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D
and C
See dilatation and curettage.
debridement
Surgical removal of dead,
damaged, or infected tissue, or some foreign material from a wound or
burn.
decompression sickness
The formation of gas
bubbles in the body’s tissues as a result of a scuba diver ascending
too quickly from depth; commonly called the bends.
deep-vein thrombosis
The formation of a blood
clot inside of a deep-lying vein,
usually in the legs.
defecation
The passing of feces out
of the body through the anus; a bowel
movement.
defibrillation
A short electric shock to
the chest to normalize an irregular heartbeat.
degenerative arthritis
The breakdown of the cartilage
lining the bones in joints, usually weight-bearing joints (such as the
knee); causes stiffness and pain (also called osteoarthritis).
dehydration
Excessive, dangerous loss
of water from the body.
dementia
A gradual decline in
mental ability usually caused by a brain disease, such as Alzheimer
disease.
depilatory
A chemical hair remover.
depot
injection
Injection of a drug into a muscle;
the drug is designed to absorb slowly into the body.
depression
Feelings of hopelessness,
sadness, and a general disinterest in life, which for the most part have
no cause and may be the result of a psychiatric illness.
dermabrasion
Removal of the surface
layer of skin with a sanding wheel to treat scarring or to remove
tattoos.
dermatitis
Inflammation of the skin.
dermis
The inner skin layer.
desensitization
The process of making a
person less allergic to a substance by injecting gradually increasing
amounts of the substance; sometimes done to prevent anaphylactic shock.
detoxification
Treatment given either to
fight a person's dependence on alcohol or other drugs or to rid the body
of a poisonous substance and its effects.
dextrocardia
A rare genetic condition
in which the heart is located on the right side of the body, instead of
the left.
dextrose
Another name for the sugar
glucose.
diabetes
insipidus
A rare condition
characterized by increased urine production.
diabetes mellitus
A common form of diabetes
in which the body cannot properly store or use glucose (sugar), the
body's main source of energy.
dialysis
A procedure to treat
kidney failure in which artificial means are used to filter waste,
maintain acid-base balance, and
remove excess fluid from the body.
diaper
rash
A common condition in
babies in which the skin in the diaper area becomes irritated and red,
usually because of exposure to urine, feces, or heat.
diaphragm
The large, dome-shaped
muscle separating the abdomen and chest that contracts and relaxes to
make breathing possible; also, a thin, rubber dome that is used as a
method of female contraception.
diastolic pressure
The blood pressure measured when
the heart is at rest between beats.
diathermy
The use of high-frequency
currents, microwaves, or ultrasound to produce heat in the body to
increase blood flow, relieve pain, or destroy diseased tissue.
dilatation and curettage
A procedure in which the
vagina and cervix are widened and the lining of the uterus is scraped
away to diagnose and treat disorders of the uterus.
diphtheria
A bacterial infection that
causes a fever, headache, sore throat, and possibly death; diphtheria is
rare in developed countries.
disk prolapse
A disorder in which one of
the disks located between the vertebrae
in the spine breaks down and the pulpy interior squeezes out, causing
pressure on a nerve; commonly called
a "slipped" or "ruptured" disk.
dislocation
Displacement of the two
bones in a joint.
distention
Swelling, enlargement, or
stretching.
diuretic
A drug that increases the
amount of water in the urine, removing excess water from the body; used
in treating high blood pressure and fluid retention.
diverticulitis
Inflammation of
diverticula (small sacs in the intestine's inner lining); can cause
fever, pain, and tenderness .
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid;
responsible for passing genetic information in nearly all organisms.
dominant gene
A gene
that always produces its effect when it is present.
dopamine
A chemical that transmits
messages in the brain and plays a role in movement.
Down
syndrome
A genetic disorder in which a
person’s cells have 1 too many chromosomes, causing moderate to severe
mental handicap and a characteristic appearance.
duchenne
muscular dystrophy
A genetic condition in
boys in which nerves degenerate and
muscles get progressively weaker.
duodenal
ulcer
An erosion in the inner
lining of the wall of the first part of the small intestine (called the
duodenum).
duodenum
The first part of the
small intestine, immediately following the stomach.
dysentery
A severe intestinal infection,
causing abdominal pain and diarrhea with blood or mucus.
dyspnea
Difficulty breathing.
dystrophy
Any disorder in which cells become damaged or do not develop
properly because they do not receive adequate nutrition.
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