| obstructive lung disease | <chest medicine> A form of lung disease that manifests as acute or chronic, narrowing or blockage of the smaller airways in the lungs, causing increased resistance to airflow in the bronchial tubes (for example asthma, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from smoking). (27 Sep 1997) |
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| obstructive murmur | A murmur caused by narrowing of one of the valvular orifices. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive pneumonia | Infection of lung resulting from obstruction of airway, by narrowing resulting from previous disease process, persistent bronchospasm, thick secretions or by aspiration of a foreign body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive pulmonary overinflation | Emphysema caused by obstruction of airways that has greater effect on expiration than inspiration; occurs reversibly with bronchospasm of asthma; localised process can be due to aspiration of a foreign body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive sleep apnoea | A form of sleep apnoea which occurs as the result of a physical occlusion of the oropharyngeal airway during sleep. (27 Sep 1997) |
| obstructive thrombus | A thrombus due to obstruction in the vessel from compression or other cause. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive uropathy | <nephrology, urology> A sudden disorder which results in the complete blockage of urine flow out the bladder and/or urethra. Pressure rises in the urinary tract causing a backward pressure on the kidneys. Bilateral hydronephrosis (kidney enlargement), hypertension and damage to the kidneys (acute renal failure) will occur if the obstruction is not relieved. Causes include prostate disease, tumours and cystocele. Origin: Gr. Pathos = disease (27 Sep 1997) |
| lung diseases, obstructive | Any disorder marked by persistent obstruction of bronchial air flow. (12 Dec 1998) |
| abdomen, acute | Clinical syndrome characterised by abdominal pain of great severity associated with other symptoms and signs, usually those of acute peritonitis, which might well be the result of a ruptured abdominal viscus or a similar abdominal catastrophe requiring urgent surgical operation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute | 1. Sharp, poignant. 2. Having a short and relatively severe course. Origin: L. Acutus = sharp (18 Nov 1997) |
| acute abdomen | Any serious acute intra-abdominal condition (such as appendicitis) attended by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and for which emergency surgery must be considered. Synonym: surgical abdomen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute abscess | A recently formed abscess with little or no fibrosis in the wall of the cavity. Synonym: hot abscess. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute adrenal crisis | <endocrinology> An abrupt life-threatening state which is caused by insufficient production of cortisol by the adrenal gland. A typical finding in Addison's disease. Individuals who have been taking corticosteroids (glucocorticoids) for a prolonged period of time (weeks to months) are at risk for acute adrenal crisis if the medication is stopped abruptly. For this reason, corticosteroid medication are withdrawn slowly on a diminishing dosing schedule. Symptoms include low blood pressure (shock), weakness, headache, vomiting, fever chills, tachycardia and sweating. Treatment includes blood pressure support and intravenous hydrocortisone. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute adrenocortical insufficiency | Severe adrenocortical insufficiency when an intercurrent illness or trauma causes an increased demand for adrenocortical hormones in a patient with adrenal insufficiency due to disease or use of relatively large amounts of similar hormones as therapy; characterised by nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and frequently hyperthemia, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and hypoglycaemia; can be fatal if untreated. Synonym: addisonian crisis, adrenal crisis, Bernard-Sergent syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute African sleeping sickness | A disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Uganda south to Zimbabwe; it is clinically similar to Gambian trypanosomiasis but of shorter duration and more acute in form; patients suffer repeated episodes of pyrexia, become anaemic, and die commonly from cardiac failure. Synonym: acute African sleeping sickness, acute trypanosomiasis, East African sleeping sickness, East African trypanosomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |