| atrial premature complexes | Premature contractions of the heart arising from an ectopic atrial focus. With ventricular premature complexes, they represent one of the most common causes of irregular pulse. They are more apt to occur if there is atrial or conduction system disease such as left atrial enlargement in mitral stenosis. In community prospective studies, atrial premature complexes are not related to sudden death, as are ventricular premature beats in coronary disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| atrial premature contraction | <cardiology> An premature heartbeat of atrial origin. Generally nonserious and typically exacerbated by stimulant use (for example alcohol, decongestants, caffeine, nicotine). (27 Sep 1997) |
| cardiac complexes, premature | Premature contractions of the heart that are independent of the normal rhythm and arise in response to an impulse in some part of the heart other than the sinoatrial node. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ventricular premature complexes | Premature contractions of the ventricle, the most common of all arrhythmias. In the absence of heart disease, they are not of great clinical significance, but in patients with coronary disease, they represent a constant danger of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation and sudden death. The longer-term prognosis for asymptomatic, healthy subjects with frequent and complex ectopy is similar to that for the healthy united states population. (12 Dec 1998) |
| retinopapillitis of premature infants | <ophthalmology, paediatrics> A bilateral retinopathy occurring in premature infants treated with excessively high concentrations of oxygen, characterised by vascular dilatation, proliferation, and tortuosity, oedema, and retinal detachment, with ultimate conversion of the retina into a fibrous mass that can be seen as a dense retrolental membrane. Usually growth of the eye is arrested and may result in microophthalmia, and blindness may occur. (03 Jul 1999) |
| menopause, premature | Premature failure of ovulation associated with the permanent disappearance of oocytes and follicles from the ovary in women under the age of 40. If failure occurs while follicles are still present, the condition is called premature ovarian failure (ovarian failure, premature). (12 Dec 1998) |
| premature | 1. Occurring before the proper time. 2. <paediatrics> A premature infant. Origin: L. Praematurus = early ripe (18 Nov 1997) |
| premature beat | A premature contraction of the heart that is independent of the normal rhythm and arises in response to an impulse in some part of the heart other than the sinoatrial node. Synonym: premature beat. (18 Nov 1997) |
| premature contact | A condition of tooth contact's which diverts the mandible from a normal path of closure to centric jaw relation. Synonym: cuspal interference, interceptive occlusal contact, premature contact. (05 Mar 2000) |
| premature contraction | A premature contraction of the heart that is independent of the normal rhythm and arises in response to an impulse in some part of the heart other than the sinoatrial node. Synonym: premature beat. (18 Nov 1997) |
| premature contraction of the heart | When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal. This phenomenon can be within normal limits or represent a medically significant arrhythmia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| premature delivery | Birth of a foetus before its proper time. See: premature birth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| premature labour | Onset of labour before the 37th completed week of pregnancy dated from the last normal menstrual period. (05 Mar 2000) |
| premature senility syndrome | <syndrome> Accelerated aging syndrome in which most of the characteristic stages of human senescence are compressed into less than a decade. Defect probably in DNA repair. (18 Nov 1997) |
| premature systole | A premature contraction of the heart that is independent of the normal rhythm and arises in response to an impulse in some part of the heart other than the sinoatrial node. Synonym: premature beat. (18 Nov 1997) |