Cephal Health Dictionary

A remedy for disorders of the head... cephalic

An extensive, soft swelling on the scalp of a newborn infant, which is caused by bleeding into the space between the cranium and its fibrous covering due to pressure on the baby’s head during delivery.

The swelling is not serious and gradually subsides.... cephalhaematoma

A complication of childbirth (see childbirth, complications of) in which the mother’s pelvis is too narrow in proportion to the size of the baby’s head.... cephalopelvic disproportion

Headache... cephalalgia

A group of sensory organs around the mouth opening (excluding amphids which are situated on the lateral aspects of the mouth); the number and arrangement of the cephalic papillae are significant for the classification of nematodes.... cephalic papillae

Any disease of the head... cephalopathy

Octopus. See blue-ringed octopus.... cephalopod

These are broad-spectrum antibiotics. Most are semi-synthetic derivatives of cephalosporin C, an antibiotic originally derived from a sewage outfall in Sardinia.

First-generation examples still in use include cephalexin and cefadroxil. They are orally active and, along with second-generation cefaclor, have a similar antimicrobial spectrum. They are used for ‘resistant’ urinary infections and urinary infections in pregnancy. Cephalosporins have a similar pharmacology to that of penicillin, and about 10 per cent of patients allergic to penicillin will also be hypersensitive to cephalosporins. They are e?ective in treating SEPTICAEMIA, PNEUMONIA, MENINGITIS, biliary-tract infections and PERITONITIS.

Second-generation cefuroxime and cefamandole are less vulnerable to penicillinases and are useful for treating ‘resistant’ bacteria and Haemophilus in?uenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoea. Third-generation cephalosporins include cefotaxime, ceftazidime and others; these are more e?ective than the second-generation in treating some gram-negative infections, especially those causing septicaemia.... cephalosporins

(Roth.) Spreng.

Family: Labiatae; Lamiaceae.

Habitat: Throughout the greater part of India, as a weed, ascending up to 1,800 m in the Himalayas.

Ayurvedic: Dronpushpi, Katumbaa. Siddha/Tamil: Tumbai. Folk: Guumaa, Dhurpi saaga, Halkusa (bigger var.), Tumbaa.

Action: Plant—stimulant, diaphoretic, antiseptic (fresh juice is used in scabies), insecticidal. Flowers— a syrup is used as a domestic remedy for coughs and colds. Dry leaves along with tobacco (1: 3) are smoked to treat bleeding as well as itching piles.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia indicated the use of the dried whole plant in jaundice, inflammations, cough, bronchial asthma and intermittent fever.

The plant contains beta-sitosterol glycoside and traces of an alkaloid.

Dosage: Whole plant—5-10 ml juice; 1-3 g powder. (API, Vol. II.)... leucas cephalotes

An alternative spelling of cefalexin, a common cephalosporin drug.... cephalexin

A large group of antibiotic drugs derived from the fungus

CEPHALOSPORIUM ACREMONIUM, which are effective against a wide range of infections.

Cephalosporins are used to treat ear, throat, and respiratory tract infections, and conditions, such as urinary tract infections and gonorrhoea, in which the causative bacteria are resistant to other types of antibiotics.

Occasionally, the drugs cause allergic reactions, such as rash, itching, and fever.

Rarely, anaphylactic shock occurs.

Other side effects include diarrhoea and blood disorders.... cephalosporin drugs

adj. towards the head.... cephalad

a measure of the shape of a skull, commonly used in *craniometry: the ratio of the greatest breadth, multiplied by 100, to the greatest length of the skull. See also brachycephaly; dolichocephaly.... cephalic index

(external cephalic version) a procedure in which a fetus that is lying in the breech position is turned so that its head will enter the birth canal first. It may give rise to complications (e.g. abruptio placentae) and is therefore only carried out in selected cases.... cephalic version

n. one of a group of *phospholipids that are constituents of cell membranes and are particularly abundant in the brain.... cephalin

n. see neural tube defects.... cephalocele

n. a special standardized X-ray picture of the craniofacial area that can be used to measure alterations in the growth of skull bones, as used especially during orthodontic treatment. A lateral cephalometric radiograph is used to analyse skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue relationships in the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions.... cephalogram

n. the study and measurement of facial growth by examination of standardized lateral cephalometric radiographs of the head. It is used mainly for diagnosis in *orthodontics.... cephalometry

n. any one of a group of semisynthetic *beta-lactam antibiotics, derived from the mould Cephalosporium, which are effective against a wide range of microorganisms and are therefore used in a variety of infections. The older (first-generation) cephalosporins include *cefadroxil and *cefalexin; more recent (second-generation) drugs include *cefaclor and *cefuroxime. Third-generation cephalosporins, such as *ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone, have greater activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Cross-sensitivity with penicillin may occur and the principal side-effects are allergic reactions and irritation of the digestive tract.... cephalosporin