| DRBC | denaturated red blood cell; dog red blood cell; donkey red blood cell |
|---|---|
| EHBF | estimated hepatic blood flow; exercise hyperemia blood flow; extrahepatic blood flow |
| MBF | medullary blood flow; muscle blood flow; myocardial blood flow |
| NRBC | National Rare Blood Club; normal red blood cell; nucleated red blood cell |
| RBC | red blood cell; red blood corpuscle; red blood count |
| low purine diet | A diet low in precursors of purines (such as tissues rich in cells with abundant nuclei, as in liver, glandular meats, etc.) to minimise formation of uric acid. Useful in treatment of patients with gout or urate-containing renal calculi. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| low residue diet | A diet that leaves minimal unabsorbed components in the intestine, to minimise functional stress on the colon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low salt diet | A diet with restricted amounts of sodium chloride, necessary in the treatment of some cases of hypertension, heart failure, and other syndromes characterised by fluid retention and/or oedema formation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low-set ear | An ear positionned below its normal location. Classified as a minor anomaly. Technically, the ear is low-set when the helix (of the ear) meets the cranium at a level below that of a horizontal plane through both inner canthi (the inside corners of the eyes). The presence of 2 or more minor anomalies in a child increases the probability that the child has a major malformation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| low sodium syndrome | <syndrome> A syndrome resulting from salt restriction and use of diuretics in treatment of congestive heart failure and hypertension, characterised by weakness, drowsiness, muscle cramps, and a reduction in glomerular filtration with consequent nitrogen retention, renal failure, and sometimes death; occurs also in cirrhosis of the liver with ascites and in adrenal insufficiency. Synonym: salt depletion syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low spinal anaesthesia | Spinal anaesthesia in which the level of sensory denervation extends to the tenth or eleventh thoracic dermatome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low tension glaucoma | Optic nerve atrophy and excavation with typical field defects of glaucoma but without abnormal increase in intraocular pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low tone deafness | Inability to hear low notes or frequencies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low wine | The first weak distillate obtained from the mash in the process of making whisky. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lymphoma, low-grade | One of the three major prognostic groupings for non-hodgkin lymphomas as proposed in the working formulation of the non-hodgkin's lymphoma pathologic classification project sponsored by the national cancer institute (1981). Lymphomas falling within this group have a relatively favourable survival potential. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ABO blood group | <haematology> The major human blood type system which describes the oligosaccharide glycoprotein antigens found on the surface of human blood cells. According to the type of antigen present, a person may be assigned a blood type of A, B, AB or O. A second type of antigen, the Rh factor, renders a positive or negative blood type. The ABO blood group system is important because it determines who can donate blood to or accept blood from whom. Type A or AB blood will cause an immune reaction in people with type B blood and type B and AB blood will cause a reaction in people with type A blood. Conversely, type O blood has no A or B antigens, so people with type O blood are universal donors. And since AB blood already produces both antigens, people who are type AB can accept any of the other blood types without suffering an immune reaction. (04 Jul 1999) |
| Almen's test for blood | Glacial acetic acid, gum guaiac solution, and hydrogen peroxide are added to an aqueous suspension of the suspected stain; if occult blood or blood pigment is present, a blue colour develops. Synonym: guaiac test, Schonbein's test, van Deen's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arterial blood | Blood that is oxygenated in the lungs, found in the left chambers of the heart and in the arteries, and relatively bright red. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arterial blood gas | A test which analyses arterial blood for oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate content in addition to blood pH. Used to test the effectiveness of respiration. Acronym: ABG (17 Oct 1997) |
| blood | <haematology> Considered a circulating tissue composed of a fluid portion (plasma) with suspended formed elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues, venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported for excretion. (05 Jan 1998) |