| cardiopulmonary | <anatomy> Pertaining to the heart and lungs. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| cardiopulmonary arrest | <cardiology> An arrest resulting in absence of cardiac and pulmonary activity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiopulmonary bypass | <procedure> This refers to the placement of the patient onto extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to bypass the heart and lungs as, for example, in open heart surgery. This device takes blood from the body, diverts it through a heart-lung machine (a pump-oxygenator) which oxygenates the blood prior to returning it to the systemic circulation under pressure. The machine does the work both of the heart (pump blood) and the lungs (supply red blood cells with oxygen). This allows the surgeon adequate time to perform primary heart surgery on a temporarily nonfunctioning heart. (20 Jun 1998) |
| cardiopulmonary murmur | <cardiology, clinical sign> An innocent extracardiac murmur, synchronous with the heart's beat but disappearing when the breath is held, believed due to movement of air in a segment of lung compressed by the contracting heart. Synonym: cardiorespiratory murmur. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiopulmonary obstructive shock | <cardiology> This term describes a number of conditions that involve a severe disturbance of the cardiopulmonary circuit resulting in shock (inadequate delivery of oxygen to the tissues). Examples include: pulmonary embolism, pericardial tamponade, pneumothorax and constrictive pericarditis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiopulmonary resuscitation | <procedure> A life saving procedure that includes the timed external compression of the anterior chest wall (to stimulate blood flow) by pumping the heart, and alternating with mouth to mouth breathing to provide oxygen. Usually administered by one rescuer as 15 chest compressions to every 2 mouth-to-mouth breaths. In the case of an early heart attack, death can often be avoided if a bystander starts CPR promptly (within 5 minutes of the onset of ventricular fibrillation). When paramedics arrive, medications and/or electrical shock (cardioversion) to the heart can be administered to convert ventricular fibrillation to a normal heart rhythm. Therefore, prompt CPR and rapid paramedic respronse can improve the survival chances from a heart attack. Acronym: CPR (20 Jun 2000) |
| cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves | Visceral branches of the sympathetic trunks conveying postsynaptic sympathetic fibres to and visceral afferent fibres from viscera located above the diaphragm, mainly via the cardiac, pulmonary, and oesophageal plexuses. The cervical and upper thoracic splanchnic nerves are part of this group. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiopulmonary transplantation | The simultaneous, or near simultaneous, transference of heart and lungs from one human or animal to another. (12 Dec 1998) |
| aaa disease | Endemic anaemia of ancient Egypt, ascribed in the Papyrus Ebers to intestinal infestation with ancylostoma; now called ancylostomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ABO haemolytic disease of the newborn | Erythroblastosis foetalis due to maternal-foetal incompatibility with respect to an antigen of the ABO blood group; the foetus possesses A or B antigen which is lacking in the mother, and the mother produces immune antibody which causes haemolysis of foetal erythrocytes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accumulation disease | A disease characterised by abnormal accumulation of a metabolic product in certain cells and tissues; examples include the mucopolysaccharidoses, lipoidoses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Acosta's disease | A condition that results from prolonged exposure to high altitude. Symptoms include a continuous dry cough, shortness of breath, poor exercise tolerance, dizziness, headache, sleep difficulty, anorexia, confusion, fatigue and a rapid pulse. Treatment includes the immediate movement to a lower altitude. Prophylaxis has been accomplished successfully with the use of acetazolamide (Diamox). (27 Sep 1997) |
| acquired immunodeficiency disease | Acquired immunodeficiency disease: Disease caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute disease | Disease having a short and relatively severe course. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Adams-Stokes disease | <syndrome> Transient asystole or ventricular fibrillation in the presence of atrioventricular block. (12 Dec 1998) |