Urinary tract infection (ITU)

A urinary tract infection is an infection that begins in your urinary system. Your urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra.

Women are at greater risk of developing a urinary tract infection than are men. A urinary tract infection limited to your bladder can be painful and annoying. However, serious consequences can occur if a urinary tract infection spreads to your kidneys.

Antibiotics are the typical treatment for a urinary tract infection. But you can take steps to reduce your chance of getting a urinary tract infection in the first place.

Symptoms

Urinary tract infections don't always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do they can include:

- A strong, persistent urge to urinate
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
- Urine that appears cloudy
- Urine that appears bright pink or cola colored — a sign of blood in the urine
- Strong-smelling urine
- Pelvic pain, in women
- Rectal pain, in men  

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Hydronephrosis

Hydronephrosis is swelling (dilation) of the urine-collecting structures of one or both kidneys due to obstruction of urine flow from the kidney. This can impair kidney function. Hydronephrosis isn't a specific disease, but a sign of an underlying problem. 
Causes include:

- Blockage of the urinary system present at birth (congenital)
- A kidney or ureteral stone (nephrolithiasis)
- A blood clot
- Scarring of the ureter, usually from injury, radiation therapy or previous surgery
- A tumor in or around the ureter
- Prostate gland enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
- Pregnancy

Hydronephrosis may develop suddenly — due to, for example, passing a kidney stone — and cause severe pain in the back, lower abdomen and groin on the side of the blockage. It may also develop so gradually over weeks or months — due to, for example, a slow-growing tumor — that it causes no symptoms. Urine output usually remains normal as long as one kidney functions properly.

A doctor can confirm a diagnosis of hydronephrosis by:

- X-rays of the kidneys, such as dye studies (excretory urogram)
- Computerized tomography (CT)
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Cystoscopy and catheterization of the ureter with dye injection

Treatment depends on the cause and the severity of the obstruction. Some blockages, such as from blood clots or a kidney stone, can resolve without treatment. Surgery may be necessary to relieve the blockage. Rarely, surgical removal of the kidney may be required.

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Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UL-sur-uh-tiv koe-LIE-tis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes long-lasting inflammation in part of your digestive tract.

Like Crohn's disease, another common IBD, ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and sometimes can lead to life-threatening complications. Because ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition, symptoms usually develop over time, rather than suddenly.

Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. It occurs only through continuous stretches of your colon, unlike Crohn's disease, which occurs anywhere in the digestive tract and often spreads deeply into the affected tissues.

There's no known cure for ulcerative colitis, but therapies are available that may dramatically reduce the signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis and even bring about a long-term remission.

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Fever: First aid

Fever is a sign of a variety of medical conditions, including infection. Your normal temperature may differ slightly from the average body temperature of 98.6 F (37 C).

For young children and infants — especially newborns — even slightly elevated temperatures may indicate a serious illness. For adults, a fever usually isn't dangerous until it reaches 103 F (39.4 C) or higher.

For adults, don't treat fevers below 102 F (38.9 C) with any medications unless your doctor tells you to. If you have a fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher, your doctor may suggest taking an over-the-counter medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others).

Adults also may use aspirin, but don't give aspirin to children or teenagers under the age of 19. It may trigger a rare, but potentially fatal, disorder known as Reye's syndrome. Also, don't give ibuprofen to infants younger than 6 months of age.

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Atrial septal defect (ASD)

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. The interatrial septum is the tissue that divides the right and left atria. Without this septum, or if there is a defect in this septum, it is possible for blood to travel from the left side of the heart to the right side of the heart, or vice versa. This results in the mixing of arterial and venous blood, which may or may not be clinically significant. This mixture of blood may or may not result in what is known as a "shunt". The amount of shunting present, if any, dictates hemodynamic significance. A "right-to-left-shunt" typically poses the more dangerous scenario.

The right side of the heart contains venous blood with a low oxygen content, and the left side of the heart contains arterial blood with a high oxygen content. A normal heart has an interatrial septum that prevents oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-deficient blood from mixing together.

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Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD)

Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) or atrioventricular canal defect (AVCD), previously known as "common atrioventricular canal" (CAVC) or "endocardial cushion defect", is characterized by a deficiency of the atrioventricular septum of the heart. It is caused by an abnormal or inadequate fusion of the superior and inferior endocardial cushions with the mid portion of the atrial septum and the muscular portion of the ventricular septum.

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