Copy of `Dorland's Medical Dictionary`

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Dorland's Medical Dictionary Category: Health and Medicine > Medical Dictionary Date & country: 31/12/2010, USA Words: 39128

quadrant
(kwod´rәnt) one fourth of the circumference of a circle. one of four corresponding parts, as of the abdominal surface, the dentition, the field of vision, or the tympanic membrane.

quadrantanopia
(kwod″rәnt-ә-no´pe-ә) defective vision or blindness in one fourth of the visual field.

quadrantanopsia
(kwod″rәnt-ә-nop´se-ә) quadrantanopia.

quadrantectomy
(kwod″rәn-tek´tә-me) a form of partial mastectomy involving en bloc excision of tumor in one quadrant of breast tissue, as well as the pectoralis major muscle fascia and overlying skin.

quadrate
(kwod´rāt) square or squared.

quadrate foramen
foramen venae cavae.

quadrate lobe
precuneus. traditional name for a small lobe of the liver, between the gallbladder and the left lobe.

quadrate muscle
a square-shaped muscle.

quadratus femoris muscle
origin, upper part of lateral border of tuberosity of ischium; insertion, quadrate tubercle of femur, intertrochanteric crest; innervation, fourth and fifth lumbar nerves and first sacral nerve; action, adducts, rotates thigh laterally.

quadratus lumborum muscle
origin, iliac crest, thoracolumbar fascia; insertion, twelfth rib, transverse processes of four upper lumbar vertebrae; innervation, first and second lumbar nerves and twelfth thoracic nerve; action, flexes lumbar vertebrae laterally, fixes last rib.

quadratus plantae muscle
origin, calcaneus and plantar fascia; insertion, tendons of flexor digitorum longus muscle; innervation, lateral plantar nerve; action, aids in flexing toes.

quadriceps
(kwod´rĭ-seps) having four heads; said of muscles. quadriceps setting exercise an isometric exercise to strengthen muscles needed for ambulation. The patient is instructed to contract the quadriceps muscle while at the same time elevating the heel and pushing the knee toward...

quadriceps femoris muscle
quadriceps muscle a name used for a group of muscles, the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis, inserting by a common tendon that surrounds the patella and ends on the tuberosity of the tibia, and acting to extend the leg upon the thigh.

quadriceps reflex
knee jerk.

quadrigeminal
(kwod″rĭ-jem´ĭ-nәl) fourfold; in four parts; forming a group of four.

quadrigeminal artery
collicular artery.

quadrigeminal bodies
corpora quadrigemina.

quadrilateral
(kwod″rĭ-lat´әr-әl) having four sides. a four-sided figure.

quadrilateral space
a potential space in the shoulder region, bounded by the long head of the triceps brachii muscle, the teres minor muscle, the surgical neck of the humerus, and the teres major muscle; the axillary nerve, posterior circumflex humeral artery, and adjacent veins pass through it.

quadrilateral space syndrome
a rare type of entrapment neuropathy caused by compression of the axillary nerve as it passes through the quadrilateral space; symptoms are paresthesias and shoulder pain upon abduction of the arm.

quadrilocular
(kwod″ri-lok´u-lәr) having four cavities.

quadripara
(kwod-rip´ә-rә) a woman who has had four pregnancies that resulted in viable offspring; para IV.

quadripartite
(kwod″rĭ-pahr´tīt) divided into four.

quadriplegia
(kwod″rĭ-ple´jә) paralysis of all four limbs; motor or sensory function or both in the areas served by the cervical spinal nerves is impaired or lost due to damage to that part of the spinal cord, resulting in impaired function in the upper limbs, lower limbs, trunk, and pelvic organs. This term does not incl...

quadrisect
(kwod´rĭ-sekt) to cut into four parts.

quadritubercular
(kwod″rĭ-too-bur´ku-lәr) having four tubercles or cusps.

quadrivalent
(kwod″rĭ-va´lәnt) having a valence of four.

quadruped
(kwod´roo-pәd) four-footed. an animal having four feet.

quadrupedal extensor reflex
Brain reflex.

quadruplet
(kwod-rldbomacp´lәt) one of four offspring produced at one birth.

quality assurance
in health care, a pledge to the public by those within the various health care fields that they will work toward the goal of an optimal level of excellence in the services given to every patient.

Quant sign
a T-shaped depression in the occipital bone, sometimes seen in rickets.

quantimeter
(kwahn-tim´ә-tәr) an instrument for measuring the quantity of x-rays generated by a Coolidge tube.

quantity
(kwahn´tĭ-te) a characteristic, as of energy or mass, susceptible of precise physical measurement. a measurable amount. adj., quan´titative., adj.

quantum
(kwahn´tәm) an elemental unit of energy; the amount emitted or absorbed at each step when energy is emitted or absorbed by atoms or molecules.

quantum theory
radiation and absorption of energy occur in quantities (quanta) that vary in size with the frequency of the radiation.

Quaranfil virus
an arbovirus found in Egypt, where it was isolated from the blood of children with febrile disease, from the blood of young egrets, and from ticks (Argas arboreus and A. hermanni). It is ether-sensitive and presumed to contain RNA.

quarantine
(kwor´әn-tēn) (kwahr´әn-tēn) restriction of freedom of movement of apparently well individuals who have been exposed to infectious disease, which is imposed for the usual maximal incubation period of the disease (quarantine period). quarantine period. th...

quarantine period
the length of time, usually the maximal incubation period of the disease, that must elapse before a person exposed to contagion is regarded as incapable of transmitting or acquiring the disease. See also quarantine. a period of detention of vessels, vehicles, or travelers coming from infected or suspected ports or...

quart
(kwort) one fourth of a gallon; in the United States it is equal to 0.946 liter and in Great Britain it is an imperial quart and is equal to 1.14 liters.

quartan
(kwor´tәn) recurring in four-day cycles (i.e. on the third day after the previous episode). a variety of intermittent fever in which the paroxysms recur on every third day; see malaria.

quartan fever
a fever that occurs every fourth day, such as quartan malaria.

quartile
(kwor´tīl) any of the three values that divide the range of a probability distribution into four parts of equal probability; the first, second, and third quartiles are the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles.

quartipara
(kwor-tip´ә-rә) quadripara; a woman who has had four pregnancies that resulted in viable offspring; para IV.

quartz lamp
mercury arc lamp.

quasidominance
(kwah″ze-dom´ĭ-nәns) the mimicking of dominance in inheritance, with roughly half of the offspring expressing a phenotype, but actually caused by mating of a carrier of a recessive gene with an individual homozygous for the gene; it can be distinguished from dominance by examination of an extended ...

quasispecies
(quah″ze-spe´sēz) one of a population of closely related genotypes coexisting as a result of mutations of the original genotype, with selective pressures causing the genotypes to assume a distribution in the center of which is the most frequent, and often fittest, genotype. The heterogeneous mixture of ...

quater in die
(kwah´ter in de´a) Latin phrase meaning four times a day. Used in prescription writing.

quaternary
(kwah´tәr-nar″e) (kwah-tur´nәr-e) fourth in a series. made up of four elements or groups.

quazepam
(kwah´zә-pam) a benzodiazepine used as a sedative and hypnotic in the treatment of insomnia; administered orally.

Queckenstedt phenomenon
Queckenstedt signQueckenstedt test (kwek´en-stet″) when the veins in the neck are compressed on one or both sides, in healthy persons there is a rapid rise in the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid, which returns quickly to normal when pressure is taken off the neck. When there is a block in the ver...

quellung test
Neufeld reaction.

quenching
(kwench´ing) extinguishing, suppressing, or diminishing a physical property, as the rapid chilling of a hot metal by plunging it into cold liquid. in biochemistry, decrease of fluorescence from an excited molecule by interference that reduces the fluorescence intensity. the termination of sec...

Quénu-Muret sign
in aneurysm, the main artery of the limb is compressed and then a puncture is made at the periphery; if blood flows, the collateral circulation is probably established.

Quervain disease
(kār-vah´) inflammation of the long abductor and short extensor tendons of the thumb, with swelling and tenderness. Called also de Quervain disease.

Quervain fracture
de Quervain fracture.

quetiapine
(kwә-ti´ә-pēn) a serotonin and dopamine antagonist used as the fumarate salt as an antipsychotic agent; administered orally.

quick pulse
one that strikes the finger smartly and leaves it quickly; called also pulsus celer.

Quick test
(kwik) (for liver function) a test based on excretion of hippuric acid following administration of sodium benzoate. prothrombin time.

quickening
(kwik´әn-ing) the first perceptible movement of the fetus in the uterus, appearing usually in the sixteenth to eighteenth week of pregnancy.

quilt suture
quilted suture a continuous mattress suture.

quinacrine
(kwin´ә-krin) an anthelmintic and antiprotozoalagent used especially for treatment of malaria, giardiasis, and tapeworm infestations. It is a yellow fluorescent dye also used in chromosome banding.

Quinaglute
(kwin´ә-glldbomact) trademark for a preparation of quinidine gluconate, a cardiac antiarrhythmic agent.

quinapril
(kwin´ә-pril) an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used in the form of the hydrochloride salt in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Quincke disease
(kwing´kә) angioedema.

Quincke pulse
Quincke sign (kwing´kә) alternate blanching and flushing of the skin that may be elicited in several ways, such as by pressing on the end of the nail and observing the nail bed or skin at the root of the nail. It is caused by pulsation of subpapillary arteriolar and venous plexuses and is sometimes s...

quinethazone
(kwin-eth´ә-zōn) a diuretic with the same pharmacologic action as thiazide diuretics; used for treatment of hypertension and edema.

quinidine
(kwin´ĭ-dēn) the dextrorotatory isomer of quinine, administered orally as the gluconate, polygalacturonate, or sulfate salts, or intravenously as the gluconate salt in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. It is also administered intravenously as the gluconate salt in the treatment of life-threatening malaria caus...

quinine
(kwin´in) (kwin-ēn´) (kwi´nīn) an alkaloid of cinchona that is an antimalarial agent; it suppresses the asexual erythrocytic forms of malarial parasites and has a slight effect on the gametocytes. It also has analgesic, antipyretic, mild oxytocic, cardiac depressant, and scler...

quininism
(kwin´ĭ-niz″әm) cinchonism.

quinoline
(kwin´o-lēn) an amine or alkaloid derivable from quinine, coal tar, and various other sources, which has antiseptic, antipyretic, and antimalarial properties.

quinolone
(kwin´o-lōn) any of a group of synthetic antibacterial agents that includes cinoxacin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin.

quinquevalent
(kwing″kwә-va´lәnt) pentavalent; having a valence of five.

quinsy
(kwin´ze) peritonsillar abscess.

quintan
(kwin´tәn) recurring every five days (i.e., on the fourth day after the previous episode).

quintan fever
trench fever.

quintile
(kwin´tīl) any of the four values that divide the range of a probability distribution distribution into five parts of equal probability; the first, second, third, and fourth quintiles are the 20th, 40th, 60th, and 80th percentiles.

quintipara
(kwin-tip´ә-rә) a woman who has had five pregnancies that resulted in viable offspring; para V.

quintuplet
(kwin-tup´lәt) one of five offspring produced at one birth.

quinupristin
(kwin-u´pris-tin) a semisynthetic antibacterial effective against a variety of gram-positive organisms. It is used in conjunction with dalfopristin in the treatment of serious bacteremia caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and complicated skin and skin structure infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or m...

quota sample
a convenience sample that is adjusted to ensure that certain subgroups are not underrepresented.

quotidian
(kwo-tid´e-әn) recurring every day. a form of intermittent malarial fever with daily recurrent paroxysms.

quotidian fever
a fever that recurs every day, such as quotidian malaria.

quotient
(kwo´shәnt) a number obtained by division. achievement quotient the achievement age divided by the mental age, indicating progress in learning. caloric quotient the heat evolved (in calories) divided by the oxygen consumed (in milligrams) in a metabol...

Ra
radium.

RA cell
ragocyte.

rabbit fever
tularemia.

rabeprazole
(rә-bep´rә-zōl) an inhibitor of stomach hydrochloric acid secretion administered orally as the sodium salt in treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and similar conditions marked by excessive acid.

rabid
(rab´id) affected with rabies; pertaining to rabies.

rabies
(ra´bēz) (ra´be-ēz) an acute infectious disease of the central nervous system, which affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans. It is caused by an RNA virus of the genus Lyssavirus. The virus is often present in the host's saliva, and human infection is usually transmitted by the bite or li...

rabies immune globulin
a specific immune globulin derived from plasma of human donors hyperimmunized with rabies vaccine; administered in conjunction with rabies vaccine in cases of bite or scratch exposure to known or suspected rabid animals.

rabies vaccine
any of various vaccines against rabies consisting of inactivated virus, used for preexposure immunization to persons at high risk of exposure, such as veterinarians, and for postexposure prophylaxis in conjunction with rabies immune globulin. See human diploid cell vaccine, purified chick embryo cell vaccine, and rabies vaccine...

rabies vaccine adsorbed
(RVA) a rabies vaccine prepared from rabies virus grown in cultures of fetal rhesus monkey lung and inactivated; administered intramuscularly.

rabies virus
an RNA virus of the rhabdovirus group that causes rabies.

rabies-like viruses
Lyssavirus.

Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome
(rab´sәn men´dәn-hawl) a rare syndrome seen in children, characterized by a mutation or other defect in an insulin receptor gene, with severe insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans as well as thick hair, abnormalities of teeth and nails, and hyperplasia of the pineal gland.

raccoon eyes
raccoon sign areas of ecchymosis around both eyes, usually after a basilar skull fracture; persons with primary amyloidosis have a similar appearance.

racemase
(ra´sә-mās) an enzyme that catalyzes the racemization of an optically active substance, such as L-lactic acid.

racemate
(ra´sә-māt) a racemic mixture or compound.

racemethionine
(rās″ә-mә-thi´o-nēn) a racemic mixture of D- and L-methionine, used as a dietary supplement with lipotropic action.