| cold haemagglutinin disease | A condition associated with the presence of haemagglutinating autoantibody active in vivo but in vitro particularly or solely active in the cold; when the concentration of IgM antibody is high there may be increased serum viscosity, but clinical manifestations (due to haemagglutination) usually appear following exposure to cold; haemolysis usually is mild but may be severe, resulting in autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, cold antibody type. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| cold haemolysin | An autoantibody of the IgG class responsible for paroxysmal cold haemoglobinuria; it is adsorbed to red cells only at temperatures of 20캜 or lower, causing the red cells to lyse in the presence of complement at higher temperatures; it has only slight agglutinating properties in spite of its marked lytic activity, and has a specificity within the blood group P; it is also occasionally present for short periods of time following measles and other infections, and formerly was frequently associated with syphilis. Synonym: cold haemolysin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold injury | Cold injuries include chilblains, trench foot, and frostbite. Cold injuries occur with and without freezing of body tissues. The young and the elderly are especially prone to cold injury. Alcohol increases the risk of cold injury which can lead to loss of body parts and even to death. It is important not to thaw an extremity if there is a risk of it re-freezing. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cold insoluble globulin | <haematology> Name, now obsolete, originally given to fibronectin prepared from cryoprecipitate. (18 Nov 1997) |
| cold in the head | An acute catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose, marked by sneezing, lacrimation, and a profuse secretion of watery mucus; usually associated with infection by one of the common cold viruses. Synonym: cold in the head, coryza. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold light | Fluorescent light as opposed to incandescent light. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold liver lesion | <radiology> Size for detection = 1-2 cm (3-cm deep lesions), primary tumour (haemangioma hot by Tc-RBCs), metastasis, inflammatory lesion (e.g., amebic abscess), degenerative disease, trauma, congenital lesion (solitary cyst or polycystic disease) see: liver-spleen scan (12 Dec 1998) |
| cold nodule | A thyroid nodule with a much lower uptake of radioactive iodine than the surrounding parenchyma; about one in four prove to be malignant. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold pack | A pack of cloth or other material soaked in cold water or encasing ice. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold pressed | <technique> A more natural process by which vegetable oils are produced to yield greater nutrient value. Cold pressing does not use heat or chemicals that commercial pressing does. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cold pressor test | A cardiocirculatory challenge conventionally performed by immersing one hand in ice cold water for two or more minutes (as tolerated) to acutely raise the blood pressure, thus imposing resistance to ejection of blood from the left ventricle into the systemic arterial system and consequently acutely increased afterload (afterload = increased left ventricular wall stress). Synonym: Hines-Brown test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold processed | <technique> A process by which chemicals are used to extract vegetable oils. The chemicals are later filtered out. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cold-reactive antibody | See: cold agglutinin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold-rigor point | The degree of lowered temperature at which the activity of a cell ceases and the cell passes into the narcotic or hibernating state. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cold sensitive enzyme | <enzyme> An enzyme that loses its stability as the temperature is lowered. (05 Mar 2000) |