Dr. Kenneth Melby M.D.

Recommended Articles

• Pneumonia in an Immunocompromised Patient

  Pneumonia as a disease was once dreaded, since most of the cases would turn out to be fatal. This was many years ago, and with medical advances, times have changed. However, in some severe cases of pneumonia, especially in people with weakened immune systems, the disease can still be fatal. If the...

• 14-Year-Old with Cystic Fibrosis Doesn’t Say ‘Why Me’, Says ‘Why Not Me’?

  Because cystic fibrosis affects nearly the entire body, all too many people with this genetic disorder think about their symptoms and outlook then fall into a pit of despair. Not everyone. And certainly not Mae Johnson, a 14 year old girl from Adelaide, Australia.In fact, this enterprising teenager...

• What Is Orthopnea?

  OrthopneaOrthopnea is a condition that causes breathing difficulties when an individual is lying down. It usually happens at night when the person is going to sleep. People with orthopnea usually experience tightness in the chest and being oxygen-deficit. The shortness of breath is due to lying down...

• Pink Puffer and Blue Bloater: What Are They?

  No, they are not names of mythical characters from a fantasy novel. Far from it, really! As charming as their names sound, "pink puffer" is not the furry little pink creature that you are tempted to imagine nor is the "blue bloater" a big and friendly blue giant. What do these terms mean exactly?To...

• Prenatal Testing and Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis

  Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that is caused by a defect in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The CFTR protein is responsible for controlling the transportation of salt in and out of cells. Any mutations in the CFTR gene can cause an imbalance in the...

• Causes of Lung Nodules

  What are lung nodules?Lung nodules are spots present on the lung. These spots are usually around 1.5 inches or three centimeters in diameter. Lung nodules seen on imaging tests are often called as coin lesions. If a lung X-ray shows spots that are more than three centimeters, it is regarded as a...