| open system | A system that exchanges energy and materials with the outside environment. (09 Oct 1997) |
|---|---|
| open tuberculosis | Pulmonary tuberculosis, tuberculous ulceration, or other form in which the tubercle bacilli are present in the excretions or secretions; in the lung, usually the result of cavity formation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| open wound | A wound in which the tissues are exposed to the air. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fractures, open | Fractures in which there is an external wound communicating with the break of the bone. (12 Dec 1998) |
| absent state | The saemiconscious state associated with an epileptic attack. Synonym: absent state. (05 Mar 2000) |
| activated state | <chemistry, radiobiology> An atom or nucleus which possesses more energy than its ground state energy. (16 Dec 1997) |
| acute confusional state | <psychiatry> A condition of severe confusion or rapid change in brain function. This often occurs as the result of a mental illness or physical illness. Symptoms include lethargy, agitation, confusion, disorientation and delirium. (27 Sep 1997) |
| anxiety tension state | A milder form of an anxiety disorder. See: anxiety disorders. (05 Mar 2000) |
| apallic state | Diffuse, bilateral cerebral cortical degeneration caused by head injury, anoxia, or encephalitis, a state of persistent unresponsiveness, such as akinetic mutism, caused by brain damage. See: vegetative. Synonym: apallic syndrome, apallic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carrier state | A condition in which a human who is not himself sick harbors an infective organism which may cause disease in those to whom it is transmitted. (12 Dec 1998) |
| refractory state | Subnormal excitability immediately following a response to previous excitation; the state is divided into absolute and relative phases. (05 Mar 2000) |
| central excitatory state | The building up of excitatory influences produced by individual impulses finally causes firing of the next neuron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| perfect state | In fungi, that portion of the life cycle in which spores are formed after nuclear fusion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mental state | <clinical sign, psychiatry> A finding on physical examination that may refer to any number of abnormal changes in baseline mental functioning. Milder examples include mood changes, irritability, personality changes, depression or blunted affect. Advanced changes include confusion, lethargy, sleepiness, hallucinations, unresponsiveness and coma. (27 Sep 1997) |
| ground state | <chemistry, radiobiology> The state of a nucleus, atom or molecule at its lowest energy. All other states are excited. (16 Dec 1997) |