Bma Illustrated Medical Dictionary

stethoscope. Cardiotocography, a more

sophisticated electronic version, makes

a continuous paper recording of the

heartbeat together with a recording of

the uterine contractions. The heartbeat

is picked up either externally by an

ultrasoundtransducer strapped to the

mother’s abdomen or, as an alternative

during labour, internally by an electrode

attached to the baby’s scalp that passes

through the vagina and cervix.

fetishismReliance on special objects in

order to achieve sexual arousal. The

objects need not have an obvious sex-

ual meaning; they may include shoes,

rubber or leather garments, and parts of

the body, such as the feet or ears.

Fetishism usually has no obvious

cause. According to psychoanalysts, the

origin may be a childhood fixationof

sexual interest upon some aspect of the

mother’s appearance. Treatment is nec-

essary only if the behaviour is causing

distress or persistent criminal acts.

fetoscopyA procedure for directly obs-

erving a fetus inside the uterus by

means of a fetoscope, a type of endo-

scope. Fetoscopy is used to diagnose

various congenitalabnormalities before

the baby is born. Because the technique

carries some risks, it is performed only

when other tests such as ultrasound

scanninghave detected an abnormality.

By attaching additional instruments, it

is also possible to use the fetoscope to

take samples of fetal blood or tissue for

analysis and to correct surgically some

fetal disorders. (See also amniocentesis;

chorionic villus sampling.)

fetusThe unborn child from the end of

the 8th week after conception until

birth. For the first 8 weeks, the unborn

child is called an embryo.

feverElevation above normal of body

temperature. Normal body temperature

is 37oC in the mouth and 0.6oC lower in

the axilla (armpit). A fever may be accom-

panied by symptoms such as shivering,

headache, sweating, thirst, faster-than-

normal breathing, and a flushed face.

Confusionor deliriumsometimes occur,

especially in the elderly; a high fever

may cause seizures in a child under 5

years (see convulsion, febrile) or coma.

Most fevers are caused by a bacterial

infection such as tonsillitisor a viral in-

fection such as influenza. In these cases,

proteins called pyrogens are released

when the white blood cells fight the

microorganisms that are responsible for

the infection. Pyrogens act on the tem-

perature controlling centre in the brain,

causing it to raise the body temperature

in an attempt to destroy the invading

microorganisms. Fever may also occur

in conditions, such as dehydration, thyro-

toxicosis, lymphoma, and myocardial

infarction, where infection is not present.

Drugs such as aspirinor other nons-

teroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or

paracetamolmay be given to reduce

fevers that are due to infections.

FETISHISM FEVER

F

Cardiotocograph

EXTERNAL FETAL HEART MONITORING

FETAL HEART MONITORING

Ultrasound transducer Pressure

sensitive

Trace showing uterine gauge

contractions and

baby’s heartbeat