| factitious disorder | A mental disorder in which the individual intentionally produces symptoms of illness or feigns illness for psychological reasons rather than for environmental goals. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| care proxy, health | A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives preserve the person's right to accept or reject a course of medical treatment even after that person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to the point of being unable to communicate those wishes. There are two basic forms of advance directives: 1. A living will, in which the person outlines specific treatment guidelines that are to be followed by health care providers. 2. A health care proxy (also called a power of attorney for health-care decision-making) in which the person designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes too incapacitated to make such decisions. Advance directive requirements vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another and should therefore be drawn up in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction. (This entry is based upon material from the National MS Society). (12 Dec 1998) |
| munchausen syndrome by proxy | A phenomenon in which symptoms of a disease are fabricated by an individual other than the patient causing unnecessary, and often painful, physical examinations and treatments. This syndrome is considered a form of child abuse, since another individual, usually a parent, is the source of the fabrication of symptoms and presents the child for medical care. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care proxy | A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives preserve the person's right to accept or reject a course of medical treatment even after that person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to the point of being unable to communicate those wishes. There are two basic forms of advance directives: (1) a living will, in which the person outlines specific treatment guidelines that are to be followed by health care providers; (2) a health care proxy (also called a power of attorney for healthcare decision-making) in which the person designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes too incapacitated to make such decisions. Advance directive requirements vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another and should therefore be drawn up in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction. (this entry is based upon material from the national ms society). (12 Dec 1998) |
| proxy | Origin: Contr. From procuracy. Cf. Proctor. 1. The agency for another who acts through the agent; authority to act for another, especially. To vote in a legislative or corporate capacity. "I have no man's proxy: I speak only for myself." (Burke) 2. The person who is substituted or deputed to act or vote for another. "Every peer . . . May make another lord of parliament his proxy, to vote for him in his absence." (Blackstone) 3. A writing by which one person authorises another to vote in his stead, as in a corporation meeting. 4. The written appointment of a proctor in suits in the ecclesiastical courts. 5. See Procuration. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| proxy, health care | A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives preserve the person's right to accept or reject a course of medical treatment even after that person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to the point of being unable to communicate those wishes. There are two basic forms of advance directives: 1. A living will, in which the person outlines specific treatment guidelines that are to be followed by health care providers. 2. A health care proxy (also called a power of attorney for health-care decision-making) in which the person designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes too incapacitated to make such decisions. Advance directive requirements vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another and should therefore be drawn up in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction. (this entry is based upon material from the national ms society). (12 Dec 1998) |
| factitious | Artificial; self-induced; not naturally occurring. Origin: L. Factitius, made by art, fr. Facio, to make (05 Mar 2000) |
| factitious disorders | Disorders characterised by physical or psychological symptoms that are not real, genuine, or natural. (12 Dec 1998) |
| factitious purpura | Self-induced, often painful, ecchymoses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| factitious urticaria | A form of urticaria in which whealing occurs in the site and in the configuration of application of stroking (pressure, friction) of the skin. Synonym: autographism, dermagraphy, dermatography, dermographia, dermographism, dermography, factitious urticaria, skin writing, urticaria factitia. Origin: dermato-+ G. Grapho, to write (05 Mar 2000) |
| affective personality disorder | A disturbance of feelings or mood expressed as a milder form of depression and related emotional features that colour the whole psychic life and for which psychosocial stressors are believed to play the major role. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alcohol amnestic disorder | <psychiatry> A mental disorder with brain damage characterised by amnesia, compensatory confabulation, disturbance of attention, and peripheral neuritis. It is usually associated with alcoholism and dietary deficiencies. (12 Dec 1998) |
| antisocial personality disorder | <psychiatry> An individual who engages in deviant behaviour with lack of remorse. (13 Jan 1998) |
| asthenic personality disorder | A personality type characterised by low energy level, easy fatigability, incapacity for enjoyment, lack of enthusiasm, and oversensitivity to physical and emotional stress. When appearing in marked form it becomes a psychological disorder (asthenic personality disorder), also called dependent personality. Synonym: asthenic personality disorder, dependent personality disorder. (05 Mar 2000) |
| attention deficit disorder | An inability to control behaviour due to difficulty in processing neural stimuli. (12 Dec 1998) |