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

Babkin reflex
(bab´kin) pressure by the examiner's thumbs on the palms of both hands of the infant results in opening of the infant's mouth; it is elicited in many newborn infants, normal and abnormal, except when lethargic or comatose.

baby
(ba´be) infant.

Baby Doe legislation
a law that requires health care providers to provide treatment for severely handicapped newborns except when death appears inevitable, when treatment merely prolongs inevitable death, or when treatment is so futile as to be inhumane. The 1984 regulations give broader discretion to providers and parents than the original b...

baby grid
a direct-reading chart on infant growth.

baby teeth
deciduous teeth.

bacampicillin
(bә-kam″pĭ-sil´in) a semisynthetic penicillin of the ampicillin class, administered orally as the hydrochloride salt; it is hydrolyzed to ampicillin in the body and has antibiotic activity and uses similar to those of the parent drug.

bacillary
(bas´ĭ-lar″e) pertaining to bacilli or to rodlike structures.

bacillary dysentery
the most common and violent form of dysentery, caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, seen most often in warm parts of the world where sanitation is poor and large groups of people are crowded together. The disease is spread through the feces of carriers who have the bacteria in their intestines; some carriers may have diarr...

bacillary layer
layer of rods and cones.

bacille
(bah-sēl´) bacillus. bacille Calmette-Guérin(BCG) Mycobacterium bovis that has been rendered completely avirulent by cultivation over a long period on a special culture medium. See also BCG vaccine and BCG solution.

bacillemia
(bas″ĭ-le´me-ә) the presence of bacilli in the blood.

bacilli
(bә-sil´i) plural of bacillus.

bacilliform
(bә-sil´ĭ-form) having the appearance of a bacillus; rod-shaped.

bacilluria
(bas″ĭ-lu´re-ә) bacteriuria with bacilli in the urine.

Bacillus
(bә-sil´әs) a genus of aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, spore-forming rods, most of which are gram-positive and motile. There are three pathogenic species: B. an´thracis, which causes anthrax; B. ce´reus, a common soil saprophyte that causes food poisoning by the formation of an enterotoxin in contaminate...

bacillus
(bә-sil´әs) pl. bacil´li an organism of the genus Bacillus. any rod-shaped bacterium.

bacitracin
(bas″ĭ-tra´sin) an antibacterial polypeptide elaborated by the licheniformis group of Bacillus subtilis; it is effective against a wide range of gram-positive and a few gram-negative bacteria; also used as the zinc salt. It is applied topically to the skin and eye.

backache
(bak´āk″) any pain in the back, usually in the lumbar or cervical region, ranging from dull and continuous to sharp and throbbing.

backbone
(back´bōn) vertebral column.

backcross
(bak´kros) in experimental genetics, a cross between an offspring and one of its parents, or an organism genetically identical to one of its parents.

backflow
(bak´flo) reflux or regurgitation (def. 1). pyelovenous backflow drainage from the renal pelvis into the venous system occurring under certain conditions of back pressure.

background level
the usual intensity of a chemical or other stimulus in the environment.

backscatter
(bak´skat-әr) in radiology, radiation deflected by scattering processes at angles greater than 90 degrees to the original direction of the beam of radiation.

backward heart failure
a concept of heart failure emphasizing the resultant passive engorgement of the systemic venous system that.

baclofen
(bak´lo-fen″) an analogue of γ-aminobutyric acid administered orally or intrathecally as a muscle relaxant and antispastic in the treatment of spasticity of spinal origin, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. It is also injected beneath the dura mater to treat spasticity of cerebral origin, such as tra...

bacteremia
(bak″tәr-e´me-ә) the presence of bacteria in the blood.

Bacteria
(bak-tēr´e-ә) in the three-domain system of classification, one of the two large divisions into which prokaryotes are grouped. They are genetically distinct from the Archaea. They are made up of a large number of single-celled microorganisms that commonly multiply by cell division (fission) and whose cell is ...

bacteria
(bak-tēr´e-ә) plural of bacterium.

bacterial allergy
a specific hypersensitivity to a particular bacterial antigen, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

bacterial aneurysm
an infected aneurysm caused by bacteria.

bacterial arthritis
septic arthritis.

bacterial capsule
a gelatinous envelope surrounding a bacterial cell, usually polysaccharide but sometimes polypeptide in nature; it is associated with the virulence of pathogenic bacteria.

bacterial cellular protein
a protein that forms part of the substance of a bacterium.

bacterial endocarditis
infectious endocarditis, acute or subacute, caused by any of various bacteria, including streptococci, staphylococci, enterococci, gonococci, or gram-negative bacilli.

bacterial keratitis
bacterial infection of the cornea as a result of contact lens wear, trauma, use of contaminated eye medications, corneal disease, or some other cause; it often progresses rapidly into inflammation, ulceration, and edema that can lead to blindness.

bacterial labyrinthitis
acute suppurative labyrinthitis.

bacterial meningitis
meningitis caused by bacteria.

bacterial overgrowth syndrome
stasis syndrome.

bacterial pericarditis
pericarditis produced by bacterial infection, particularly by staphylococci or gram-negative bacilli. See also purulent pericarditis.

bacterial peritonitis
peritonitis caused by a bacterial infection, usually with species of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, or Mycobacterium.

bacterial pneumonia
pneumonia caused by bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. hemolytica, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and others.

bacterial protein
a protein formed by bacterial activity.

bacterial toxins
toxins produced by bacteria, including exotoxins, endotoxins, enterotoxins, neurotoxins, and toxic enzymes. They usually do not cause symptoms until after a period of incubation while either microbes are multiplying or preformed toxin (such as botulinum toxin) is being transported to the tissues.

bacterial vaccine
a preparation of killed or attenuated bacteria used as an active immunizing agent.

bacterial virus
one that is capable of producing transmissible lysis of bacteria; see also bacteriophage.

bactericidal
(bak-tēr″ĭ-si´dәl) destructive to bacteria; see also antibacterial.

bactericidin
(bak-tēr″ĭ-si´din) an antibody that causes complement-dependent lysis of bacteria.

bacterid
(bak´tәr-id) a skin eruption due to bacterial infection elsewhere in the body.

bacteriocidin
(bak-tēr″e-o-si´din) a bactericidal antibody.

bacteriologist
(bak-tēr″e-ol´ә-jist) an expert in bacteriology.

bacteriology
(bak-tēr″e-ol´ә-je) the scientific study of bacteria. adj., bacteriolog´ic, bacteriolog´ical., adj.

bacteriolysin
(bak-tēr″e-ol´ĭ-sin) an antibody that lyses bacterial cells.

bacteriolysis
(bak-tēr″e-ol´ĭ-sis) destruction or dissolution of bacteria. adj., bacteriolyt´ic., adj.

bacteriolytic test
Pfeiffer phenomenon.

bacteriophage
(bak-tēr´e-o-fāj″) a virus that destroys bacteria by lysis; several varieties exist, and usually each attacks only one kind of bacteria. Often they attach themselves to the cell membrane of the bacterium and instill a charge of DNA into the cytoplasm; the DNA carries the genetic code of the virus a...

bacteriopsonin
(bak-tēr″e-op´so-nin) an opsonin that acts on bacteria.

bacteriospermia
(bak-tēr″e-o-spur´me-ә) the presence of bacteria in the semen.

bacteriostatic
(bak-tēr″e-o-stat´ik) inhibiting growth or multiplication of bacteria; see also antibacterial. an agent that so acts.

bacterium
(bak-tēr´e-әm) pl. bacte´ria any prokaryotic organism. Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that differ from all other organisms (the eukaryotes) in lacking a true nucleus and organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, and lysosomes. Their genetic material consists of a single loop of double-stranded DNA, w...

bacteriuria
(bak-tēr″e-u´re-ә) bacteria in the urine. adj., bacteriu´ric., adj.

bacteroid
(bak´tәr-oid) resembling a bacterium. a structurally modified bacterium.

Bacteroides
(bak″tәr-oi´dēz) a genus of gram-negative, anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria. Organisms are part of the normal flora of the oral, respiratory, intestinal, and urogenital cavities of humans and animals; some species are potential pathogens, causing possibly fatal abscesses and bacteremias. Pathogenic ...

bacteroides
(bak″tәr-oi´dēz) any rod-shaped bacteria that can take many different shapes. an organism of the genus Bacteroides.

Bacteroidetes
(bak″tәr-oid´ә-tēz) a phylum of bacteria that includes a number of organisms that cause human and animal disease. With Firmicutes, it is one of the two main groups of bacteria making up the intestinal flora.

bacteruria
(bak″tēr-u´re-ә) bacteriuria.

Bactrim
(bak´trim) trademark for combination preparations of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, an antimicrobial.

BADS syndrome
a rare congenital syndrome of unknown heritability characterized by black locks, oculocutaneous albinism, and deafness of the sensorineural type; see oculocutaneous albinism.

Baelz disease
(bālts) the superficial suppurative type of cheilitis glandularis.

Baermann test
(for extraction of soil nematodes from earth and detecting larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis in feces) a specimen of soil or feces is suspended over gauze or wire mesh in a water-filled funnel to which a piece of rubber tubing is attached; larval nematodes migrate from the specimen to the water, and collect in the rubber tubi...

bag
(bag) a flexible container; see also pocket, pouch and sac.

bag of waters
popular name for the amniotic sac.

bagassosis
(bag″ә-so´sis) hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to inhalation of dust from bagasse (the residue of cane after extraction of sugar).

Baillarger sign
inequality of the pupils in general paresis.

Bainbridge reflex
a rise in pressure in, or increased distension of, the large somatic veins or the right atrium causes acceleration of the heartbeat.

Bairnsdale ulcer
Buruli ulcer.

Baker cyst
a swelling on the back of the knee, due to escape of synovial fluid that has become enclosed in a sac of membrane.

baker's itch
any of several inflammatory dermatoses of the hands and forearms that are seen in bakers, especially chronic tinea unguium and allergic reactions to constituents in flour.

BAL
British antilewisite; see dimercaprol.

balance
(bal´әns) an instrument for weighing. equilibrium. postural control.

balanced anesthesia
anesthesia that uses a combination of drugs, each in an amount sufficient to produce its major or desired effect to the optimum degree and to keep undesirable effects to a minimum.

balanic
(bә-lan´ik) pertaining to the glans penis or glans clitoridis.

balanitis
(bal″ә-ni´tis) inflammation of the glans penis. balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis a benign erythroplasia characterized histologically by plasma cell infiltration of the dermis, and clinically by persistent inflammation usually involving the inner surface of the...

balanoposthitis
(bal″ә-no-pos-thi´tis) inflammation of glans penis and prepuce.

balanopreputial
(bal″ә-no-pre-poo´shәl) pertaining to the glans penis and prepuce.

balantidiasis
(bal″an-tĭ-di´ә-sis) infection by protozoa of the genus Balantidium; in humans, B. coli may cause diarrhea and dysentery, with ulceration of the colon mucosa.

Balantidium
(bal″an-tid´e-әm) a genus of ciliated protozoa, including many species found in the intestine in vertebrates and invertebrates. B. co´li is a common parasite of swine and sometimes causes balantidiasis in humans.

baldness
(bawld´nis) alopecia. common baldness androgenetic alopecia.

Baldy operation
Baldy-Webster operation Webster operation.

Balint syndrome
(bah-lēnt´) cortical paralysis of visual fixation, optic ataxia, and disturbance of visual attention, with preservation of spontaneous and reflex eye movements. Bilateral parietooccipital lesions are seen, often after cardiac onset.

Balkan splint
Balkan frame.

ball
(bawl) a more or less spherical mass. See also globus and sphere. fungus ball a tumorlike granulomatous mass formed by colonization of a fungus in a body cavity, usually a bronchus or pulmonary cavity but occasionally a nasal cavity; the organism may disseminate through the blood...

ball-and-socket joint
a synovial joint in which the rounded or spheroidal surface of one bone (the “ball”) moves within a cup-shaped depression (the “socket”) on another bone, allowing greater freedom of movement than any other type of joint. Called also polyaxial or spheroidal joint.

ball-valve action
the intermittent obstruction caused by a free or partially attached foreign body in a tubular or cavitary structure, as by a foreign body in a bronchus, a stone in a bile duct, or a tumor in the cardiac atrium. Ball-valve action. Calculi obstructing the cystic duct (A), common hepatic duct...

Ballance sign
resonance of right flank when the patient lies on the left side; said to be present in splenic rupture.

Baller-Gerold syndrome
(bah´lәr ga´rōlt) an autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by craniosynostosis and radial aplasia. Called also craniosynostosis–radial aplasia syndrome.

Ballet sign
external ophthalmoplegia, with loss of all voluntary eye movements, the pupillary movements and reflex eye movements persisting; seen in Graves disease and hysteria.

ballismus
(bә-liz´mәs) violent flinging movements of the limbs; called hemiballismus when it affects only one side of the body.

ballistic lithotripsy
lithotripsy in which a lithotrite is inserted through an endoscope to bombard a calculus with projectiles, such as tiny metal pellets.

ballistic stretching exercises
a type of rapid, jerky movements done to stretch muscles and connective tissue; they are much more strenuous than isometric exercises.

balloon catheter
a catheter with a balloon at the tip that may be inflated or deflated while the catheter is in place to create, enlarge, or occlude a passageway; see also balloon angioplasty. The pressure-sensitive balloon may be used to facilitate hemodynamic monitoring.