| water bed | A mattress in the form of a closed rubber bag filled with water; used to prevent or treat pressure sores by equalizing the distribution of the patient's weight against the support. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| mud bed | A bed in which the mattress consists of semiliquid mud made from special clays, covered with a sheet of plastic material; used to widely distribute the pressure of the body weight over the dependent surface, for patients with burns or large anaesthetic areas. (05 Mar 2000) |
| crests of nail bed | The numerous longitudinal ridges of the nail bed distal to the lunula. Synonym: cristae matricis unguis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hospital bed capacity | The number of beds which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use. (12 Dec 1998) |
| nail bed | The area of the corium on which the nail rests; it is extremely sensitive and presents numerous longitudinal ridges on its surface. According to some anatomists, the nail bed is the portion covered by the body of the nail, the nail matrix being only the part on which the root of the nail rests. Synonym: matrix unguis, keratogenous membrane, nail matrix, onychostroma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fluidised-bed boiler | A large, refractory-lined vessel with an air distribution member or plate in the bottom, a hot gas outlet in or near the top, and some provisions for introducing fuel. The fluidised bed is formed by blowing air up through a layer of inert particles (such as sand or limestone) at a rate that causes the particles to go into suspension and continuous motion. The super-hot bed material increased combustion efficiency by its direct dontact with the fuel. (05 Dec 1998) |
| fracture bed | A narrow, extra-firm bed for treatment of fractures; usually incorporates an overhead frame for traction apparatus. (05 Mar 2000) |