| open fracture | Fracture in which the skin is perforated and there is an open wound down to the fracture. Synonym: compound fracture. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| open head injury | A head injury in which there is a loss of continuity of scalp or mucous membranes; the term is sometimes used to indicate a communication between the exterior and the intracranial cavity. See: penetrating wound. (05 Mar 2000) |
| open-hearted | Candid; frank; generous. O"pen-heartedly, O"pen-heartedness. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| open heart surgery | A surgical procedure, known as a coronary artery bypass graft, which involves replacing diseased (narrowed) coronary arteries with veins obtained from the patients lower extremities (autologous graft). During this procedure the patient is placed on a heart bypass machine (heart-lung machine) to allow the surgeon adequate time to perform surgery on the resting (nonbeating) heart. This procedure has proven to extend the lives of individuals with coronary artery disease and improve the quality of life. Recovery in the hospital is approximately 7-10 days. (27 Sep 1997) |
| open hospital | A hospital where all physicians, not members of the regular staff, are permitted to send their patients and control their treatment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| open-label trial | A study in which both researchers and participants know what drug a person is taking and at what dose. (09 Oct 1997) |
| open lung biopsy | <investigation, procedure, surgery> A procedure which involves the removal of a small specimen of lung tissue for microscopic analysis via a surgical incision in the chest wall. This test can be used to identify a variety of lung cancers, lung infections and lung diseases. (21 Mar 1998) |
| open pneumothorax | A free communication between the atmosphere and the pleural space either via the lung or through the chest wall. Synonym: sucking wound. (05 Mar 2000) |
| open pollination | Pollination by wind, insects, or other natural mechanisms. (09 Oct 1997) |
| open reading frame | <molecular biology> A reading frame in a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that contains no termination codons and so can potentially translate as a polypeptide chain. (18 Nov 1997) |
| open reading frames | Reading frames where successive nucleotide triplets can be read as codons specifying amino acids and where the sequence of these triplets is not interrupted by stop codons. (12 Dec 1998) |
| open reduction of fractures | Reduction by manipulation of bone, after incision in skin and muscle over the site of the fracture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| open skull fracture | A fracture with laceration of overlying scalp and/or mucous membrane. Synonym: compound skull fracture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| 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) |