for major depression during the menopausal (Bobbie Posmontier, PhD, CNM, PMHNP-BC).
Compared to men, women experience 1.7 times the prevalence of depression, largely because of fluctuations in reproductive hormones. Even without a prior history of depression, vulnerability to depressive symptoms may be especially increased during the menopausal transition as a result of greater sensitivity to the extreme fluctuating levels of estrogen, other hormonal influences, and single nucleotide polymorphisms that are unique to women.

The purpose of this illustrated piece is to aid PAs in understanding the hormonal and genetic influences as well as the symptoms of menopausal transition that overlap with symptoms of major depression and to discuss effective assessment and multidisciplinary management of major depression during perimenopause.

Peripheral Nervous System

Peripheral Nervous System

Patient education illustration showing the differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the peripheral nervous system.

Craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngioma

This illustration was produced for the Johns Hopkins University’s Suburban Hospital Magazine, New Directions, Fall 2012 issue.

A craniopharyngioma is a benign tumor that develops near the pituitary gland (a small endocrine gland at the base of the brain). This tumor most commonly affects children 5 – 10 years of age. Adults can sometimes be affected. Boys and girls are equally likely to develop this condition.
Craniopharyngioma causes symptoms in the following ways:

  1. Increasing the pressure on the brain (intracranial pressure)
  2. Disrupting the function of the pituitary gland
  3. Damaging the optic nerve

Increased pressure on the brain causes headache, nausea, vomiting (especially in the morning), and difficulty with balance. Damage to the pituitary gland causes hormone imbalances that can lead to excessive thirst, excessive urination, and stunted growth. When the optic nerve is damaged by the tumor, vision problems develop. These defects are often permanent, and may get worse after surgery to remove the tumor.

Behaviorial and learning problems may be present. Most patients have at least some vision problems and evidence of decreased hormone production at the time of diagnosis.

Traditionally, surgery has been the main treatment for craniopharyngioma. However, radiation treatment instead of surgery or along with a smaller surgery may be the best choice for some patients. In tumors that cannot be removed completely with surgery alone, radiation therapy is usually necessary. If the tumor has a classic appearance on CT scan, a biopsy may not be necessary if treatment with radiation alone is planned. Stereotactic radiosurgery is performed at some medical centers. This tumor is best treated at a center with experience in treating patients with craniopharyngiomas. [Source: A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.]

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