| Barany's caloric test | A test for vestibular function, made by irrigating the external auditory meatus with either hot or cold water; this normally causes stimulation of the vestibular apparatus, resulting in nystagmus and past-pointing; in vestibular disease, the response may be reduced or absent. Synonym: caloric test, nystagmus test. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| caloric test | A test for vestibular function, made by irrigating the external auditory meatus with either hot or cold water; this normally causes stimulation of the vestibular apparatus, resulting in nystagmus and past-pointing; in vestibular disease, the response may be reduced or absent. Synonym: caloric test, nystagmus test. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Barany | Robert, Austrian-Hungarian otologist and Nobel laureate, 1876-1936. See: Barany's sign, Barany's caloric test, positional vertigo of Barany. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Barany's sign | <clinical sign> In cases of ear disease, in which the vestibule is healthy, injection into the external auditory canal of water below the body temperature (18캜 or lower) will cause rotary nystagmus toward the opposite side; when the injected fluid is above the body temperature (41캜 or higher) the nystagmus will be toward the injected side; if the labyrinth is diseased or nonfunctional there may be diminished or absent nystagmus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| positional vertigo of Barany | Brief attacks of paroxysmal vertigo and nystagmus that occur solely with certain head movements or positions, e.g., with neck extension; due to labyrinthine dysfunction. Synonym: positional vertigo of Barany, postural vertigo. (05 Mar 2000) |
| caloric | 1. Relating to a calorie. 2. Relating to heat. Origin: L. Calor, heat Caloric intake, the total number of calories in a daily diet allocation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| caloric nystagmus | Jerky nystagmus induced by labyrinthine stimulation with warm or cold water injected into the ear canal. (27 Sep 1997) |
| caloric tests | Elicitation of a rotatory nystagmus by stimulating the saemicircular canals with water or air which is above or below body temperature. In warm caloric stimulation a rotatory nystagmus is developed toward the side of the stimulated ear; in cold, away from the stimulated side. Absence of nystagmus indicates the labyrinth is not functioning. (12 Dec 1998) |
| caloric value | The heat evolved by a food when burnt or metabolised. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Abbe test plate | <equipment> A long, wedge-shaped coverslip about 0.20 mm thick at one end and 0.10 to 0.12 mm at the other end coated chemically with a silver film on which are ruled horizontal lines. at each variation in thickness of 0.01 mm there are vertical lines. By means of oblique illumination and by focusing on different portions of the plate, it is possible to determine the optimum coverslip thickness for any objective and also, for microscopes with drawtubes, the tube length for best objective performance. The approximate freedom from spherical and chromatic aberrations can also be estimated. Small isolated bits of silver near the edges of the lines form good objects for the star test (05 Aug 1998) |
| acetone test | A test for ketonuria; the suspected urine is shaken up with a few drops of sodium nitroprusside, and strong ammonia water is then gently poured over the mixture; if acetone is present, a magenta ring forms at the line of contact; tablets containing sodium nitroprusside and alkali are now more commonly used. (05 Mar 2000) |
| achievement test | A standardised test used to measure acquired learning, e.g., competence in a specific subject area such as reading or arithmetic, in contrast to an intelligence test which is a useful index of potential ability or learning. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acidified serum test | Lysis of the patient's red cells in acidified fresh serum, specific for paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria. Synonym: Ham's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acid loading test | <nephrology> This is a test used in the diagnosis of renal tubular acidosis. The patient takes ammonium chloride capsules for 3 days to acidify the blood (lower blood pH). A sample of the urine and the blood is then collected and the results are interpreted. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acid perfusion test | <gastroenterology, investigation> A test used to diagnosis gastrooesophageal reflux disease. This investigation requires that the patient swallow 3 tiny tubes into the stomach. A mixture of hydrochloric acid (like stomach acid) and saline are alternatively injected into the tubes. The patient then reports any symptoms they may have. Some patients may vomit. (13 Nov 1997) |
| acid phosphatase test for semen | A screening test for semen by determining acid phosphatase content; because seminal fluid contains high concentrations of acid phosphatase, while other body fluids and extraneous foreign materials have very low concentrations, high values of acid phosphatase on vaginal aspirate or lavage, or on wash fluid from stains, render positive identification of semen, even if the male is aspermic. (05 Mar 2000) |