| PCU | pain control unit; primary care unit; patient care unit; pulmonary care unit |
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| PCW | pericanalicular web; personal care worker; primary capillary wedge; pulmonary capillary wedge; purif... |
| PFS | patellofemoral syndrome; primary fibromyalgia syndrome; protein-free supernatant; pulmonary function... |
| PLS | Papillon-Lefevre syndrome; polydactyly-luxation syndrome; preleukemic syndrome; primary lateral scle... |
| PM | after death (Lat. post mortem); after noon [Lat. post meridiem]; mean pressure; pacemaker; pantomogr... |
| pulmonary diffusing capacity | The ability of the alveolocapillary membrane to transfer gas. This is a reflection of the thinness and area of the alveolocapillary membrane. The diffusing capacity is a measure of the amount of gas transferred per minute from the alveolar gas to the pulmonary capillary blood divided by the mean pressure gradient of the gas between the alveolar gas and the capillary blood. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| pulmonary disease (specialty) | A subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the study of the respiratory system. It is especially concerned with diagnosis and treatment of diseases and defects of the lungs and bronchial tree. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary distomiasis | Infection with trematodes of the genus paragonimus. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary dysmaturity syndrome | <syndrome> A respiratory disorder occurring in small, premature infants who are incapable of normal pulmonary ventilation and who often die of hypoxia after an illness of 6 to 8 weeks; the lungs contain widespread focal emphysematous blebs and the parenchyma has thickened alveolar walls; diagnosed principally on the basis of the clinical history, chest radiographic findings, and the findings at autopsy, which must include the absence of pathological changes characteristic of other pulmonary disorders commonly encountered in this age group. Synonym: Wilson-Mikity syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulmonary embolism | <cardiology> The lodgment of a blood clot in the lumen of a pulmonary artery, causing a severe dysfunction in respiratory function. Pulmonary emboli often have origin in the veins of the lower extremities where clots form in the deep leg veins and then travel to the lungs via the venous circulation. Symptoms and features include acute onset of shortness of breath, chest pain (worse with breathing) and rapid heart rate and respiratory rate. Some individuals may have haemoptysis. Diagnosis can be made on a ventilation perfusion scan of the lung or on a pulmonary angiogram. (15 Dec 1997) |
| pulmonary embolism: findings | <radiology> Embolism without infarction (90%), normal chest (25%), platelike atelactasis, Westermark sign, knuckle sign, local widening of artery by impacted embolus, segmental / lobar consolidation, pleural effusion embolism with infarction (10%), wedge-shaped consolidation (50%), may cavitate, Hampton hump, pleural effusion (50%), no air-bronchogram, melting sign, Fleischner lines, platelike atelactasis (25%), cardiomegaly / congestive heart failure (20%), elevated hemidiaphragm (20%) see: pulmonary embolism (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary emphysema | Condition of the lungs characterised by increase beyond normal in the size of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, either from dilatation of the alveoli or from destruction of their walls. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary encephalopathy | Coma seen with advanced lung failure and resultant hypoventilation. Synonym: CO2 narcosis, hypoxic-hypercarbic encephalopathy, pulmonary encephalopathy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulmonary eosinophilia | A disease characterised by pulmonary infiltrations of eosinophils and blood eosinophilia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary fibrosis | Chronic inflammation and progressive fibrosis of the pulmonary alveolar walls, with steadily progressive dyspnea, resulting finally in death from oxygen lack or right heart failure. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary fistula | A parietal fistula communicating with the lung. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulmonary gas exchange | The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between alveolar air and pulmonary capillary blood. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pulmonary glomangiosis | Glomangiosis occurring within small pulmonary arteries in severe pulmonary hypertension and congenital heart disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulmonary glomus | A structure similar to the carotid body, found in relation to the pulmonary artery. Synonym: glomus pulmonale. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulmonary haemosiderosis | Haemosiderosis usually associated with mitral stenosis and marked by an accumulation of macrophages loaded with haemosiderin within the alveoli. (05 Mar 2000) |