Outline of medicine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rod of Asclepius, a symbol commonly associated with medicine

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to medicine:

Medicine – science of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain health by the prevention and treatment of illness.

Aims[]

Branches of medicine[]

  1. Anesthesiology – practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after surgery.
  2. Cardiology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the blood vessels.
  3. Critical care medicine – focuses on life support and the intensive care of the seriously ill.
  4. Dentistry – branch of medicine that deals with treatment of diseases in the oral cavity
  5. Dermatology – branch of medicine that deals with the skin, hair, and nails.
  6. Emergency medicine – focuses on care provided in the emergency department
  7. Endocrinology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the endocrine system.
  8. Epidemiology – study of cause and prevalence of diseases and programs to contain them
  9. First aid – assistance given to any person suffering a sudden illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and/or promote recovery. It includes initial intervention in a serious condition prior to professional medical help being available, such as performing CPR while awaiting an ambulance, as well as the complete treatment of minor conditions, such as applying a plaster to a cut.
  10. Gastroenterology – branch of medicine that deals with the study and care of the digestive system.
  11. General practice (often called family medicine) is a branch of medicine that specializes in primary care.
  12. Geriatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of the elderly.
  13. Gynaecology – diagnosis and treatment of the female reproductive system
  14. Hematology – branch of medicine that deals with the blood and the circulatory system.
  15. Hepatology – branch of medicine that deals with the liver, gallbladder and the biliary system.
  16. Infectious disease – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and management of infectious disease, especially for complex cases and immunocompromised patients.
  17. Internal medicine – involved with adult diseases
  18. Neurology – branch of medicine that deals with the brain and the nervous system.
  19. Nephrology – branch of medicine which deals with the kidneys.
  20. Obstetrics – care of women during and after pregnancy
  21. Oncology – branch of medicine that studies the types of cancer.
  22. Ophthalmology – branch of medicine that deals with the eyes.
  23. Optometry – branch of medicine that involves examining the eyes and applicable visual systems for defects or abnormalities as well as the medical diagnosis and management of eye disease.
  24. Orthopaedics – branch of medicine that deals with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.
  25. Otorhinolaryngology – branch of medicine that deals with the ears, nose and throat.
  26. Pathology – study of causes and pathogenesis of diseases.
  27. Pediatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of children and in some countries like the U.S. young adults.
  28. Preventive medicine – measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment.
  29. Psychiatry – branch of medicine that deals with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
  30. Pulmonology – branch of medicine that deals with the respiratory system.
  31. Radiology – branch of medicine that employs medical imaging to diagnose and treat disease.
  32. Sports medicine – branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise.
  33. Rheumatology – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
  34. Surgery – branch of medicine that uses operative techniques to investigate or treat both disease and injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.
  35. Urology – branch of medicine that deals with the urinary system of both sexes and the male reproductive system

History of medicine

Medical biology[]

Medical biology

Fields of medical biology[]

  • Anatomy – study of the physical structure of organisms. In contrast to macroscopic or gross anatomy, cytology and histology are concerned with microscopic structures.
  • Biochemistry – study of the chemistry taking place in living organisms, especially the structure and function of their chemical components.
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biological engineering
  • Biophysics
  • Biostatistics – application of statistics to biological fields in the broadest sense. A knowledge of biostatistics is essential in the planning, evaluation, and interpretation of medical research. It is also fundamental to epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.
  • Biotechnology
  • Cell biology – microscopic study of individual cells.
  • Embryology – study of the early development of organisms.
  • Gene therapy
  • Genetics – study of genes, and their role in biological inheritance.
  • Histology – study of the structures of biological tissues by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry.
  • Immunology – study of the immune system, which includes the innate and adaptive immune system in humans, for example.
  • Laboratory medical biology
  • Microbiology – study of microorganisms, including protozoa, bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
  • Molecular biology
  • Neuroscience   (outline) – includes those disciplines of science that are related to the study of the nervous system. A main focus of neuroscience is the biology and physiology of the human brain and spinal cord.
  • Parasitology
  • Pathology – study of disease, including the causes, course, progression and resolution thereof.
  • Physiology – study of the normal functioning of the body and the underlying regulatory mechanisms.
  • Systems biology
  • Virology
  • Toxicology – study of hazardous effects of drugs and poisons.
  • and many others (typically, life sciences that pertain to medicine)

Illness (diseases and disorders)[]

Main articles: Lists of diseases and List of disorders

Medical practice[]

Practice of medicine

Drugs[]

Drugs

Medical equipment[]

Medical equipment

  • MRI
  • Computed axial tomography

Medical labs[]

Medical facilities[]

Medical education[]

Medical education – education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner; either the initial training to become a physician, additional training thereafter, and fellowship.

Medical research[]

Medical research

Medical jargon[]

Medical terminology

Medical abbreviations and acronyms[]

Medical glossaries[]

Medical organizations[]

Government agencies[]

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
  • Food and Drug Administration (US)
  • National Academy of Medicine (US)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)

Medical publications[]

Persons influential in medicine[]

Medical scholars[]

An Arabic manuscript, dated 1200 CE, titled Anatomy of the Eye, authored by al-Mutadibih.
  • The earliest known physician, Hesyre.
  • The first recorded female physician, Peseshet.
  • Borsippa, a Babylonian who wrote the Diagnostic Handbook.
  • The Iranian chemist, Rhazes.
  • Avicenna, the philosopher and physician.
  • Greco-Roman medical scholars:
    • Hippocrates, commonly considered the father of modern medicine.
    • Galen, known for his ambitious surgeries.
    • Andreas Vesalius
    • Oribasius, a Byzantine who compiled medical knowledge.
  • Abu al-Qasim, an Islamic physician known as the father of modern surgery.
  • Medieval European medical scholars:
    • Theodoric Borgognoni, one of the most significant surgeons of the medieval period, responsible for introducing and promoting important surgical advances including basic antiseptic practice and the use of anaesthetics.
    • Guy de Chauliac, considered to be one of the earliest fathers of modern surgery, after the great Islamic surgeon, Abu al-Qasim.
    • Realdo Colombo, anatomist and surgeon who contributed to understanding of lesser circulation.
    • Michael Servetus, considered to be the first European to discover the pulmonary circulation of the blood.
    • Ambroise Paré suggested using ligatures instead of cauterisation and tested the bezoar stone.
    • William Harvey describes blood circulation.
    • John Hunter, surgeon.
    • Amato Lusitano described venous valves and guessed their function.
    • Garcia de Orta first to describe Cholera and other tropical diseases and herbal treatments
    • Percivall Pott, surgeon.
    • Sir Thomas Browne physician and medical neologist.
    • Thomas Sydenham physician and so-called "English Hippocrates."
  • Kuan Huang, who studied abroad and brought his techniques back to homeland china.
  • Ignaz Semmelweis, who studied and decreased the incidence of childbed fever.
  • Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch founded bacteriology.
  • Alexander Fleming, whose accidental discovery of penicillin advanced the field of antibiotics.

Pioneers in medicine[]

  • Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays, earning the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901, "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays (or x-rays)," and invented radiography.
  • Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant
  • Ian Donald pioneered the use of the ultrasound scan, which led to its use as a diagnostic tool.
  • Sir Godfrey Hounsfield invented the computed tomography (CT) scanner, sharing the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Allan M. Cormack, "for the development of computer assisted tomography."
  • Sir Peter Mansfield invented the MRI scanner, sharing the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Lauterbur for their "discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging."
  • Robert Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart.
  • Anthony Atala, creator of the first lab-grown organ, an artificial urinary bladder.

General concepts in medicine[]

See also[]

External links[]

  • NLM (US National Library of Medicine, contains resources for patients and health care professionals)
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