| Allen's test | For phenol: upon the addition of 5 or 6 drops of hydrochloric acid and then 1 of nitric acid to the suspected fluid, a red colour develops. For strychnine: fluid is extracted with ether, which is then evaporated by means of "drop-by-drop" pipetting into a warmed porcelain dish or crucible; the residue is treated with a small bit of manganese dioxide and dilute sulfuric acid; a red-blue or violet colour develops if strychnine is present. Origin: A.H. Allen A test for radial or ulnar patency; either the radial or ulnar artery is digitally compressed by the examiner after blood has been forced out of the hand by clenching it into a fist; failure of the blood to diffuse into the hand when opened indicates that the artery not compressed is occluded. Origin: Edgar Van Nuys Allen (05 Mar 2000) |
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| allergy skin test | Test done on the skin to identify the allergy substance (allergen) triggering the allergic reaction. A small amount of the suspected allergy substance is placed on the skin. The skin is then gently scratched through the small drop with a special sterile needle. If the skin reddens and, more importantly, swells, then allergy to that substance is probable. (12 Dec 1998) |
| 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) |
| alternate binaural loudness balance test | ABLB test, a test for recruitment in one ear; the comparison of relative loudness of a series of intensities presented alternately to either ear. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternate cover test | A test to detect phoria or strabismus; attention is directed to a small fixation object, and one eye is covered for several seconds; then the cover is moved quickly to the other eye; if the eye moves when it is uncovered, a strabismus or phoria is present. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating light test | Test to detect a relative afferent defect in one eye by watching pupillary movements. With the patient fixing in the distance, the light is held on each eye for about a second, and quickly moved to the other eye. Assuming no defect of the innervation to the iris sphincter in one eye (which would produce an anisocoria in light), the eye with the weaker light response has a relative afferent pupillary defect. This asymmetry of pupillomotor input can be estimated by holding neutral density filters in front of the better eye until the pupillary responses of the two eyes are balanced. Synonym: swinging light test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Ames test | <procedure> One of a number of procedures used to test substances for likely ability to cause cancer that combines the use of animal tissue to generate active metabolites of the substance with a test for mutagenicity in bacteria. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Amsler test | Projection of a visual field defect onto an Amsler chart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Anderson and Goldberger test | A test for typhus in which the patient's blood is injected into a guinea pig's peritoneal cavity. In typhus a typical temperature curve will be observed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Anderson-Collip test | A procedure for evaluating the thyrotropic activity of an extract of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, as indicated by an increased basal metabolic rate or histologic evidence of stimulation of the thyroid gland in a hypophysectomised rat injected with the test extract. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anoxaemia test | A test for coronary insufficiency; the patient breathes a mixture of 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen; if anginal pain or electrocardiographic abnormalities are induced, the test is positive. Synonym: hypoxaemia test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anterior drawer test | <investigation> This test is performed with the patient lying on their back with there knee in 90 degrees of flexion with the foot resting firmly on the table. The examiner grasps the top portion of the shin with both hands, positioning the thumbs on either tibial condyle. Stabilising the foot the examiner places pressure slowly on the proximal tibia by moving the shin toward the examiner. Abnormal looseness and movement forward indicates a significant anterior cruciate ligament injury. (27 Sep 1997) |
| antibiotic sensitivity test | The in vitro testing of bacterial cultures with antibiotics to determine susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotic therapy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antibody-coated bacteria test, urinary | Fluorescent antibody technique for visualizing antibody-bacteria complexes in urine. The presence or absence of antibody-coated bacteria in urine correlates with localization of urinary tract infection in the kidney or bladder, respectively. (12 Dec 1998) |
| antiglobulin test | Haemagglutination test in which coombs' reagent (antiglobulin, or anti-human globulin rabbit immune serum) is added to detect incomplete (non-agglutinating, univalent, blocking) antibodies coating erythrocytes. The direct test is applied to red cells which have been coated with antibody in vivo (e.g., in haemolytic disease of newborn, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, and transfusion reactions). The indirect test is applied to serum to detect the presence of antibody (e.g., in detection of incompatibility in cross-matching tests, detection and identification of irregular antibodies, and in detection of antibodies not identifiable by other means). (12 Dec 1998) |