Outline of medicine

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

Core

Main article: Medicine

• The practice of medicine
  • Physical examination
  • Diagnosis
  • Surgery
  • Medication
• Medical education
• Medical research

Branches

• Cardiology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the blood vessels.
• Critical care medicine – focuses on life support and the intensive care of the seriously ill.
• Dentistry – branch of medicine that deals with treatment of diseases in the oral cavity
• Dermatology – branch of medicine that deals with the skin, hair, and nails.
• Emergency medicine – focuses on care provided in the emergency department
• Endocrinology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the endocrine system.
• Gastroenterology – branch of medicine that deals with the study and care of the digestive system.
• General Practice (often called Family Medicine) is a branch of medicine that specializes in primary care.
• Geriatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of the elderly.
• Hematology – branch of medicine that deals with the blood and the circulatory system.
• Hepatology – branch of medicine that deals with the liver, gallbladder and the biliary system.
• Infectious disease – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and management of infectious disease, especially for complex cases and immunocompromised patients.
• Neurology – branch of medicine that deals with the brain and the nervous system.
• Nephrology – branch of medicine which deals with the kidneys.
• Oncology – is the branch of medicine that studies of cancer.
• Ophthalmology – branch of medicine that deals with the eyes.
• Otolaryngology – branch of medicine that deals with the ears, nose and throat.
• Pathology – branch of medicine that deals with the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases.
• Pediatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of children.
• Pulmonology – branch of medicine that deals with the respiratory system.
• Psychiatry – branch of medicine that deals with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
• Radiology – branch of medicine that employs medical imaging to diagnose and treat disease.
• Rheumatology – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
• Surgery – branch of medicine that uses operative techniques to investigate or treat both disease and injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.
• Urology – branch of medicine that deals with the urinary system.
• Numerous other interdisciplinary fields.

History

Main article: History of medicine

• Prehistoric medicine
• Herbalism
• Ayurveda
• Ancient Egyptian medicine
• Babylonian medicine
• Ancient Iranian medicine
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Hebrew medicine
• Greco-Roman medicine
• Islamic medicine
• Medieval medicine

General concepts

• 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.
• 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.
• Cytology – microscopic study of individual cells.
• Embryology – study of the early development of organisms.
• Epidemiology – study of the demographics of disease processes, and includes, but is not limited to, the study of epidemics.
• 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.
• Medical ethics – system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine.
• Microbiology – study of microorganisms, including protozoa, bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• Neuroscience 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.
• Nutrition – study of the relationship of food and drink to health and disease, especially in determining an optimal diet. Medical nutrition therapy is done by dietitians and is prescribed for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, weight and eating disorders, allergies, malnutrition, and neoplastic diseases.
• Pathology as a science – study of disease–the causes, course, progression and resolution thereof.
• Pharmacology – study of drugs and their actions.
• Physiology – study of the normal functioning of the body and the underlying regulatory mechanisms.
• Psychology – an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.
• Toxicology – study of hazardous effects of drugs and poisons.

• List of AIDS-related topics
• List of branches of alternative medicine
• List of anatomical topics
  • List of human anatomical features
  • List of human anatomical parts named after people
  • List of bones of the human skeleton
  • List of muscles of the human body
  • List of images and subjects in Gray's Anatomy
• List of autism-related topics
• List of clinical research topics
• List of clinically important bacteria
• List of disabilities
  • List of disability-related terms with negative connotations
• List of distinct cell types in the adult human body
• List of emergency medicine topics
  • List of emergency medicine courses
• List of eponymous fractures
• List of eponymous medical signs
• List of exercise topics
• List of health topics
• List of health sciences topics
• List of homologues of the human reproductive system
• List of hospice programs
• List of hospitals in the United States
  • List of burn centers in the United States
  • List of Veterans Affairs medical facilities
• List of human blood components
• List of human hormones
• List of human nerves
• List of life extension-related topics
• List of medical emergencies
• List of medical inhalants
• List of medical organisations
  • List of LGBT medical organizations
  • List of pharmacy associations
• List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes
• List of medical symptoms
• List of neuroscience topics
• Lists of nutrition topics
  • List of macronutrients
  • List of micronutrients
• List of obstetric topics (pregnancy and childbirth)
• List of oncology-related terms
• List of oral health and dental topics
• List of pharmaceutical companies
• List of protective human features
• List of psychology topics
• List of psychotherapies
• List of regions in the human brain
• List of surgical procedures
  • List of eye surgical procedures
• List of vaccine topics
• Medical equipment
• Pharmacology, for list of medicinal substances
• Lists of health topics
• List of medical roots
• List of medical schools
• Important publications in medicine
• List of physicians

Illness (diseases and disorders)

Main articles: Lists of diseases and List of disorders

• List of cancer types
• List of childhood diseases
• List of diseases caused by insects
• List of eponymous diseases
• List of fictional diseases
• List of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States
• List of genetic disorders
• List of human parasitic diseases
• List of illnesses related to poor nutrition
• List of infectious diseases
  • List of infectious diseases causing flu-like syndrome
• List of latent human viral infections
• List of mental illnesses
• List of neurological disorders
• List of notifiable diseases
• List of parasites (human)
• List of skin-related conditions
• List of systemic diseases with ocular manifestations

Drugs

Main article: List of drugs

• List of anaesthetic drugs
• List of antiviral drugs
• List of bestselling drugs
• List of drugs affected by grapefruit
• List of drugs banned from the Olympics
• List of drugs illegal in the United Kingdom
• List of fictional medicines and drugs
  • List of comic book drugs
• List of medical inhalants
• List of monoclonal antibodies
• List of psychedelic drugs
• List of psychiatric medications
  • List of psychiatric medications by condition treated
• List of schedules for drugs and poisons
  • List of Schedule I drugs
  • List of Schedule II drugs
  • List of Schedule III drugs
  • List of Schedule IV drugs
  • List of Schedule V drugs
• List of withdrawn drugs

Medical jargon

Medical abbreviations and acronyms

• Acronyms in healthcare
• List of medical abbreviations: Overview
• List of medical abbreviations: Latin abbreviations
• List of abbreviations for diseases and disorders
• List of abbreviations for medical organisations and personnel
• List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions
• List of abbreviations used in health informatics
• List of optometric abbreviations

Medical glossaries

• Glossary of alternative medicine
• Glossary of anatomical terminology, definitions and abbreviations
• Glossary of clinical research
• Glossary of diabetes
• Glossary of medical terms related to communications disorders
• Glossary of psychiatry

Medical publications

• List of important publications in medicine
• List of important publications in psychology
• List of medical journals
  • List of defunct medical journals
• List of medical and health informatics journals

Persons influential in medicine

Scholars in medicine

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.

See also

• Medicine
• Health
• Clinic
• Hospital
• Hospice

External links

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