| LD | labor and delivery; laboratory data; labyrinthine defect; lactate dehydrogenase; laser Doppler; lear... |
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| NSD | Nairobi sheep disease; neonatal staphylococcal disease; neurosecretory dysfunction; night sleep depr... |
| NVD | nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; neck vein distention; neovascularization of the disk; neurovesicle d... |
| SD | Sandhoff disease; senile dementia; septal defect; serologically defined; serologically detectable; s... |
| SVD | single vessel disease; singular value decomposition; small vessel disease; spontaneous vaginal deliv... |
| biopsy, heart | <investigation, procedure, surgery> A procedure which involves the removal of a small specimen of cardiac muscle tissue for microscopic analysis. This is generally performed at the same time as a cardiac catheterisation or as a very similar, yet separate, procedure. A small piece of heart tissue is taken via a small forceps inserted into the cardiac catheter site (usually threaded through a vein in the neck). This test may reveal the cause of a cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, amyloidosis or a heart transplant rejection. (21 Mar 1998) |
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| bony heart | The presence of extensive calcareous patches in the pericardium and walls of the heart, some of which chronically develop bony changes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| box-like heart | <radiology> Ebstein's anomaly, massive cardiomegaly, primarily RA enlargement (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain-heart infusion agar | A medium used for the isolation of fastidious microorganisms, especially fungi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| machine, heart-lung | A machine that does the work both of the heart (pump blood) and the lungs (oxygenate the blood). Used, for example, in open heart surgery. Blood returning to the heart is diverted through the machine before returning it to the arterial circulation. Also called a pump-oxygenator. (12 Dec 1998) |
| rate, heart | Number of heart beats per minute. The normal resting adult heart beats regularly at an average rate of 60 times per minute. (young children's hearts beat faster). The speed of the heartbeat (heart rate) is governed by the speed of electrical signals from the pacemaker of the heart, the sa node, located in the right atrium (upper chamber of the heart). The electrical signals from the sa node travel across the atria and cause these two upper heart chambers to contract, delivering blood into the lower heart chambers, the ventricles. The electrical signals then pass through the av node to reach the ventricles. Electrical signals reaching the ventricles cause these chambers to contract, pumping blood to the rest of the body, generating the pulse. During rest, the speed of electrical signals originating from the sa node is slow, so the heart beats slowly. During exercise or excitement, the speed of signals from the sa node increases, and the heartbeat quickens. (12 Dec 1998) |
| venous heart | <anatomy> The right side, including both the atrium and ventricle, of the heart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ventricles of heart | One of the two lower chambers of the heart. Synonym: ventriculus cordis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| parchment heart | A congenital or acquired condition in which there is thinning of the right ventricular myocardium. Synonym: right ventricular hypoplasia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vertical heart | Loosely descriptive of the heart's electrical axis when this is directed at approximately +90 |
| partial heart block | Impulses penetrate the atrioventricular junction in some relation to the ventricular rate. Synonym: incomplete atrioventricular block. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mechanical alternation of the heart | A disorder in which contractions of the heart are regular but are alternately stronger and weaker. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mechanical heart | Term loosely applied to any mechanical circulatory assist device. (05 Mar 2000) |
| globular heart | Abnormally smooth arcuate contours of the heart due either to disease of the ventricles or to a false cardiac appearance produced by excessive pericardial fluid. Synonym: globular heart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vortex of heart | A spiral arrangement of muscular fibres at the apex of the heart. Synonym: vortex cordis, whorl. (05 Mar 2000) |