| myocardial reperfusion injury | Functional, metabolic, or structural changes in ischemic heart muscle thought to result from reperfusion to the ischemic areas. Changes can be fatal to muscle cells and may include oedema with explosive cell swelling and disintegration, sarcolemma disruption, fragmentation of mitochondria, contraction band necrosis, enzyme washout, and calcium overload. Other damage may include haemorrhage and ventricular arrhythmias. One possible mechanism of damage is thought to be oxygen free radicals. Treatment currently includes the introduction of scavengers of oxygen free radicals, and injury is thought to be prevented by warm blood cardioplegic infusion prior to reperfusion. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| coup injury of brain | An injury occurring directly beneath the skull at the area of impact. (05 Mar 2000) |
| covalently closed circular DNA | <molecular biology> A circular molecule of double-stranded DNA which is supercoiled, or coiled up on itself due to internal tensions, because there are no breaks in the phosphate backbone (upon which the nucleotide bases are mounted) to relieve the tensions and allow it to form an open circle. (09 Oct 1997) |
| current of injury | The current set up when an injured part of a nerve, muscle, or other excitable tissue is connected through a conductor with the uninjured region; the injured tissue is negative to the uninjured. Synonym: demarcation current. (05 Mar 2000) |
| head injuries, closed | Organic or functional damage resulting from trauma to the head where continuity of the scalp and mucous membranes is maintained. When brain injury results from closed head injuries, the primary cause is mechanical stretching and shearing of nerve fibres. Also common are focal intracranial lesions including haematomas and contusions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| head injury | Refers to a group of head injuries ranging from minor to major. Examples include scalp contusion, scalp haematoma, concussion, brain contusion, skull fracture, epidural haematoma, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage and subdural haematoma. Features shared by all head injuries (serious and nonserious) include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, giddiness, sleepiness and headache. More serious features include: protracted vomiting, lethargy, difficulty waking up, loss of consciousness, seizure, confusion, change in mentation or coma. (27 Sep 1997) |
| semi-closed anaesthesia | Inhalation anaesthesia using a circuit in which a portion of the exhaled air is exhausted from the circuit and a portion is rebreathed following absorption of carbon dioxide. (05 Mar 2000) |
| semi-closed circle | A circuit for administration of an inhalation anaesthetic in which partial rebreathing with carbon dioxide absorption is combined with loss from the circuit of a portion of respired gases through valves. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hyperextension-hyperflexion injury | Violence to the body causing the unsupported head to hyperextend and hyperflex the neck rapidly; does not imply any specific resultant trauma or pathology. (05 Mar 2000) |
| smoke inhalation injury | Pulmonary injury following the breathing in of toxic smoke from burning materials such as plastics, synthetics, building materials, etc. This injury is the most frequent cause of death in burn patients. (12 Dec 1998) |
| spinal cord injury | Any injury to the spinal cord via blunt or penetrating trauma. Extreme flexion or extension (particularly in the neck) of the spine can result in traction on the spinal cord with subsequent injury and the development of neurologic symptoms. See: neurologic symptoms. (27 Sep 1997) |
| neck injury | Any injury to the soft tissues or bony structures (cervical spine) of the neck. (27 Sep 1997) |
| steering wheel injury | Trauma to the anterior chest wall caused by impact with the steering wheel during an automobile accident; can include fractured sternum and ribs, cardiac contusion, tear of the aorta or other great vessels, as well as lung injuries. (05 Mar 2000) |
| degloving injury | Avulsion of the skin of the hand (or foot) in which the part is skeletonised by removal of most or all of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inhalational injury | A term used to describe damage the respiratory tract and lungs secondary to the inhalation of a toxin. Some inhalation toxin may cause direct damage (irritants and chemicals) or indirectly through their systemic effects (carbon monoxide). (27 Sep 1997) |