| upper lobe of lung | The lobe of the right lung that lies above the oblique and horizontal fissures and includes the apical, posterior and anterior bronchopulmonary segments; in the left lung, the lobe lies above the oblique fissure and contains the apicoposterior, anterior, superior lingular and inferior lingular segments. Synonym: lobus superior pulmonis, upper lobe of lung. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| upper/lower lobe predominance | <radiology> Upper lobe, usually site of greatest disease due to poorer clearance, bronchogenic carcinoma, pneumoconioses, histiocytosis X, sarcoidosis, ankylosing spondylitis, lower lobe, scleroderma (12 Dec 1998) |
| upper motor neuron | Clinical term indicating those neuron's of the motor cortex that contribute to the formation of the pyramidal or corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts, as distinguished from the lower motor neuron's innervating the skeletal muscles. Although not motor neuron's in the strict sense, these cortical neuron's became colloquially classified as motor neuron's because their stimulation produces movement and their destruction causes severe disorders of movement. See: motor neuron, motor cortex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper motor neuron lesion | Injury to cerebral descending (corticonuclear) fibres above the brainstem or spinal motor nerve nucleus. Synonym: upper motor neuron lesion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper nodal extrasystole | An obsolete term for a nodal extrasystole supposed to arise from the upper part of the A-V node; recognised in the electrocardiogram by a retrograde P wave preceding the QRS complex by an abnormally short P-R interval. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper subscapular nerve | Two branches of the posterior cord of the brachial plexus, an upper and lower, supplying the subscapularis muscle; the lower subscapular nerve also supplies the teres major muscle. Synonym: nervi subscapulares. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper thoracic splanchnic nerves | Part of the cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves from the second to fifth segments of the thoracic sympathetic trunk that pass medially and anteriorly to enter the cardiac plexus; they convey postsynaptic sympathetic fibres to, and visceral afferent (pain) fibres from, the heart. Synonym: nervi cardiaci thoracici, upper thoracic splanchnic nerves. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper uterine segment | The main portion of the body of the gravid uterus, the contraction of which furnishes the chief force of expulsion in labour. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute respiratory failure | Loss of pulmonary function either acute or chronic that results in hypoxaemia or hypercarbia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adult respiratory distress syndrome | <chest medicine, syndrome> A clinical syndrome that includes pulmonary insufficiency. It is a descriptive term that is applied to a variety of diffuse infiltrative processes in the lung. Manifestations include severe shortness of breath, rapid breathing and arterial hypoxaemia (low oxygen). Chest X-ray shows bilateral diffuse infiltrates. Treatment most often includes mechanical respiratory support. Causes include toxic gas (chlorine, NO2, smoke) exposure, severe metabolic derangement, gastric acid aspiration, pancreatitis, sepsis and trauma. Acronym: ARDS (12 Jul 2000) |
| alkalosis, respiratory | A state due to excess loss of carbon dioxide from the body. (12 Dec 1998) |
| anti-allergic and respiratory system agents | A collective term for drugs used to treat allergic reactions as well as those drugs that produce an effect on the respiratory system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Bell's respiratory nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (roots of brachial plexus), descends the neck behind the brachial plexus, and is distributed to the serratus anterior muscle; it is somewhat unusual in that it courses on the superficial aspect of the muscle is supplies; its paralysis results in "winged scapula". Synonym: nervus thoracicus longus, Bell's respiratory nerve, external respiratory nerve of Bell, posterior thoracic nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bovine respiratory syncytial virus | A pneumovirus causing an emerging disease in young cattle characterised by pneumonia, interstitial pulmonary oedema, and emphysema; sheep are also susceptible to the virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rate, respiratory | The number of breaths per minute (or, more formally, the number of movements indicative of inspiration and expiration per unit time). In practice, the respiratory rate is usually determined by counting the number of times the chest rises (or falls) per minute. By whatever means, the aim is to determine if the respirations are normal, abnormally fast (tachypnea), abnormally slow (technically termed bradypnea), or nonexistent (apnea). (12 Dec 1998) |