| PRC | packed red cells; peer review committee; phase response curve; plasma renin concentration; professio... |
|---|---|
| AF | abnormal frequency; acid-fast; adult female; afebrile; aflatoxin; albumin-free; albumose-free; aldeh... |
| CF | calcaneal fibular [ligament]; calcium leucovorin; calf blood flow; calibration factor; cancer-free; ... |
| FF | degree of fineness of abrasive particles; fat-free; father factor; fecal frequency; fertility factor... |
| FT | Fallot tetralogy; false transmitter; family therapy; fast twitch; fatigue trial; fibrous tissue; fin... |
| concurrent review | Review of the medical necessity of hospital or other health facility admissions, upon or within a short time following an admission, and periodic review of services provided during the course of treatment. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| professional review organizations | Organizations representing designated geographic areas which have contracts under the pro program to review the medical necessity, appropriateness, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care received by medicare beneficiaries. Peer review improvement act, pl 97-248, 1982. (12 Dec 1998) |
| scientific integrity review | Designation for reports by the united states office of research integrity, identifying questionable research published in articles or books. Notification of the questionable data is carried in the nih guide for grants and contracts. (12 Dec 1998) |
| drug utilization review | Formal programs for assessing drug prescription against some standard. Drug utilization review may consider clinical appropriateness, cost effectiveness, and, in some cases, outcomes. Review is usually retrospective, but some analysis may be done before drugs are dispensed (as in computer systems which advise physicians when prescriptions are entered). Drug utilization review is mandated for medicaid programs beginning in 1993. (12 Dec 1998) |
| insurance claim review | Review of claims by insurance companies to determine liability and amount of payment for various services. The review may also include determination of eligibility of the claimant or beneficiary or of the provider of the benefit; determination that the benefit is covered or not payable under another policy; or determination that the service was necessary and of reasonable cost and quality. (12 Dec 1998) |
| utilization review | An organised procedure carried out through committees to review admissions, duration of stay, professional services furnished, and to evaluate the medical necessity of those services and promote their most efficient use. (12 Dec 1998) |
| bacteria-free stage of bacterial endocarditis | Endocarditis described prior to the antibiotic era and presumably due to spontaneous healing of the bacterial vegetations. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carbon dioxide-free water | Purified water that has been boiled vigorously for 5 minutes or more. (05 Mar 2000) |
| radical, free | In biochemistry, it is a group of atoms bonded together into an entity that is extremely reactive and shortlived. (a free radical is not a political extremist on parole.) (12 Dec 1998) |
| germ-free animal | An animal which has no microorganisms whatsoever living in or on it. An animal which was born and raised in an isolated environment with no microorganisms in it, such as within a germ-free isolator. (09 Oct 1997) |
| germ-free isolator | A chamber which has absolutely no microorganisms whatsoever living in it, where a germ-free animal can be born and raised. An artificial barrier surrounding a living facility for germ-free animals, which keeps out all microorganisms. (09 Oct 1997) |
| germ-free life | Animals not contaminated by or associated with any foreign organisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carrier-free | A substance in which a radioactive or other tagged atom is found in every molecule; the highest possible specific activity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gibbs free energy | The total amount of energy which is either used up or released during a chemical reaction. Gibbs free energy (delta G) = (delta H) - t (delta s): where (delta H) is the change in enthalpy, calculated by adding up the amount of energy released or used up to break or form chemical bonds during the reaction, t is the temperature at which the reaction took place, and (delta S) is the change in entropy, or amount of disorder, that occurs in the molecules involved during the reaction. (09 Oct 1997) |
| mean free path | <radiobiology> Average distance a particle travels between occurrences of the given event, for example, between collisions. For collisions, the mean free path is roughly equal to unity divided by the product of the collision cross-section times the particle density. (09 Oct 1997) |