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

capacity
(kә-pas´ĭ-te) the power to hold, retain, or contain, or the ability to absorb; usually expressed numerically as the measure of such ability.

CAPD
continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

capecitabine
(kap″ә-si´tә-bēn) an oral antimetabolite used in treatment of metastatic breast or colorectal carcinoma; administered orally.

Capgras syndrome
(kahp-grah´) a form of delusional misidentification in which the patient believes that other persons in the environment are not their real selves but doubles. Cf. Frégoli phenomenon.

capillarectasia
(kap″ĭ-lar″әk-ta´zhә) dilatation of capillaries.

Capillaria
(kap″ĭ-lar´e-ә) a genus of parasitic nematodes. C. hepa´tica parasitizes the liver of various mammals, including humans. C. philippinen´sis is the most common cause of capillariasis.

capillariasis
(kap″ĭ-lә-ri´ә-sis) infection with nematodes of the genus Capillaria, especially C. philippinensis. Symptoms include severe diarrhea and malabsorption that can be fatal.

capillaritis
(kap″ĭ-lәr-i´tis) inflammation of the capillaries.

capillarity
(kap″ĭ-lar´ĭ-te) the action by which the surface of a liquid where it is in contact with a solid, as in a capillary tube, is elevated or depressed.

capillary
(kap´ĭ-lar″e) pertaining to or resembling a hair. in the circulatory system, one of the minute vessels connecting arterioles and venules, the walls of which act as a semipermeable membrane for interchange of various substances between the blood and tissue fluid. Capillary walls consist of thin e...

capillary bed
the capillaries of a tissue, area, or organ considered collectively, and their volume capacity.

capillary drainage
that effected by strands of hair, surgical gut, spun glass, or other material of small caliber which acts by capillary attraction.

capillary fracture
a fracture that appears in the radiograph as a fine hairlike line, the segments of bone not being separated; sometimes seen in fractures of the skull.

capillary fragility
abnormal susceptibility of capillary walls to rupture with extravasation.

capillary fragility test
capillary resistance test tourniquet test (def. 1).

capillary hemangioma
the most common type, having closely packed aggregations of capillaries, usually of normal caliber, separated by scant connective stroma. strawberry h.

capillary hemorrhage
oozing of blood from a capillary.

capillary leak syndrome
extravasation of plasma fluid and proteins into the extravascular space, resulting in sometimes fatal hypotension and reduced organ perfusion; an adverse effect of aldesleukin (interleukin-2) therapy.

capillary loops
minute endothelial tubes that carry blood in the papillae of the skin.

capillary pressure
the blood pressure in the capillaries.

capillary pulse
Quincke pulse.

capillus
(kә-pil´әs) pl. capil´li a hair of the scalp; used in the plural (capilli) to designate all of the scalp hair together.

capitate bone
the carpal bone lying between the trapezoid and hamate bones in the row of carpal bones that is located farther from the wrist and closer to the fingers.

capitation
(kap″ĭ-ta´shәn) the annual fee paid to a health care practice by each participant in a health plan.

capitellum
(kap″ĭ-tel´әm) capitulum.

capitulum
(kә-pit´u-lәm) pl. capi´tula a small eminence on a bone, such as that on the distal end of the humerus (capitulum humeri) where it articulates with the head of the radius. adj., capit´ular., adj.

Caplan syndrome
(kap´lәn) pneumoconiosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Radiographically, multiple spherical nodular lesions with clearly demarcated borders are found throughout both lungs. Called also rheumatoid pneumoconiosis.

Capnocytophaga
(kap″no-si-tof´ә-gә) a genus of anaerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease; they closely resemble Bacteroides ochraceus.

capnogram
(kap´no-gram″) a graphic representation of inhaled and exhaled carbon dioxide concentrations in the form of continuous waves. Normal capnogram. (A), Carbon dioxide cleared from the anatomic dead space; (B), dead space and alveolar carbon dioxide; (C), alveolar plateau; (D), end-tid...

capnography
(kap-nog´rә-fe) the measurement of inhaled and exhaled carbon dioxide concentrations, as recorded on a capnogram.

capnometer
(kap-nom´ә-tәr) a device for measuring the end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

capnometry
(kap-nom´ә-tre) the determination of the end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

Capoten
(kap´o-ten) trademark for a preparation of captopril, an antihypertensive agent.

capping
(kap´ing) the provision of a protective or obstructive covering. the movement of cell surface antigens into a small region (cap) on the cell surface owing to the cross-linking of antigens by specific antibody. the covering of tooth cusps weakened by caries with a protective metal overlay.&nbs...

capreomycin
(kap″re-o-mi´sin) a polypeptide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces capreolus, which is active against human strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; used as the disulfate salt.

capsaicin
(kap-sa´ĭ-sin) a plant alkaloid irritating to the skin, the active ingredient of capsicum; used in a cream as a counterirritant and topical analgesic, and also used in pepper spray.

capsicum
(kap´sĭ-kәm) a plant of the genus Capsicum, the hot peppers, or the dried fruit derived from certain of its species (cayenne or red pepper); it contains the active ingredient capsaicin and is used as a counterirritant and also in pepper spray.

capsid
(kap´sid) the shell of protein that protects the nucleic acid of a virus; it is composed of structural units, or capsomers. According to the number of subunits possessed by capsomers, they are called dimers (2), trimers (3), pentamers (5), or hexamers (6).

capsomer
(kap´so-mәr) capsomere (kap´so-mēr) the morphological unit of the capsid of a virus.

capsula
(kap´su-lә) pl. cap´sulae Latin word meaning capsule.

capsular arteries
the branches of renal artery supplying the renal capsule.

capsular cataract
one consisting of an opacity of the lens capsule.

capsular ligaments
thickenings of the fibrous membrane of a joint capsule.

capsular space
a narrow chalice-shaped cavity between the glomerular and capsular epithelium of the glomerular capsule of the kidney.

capsulation
(kap″su-la´shәn) enclosure in a capsule.

capsule
(kap´sәl) an enclosing structure, as a soluble container enclosing a dose of medicine. a cartilaginous, fatty, fibrous, or membranous structure enveloping another structure, organ, or part. adj., cap´sular., adj.

capsule cells
satellite cells (def. 1).

capsule forceps
a forceps for removing the lens capsule in cataract.

capsule of heart
pericardium.

capsule of lens
lens capsule.

capsule of pancreas
a thin sheath of areolar tissue that invests the pancreas (but does not form a definite capsule), the septa of which extend into the gland and divide it into lobules.

capsulectomy
(kap″su-lek´tә-me) surgical excision of a capsule, such as a joint capsule or lens capsule; called also decapsulation.

capsules of the brain
two layers of white matter in the substance of the brain; external capsule and internal capsule.

capsulitis
(kap″su-li´tis) inflammation of a capsule, such as a joint capsule or lens capsule.

capsulolenticular
(kap″su-lo-len-tik´u-lәr) pertaining to the lens and lens capsule of the eye.

capsuloplasty
(kap´su-lo-plas″te) plastic repair of a joint capsule.

capsulorrhaphy
(kap″su-lor´ә-fe) suture of a joint capsule.

capsulotomy
(kap″su-lot´ә-me) incision of a capsule, as that of the lens, the kidney, or a joint.

captopril
(kap´to-pril) an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used, usually with a diuretic, for treatment of hypertension or congestive heart failure in patients who have failed to respond to or developed unacceptable side effects with multiple drug regimens that usually include an adrenergic blocking agent, diuretic, and v...

captopril test
(for renovascular hypertension) the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorcaptopril is administered to a patient with hypertension. If the patient's plasma renin level increases sharply within one hour, this indicates that the hypertension has a renovascular cause such as renal artery stenosis.

capture
(kap´chәr) the production of a ventricular complex from a supraventricular source following a period of atrioventricular dissociation. in cardiac pacing terminology, the successful pacing of the heart by a pulse generator.

capture beats
heartbeats occasionally seen resulting from production of a ventricular complex by a supraventricular source following a period of atrioventricular dissociation. in cardiac pacing terminology, the successful pacing of the heart by a pulse generator.

caput
(kap´әt) pl. cap´ita Latin word meaning head. In anatomy, it is used for the expanded or chief extremity of an organ or part caput medusae the dilated cutaneous veins around the umbilicus, seen mainly in the newborn and in patients suffering from cirrhosis. caput succe...

Carabelli cusp
Carabelli sign an accessory fifth cusp on the lingual surface of many maxillary first molars; it may be unilateral or bilateral and varies in size from person to person.

Carafate
(kar´ә-fāt) trademark for preparations of sucralfate, used as an antiulcerative.

caraway oil
a volatile oil distilled from the dried ripe fruit of the caraway plant, used as a flavoring agent for drugs and as a carminative.

carbacephem
(kahr″bә-sef´әm) any of a class of antibiotics closely related to the cephalosporins in structure, antimicrobial activity, and use, but chemically more stable.

carbachol
(kahr´bә-kol) a cholinergic agonist that is not hydrolyzed by acetylcholinesterase or pseudocholinesterase; it is used as a miotic and to lower intraocular pressure in treatment of glaucoma and after cataract surgery.

carbamazepine
(kahr″bә-maz´ә-pēn) an anticonvulsant and analgesic used in the treatment of pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia and for control of complex partial seizures or generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients who do not respond to phenytoin, phenobarbital, or primidone.

carbamide
(kahr´bә-mīd) urea. carbamide peroxide a compound of urea and hydrogen peroxide used as a cerumen-softening agent, dental cleanser, bleaching agent, and antiinflammatory.

carbaminohemoglobin
(kahr-bam″ĭ-no-he´mo-glo″bin) a combination of carbon dioxide and hemoglobin, CO2 HHb, being one of the forms in which carbon dioxide exists in the blood.

carbamoyl
(kahr-bam´o-әl) the radical NH2CO–.

carbamoyltransferase
(kahr-bam″o-әl-trans´fәr-ās) an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of carbamoyl, as from carbamoylphosphate to L-ornithine to form orthophosphate and citrulline in the synthesis of urea.

carbenicillin
(kahr″bәn-ĭ-sil´in) a semisynthetic penicillin, with activity against certain gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa; used as the disodium salt, administered intramuscularly or intravenously. It is also used as carbenicillin indanyl sodium, administered orally in the treatment of urinary tract...

carbidopa
(kahr″bĭ-do´pә) an inhibitor of the decarboxylation of levodopa in peripheral tissues; it does not cross the blood-brain barrier and is used in combination with levodopa to control the symptoms of Parkinson disease. In the presence of carbidopa, levodopa enters the brain in larger quantities, thus avoid...

carbinoxamine
(kahr″bin-ok´sә-mēn) an antihistamine with sedative and anticholinergic effects; used as the maleate salt in the treatment of nasal, eye, and skin manifestations of allergic reactions, including allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and itching, and also as an ingredient in some cough and cold preparations...

Carbocaine
(kahr´bo-kān) trademark for preparations of mepivacaine hydrochloride, a local anesthetic.

carbohydrase
(kahr″bo-hi´drās) any of a group of enzymes such as amylase that catalyze the hydrolysis of higher carbohydrates to lower forms.

carbohydrate
(kahr″bo-hi´drāt) a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the latter two usually in the proportions of water (CH2O)n. Carbohydrates in food are an important and immediate source of energy for the body; 1 g of carbohydrate yields 4 calories. The chief food sources are the sugars and starches. Common sugars...

carbohydrate intolerance
inability to properly metabolize one or more carbohydrate(s), such as glucose, fructose, or one of the disaccharides.

carbohydrate utilization test
any of several tests for identification of yeasts and certain other organisms according to a profile of carbohydrate assimilation.

carbohydrate-induced hyperlipemia
elevated blood lipids, especially triglycerides, after a person has eaten something high in carbohydrates; this usually refers to a specific hereditary type of hyperlipoproteinemia.

carbohydraturia
(kahr″bo-hi″drәt-u´re-ә) excess of carbohydrates in the urine, such as in fructosuria, galactosuria, glycosuria, lactosuria, or pentosuria.

carbolic acid
(kahr-bol´ik) phenol (def. 1).

carbolism
(kahr´bәl-iz-әm) phenol (carbolic acid) poisoning.

carbon
(C) (kahr´bәn) a chemical element, atomic number 6, atomic weight 12.011.

carbon 11
a radioactive isotope of carbon, atomic mass 11, having a half-life of 20.39 minutes; used as a tracer in positron emission tomography.

carbon 13
a naturally occurring isotope of carbon, having an atomic mass of 13, used as a tracer in liver function tests and a few metabolic tests.

carbon 14
a radioactive isotope of carbon, having an atomic mass of 14 and a half-life of 5730 years, used as a tracer in cancer and metabolic research.

carbon dioxide
an odorless, colorless gas, CO2, resulting from oxidation of carbon, formed in the tissues and eliminated by the lungs; used in some pump oxygenators to maintain the carbon dioxide tension in the blood. It is also used in solid form; see carbon dioxide snow and carbon dioxide slush. carbon dioxide slush&nbs...

carbon dioxide tension
the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood.

carbon dioxide–oxygen therapy
administration of a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen, usually 5 per cent CO2 and 95 per cent O2 or 10 per cent CO2 and 90 per cent O2; done to improve blood flow to the brain, stimulate deep breathing, or treat hiccups. Carbon dioxide stimulates the respiratory centers in the brain, and also increases heart rate and blood pressur...

carbon disulfide
a colorless, flammable, poisonous liquid used as a solvent, as a fruit preservative, and for numerous other industrial purposes. Excessive inhalation of its fumes causes carbon disulfide poisoning.

carbon disulfide poisoning
a condition occurring in workers who excessively inhale fumes of carbon disulfide; characteristics include weakness, sleeplessness, and visual impairment, and sometimes gastric ulcers, encephalopathy, and paralysis.

carbon monoxide
a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, CO, formed by burning carbon or organic fuels with a low amount of oxygen; it is the number one cause of unintentional poisoning around the world; see carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is present in the exhaust of gasoline engines, in the smoke of wood and coal fires, in manufactured gas...

carbon monoxide poisoning
poisoning by carbon monoxide, the most common type of gas poisoning around the world. When the gas is inhaled and comes in contact with the blood, it combines more readily with hemoglobin than oxygen does. Thus it takes the place of oxygen in the erythrocytes, and the tissues are deprived of their normal oxygen supply. The symp...

carbon monoxide test
see specific tests, including Preyer test, Rubner test (def. 1), Salkowski test (def. 1), Wetzel test, and Zaleski test.

carbon tetrachloride
a clear, colorless, mobile liquid used as a solvent; inhalation of its vapors or absorption through the skin leads to poisoning; see carbon tetrachloride poisoning.

carbon tetrachloride poisoning
poisoning by inhalation of the vapors of carbon tetrachloride or absorption of it through the skin. Toxicity results from depression of central nervous system activity and degeneration of the liver and kidneys. Signs of acute poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and in severe cases anuria that can be fatal. S...

carbon-dioxide laser
a laser with carbon dioxide gas as the active medium and that produces infrared radiation at 10,600 nm; used to excise and incise tissue and to vaporize.