| thyrotoxic serum | An antiserum obtained by injecting into animals the nucleoproteins of the thyroid gland. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| truth serum | Colloquialism for a drug, such as amobarbital sodium or thiopental sodium, intravenously injected for the purpose of eliciting information from the subject under its influence; a misnomer because the subject's revelations may or may not be factually true, and its legal status and use is questionable. (05 Mar 2000) |
| foetal calf serum | <cell culture> The serum originating from embryonic calves and an expensive component of standard culture media for many types of animal tissue cells. It is used as an important part of growth media for promoting the growth of tissue cultures. It provides a source of growth hormones and other growth factors. (11 Nov 1997) |
| foreign serum | A serum derived from an animal and injected into an animal of another species or into humans. (05 Mar 2000) |
| liquid human serum | The pool of fluids separated from blood withdrawn from human subjects and allowed to clot in the absence of any anticoagulant; not more than 10 separate donations are pooled; the contributions from donors of A, O, and either B or AB groups are represented in approximately the ratio 9:9:2. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute parenchymatous hepatitis | A lesion in which there is extensive and rapid death of parenchymal cells of the liver, sometimes with fatty degeneration of the size of the organ; the necrosis may result from fulminant viral infection or chemical poisoning; associated with jaundice. Synonym: acute parenchymatous hepatitis, Rokitansky's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anicteric hepatitis | Hepatitis without jaundice. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anicteric virus hepatitis | A relatively mild hepatitis, without jaundice, due to a virus; the principal physical signs and symptoms are enlargement of the liver, lymph nodes, and often the spleen, together with headache, continuous fatigue, nausea, anorexia, sudden distaste for smoking, abdominal pains, and sometimes mild fever; labratory tests reveal evidence of hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| autoimmune hepatitis | <pathology> A type of chronic active hepatitis that results from circulating auto-antibodies and chronic inflammation of the liver. Symptoms are those of chronic active hepatitis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| vaccination, hepatitis a | When immediate protection against hepatitis a (infectious hepatitis) is needed, immunoglobulins are used. Protection is effective only if given within 2 weeks of exposure and lasts but 2-4 months. Immunoglobulins can be used to protect household contacts of someone with acute viral hepatitis and travelers to regions with poor sanitation and high hepatitis a rates, when the traveler has to depart sooner than the vaccines can take effect (about 2 weeks). Travelers can receive the immunoglobulin and vaccine simultaneously and be protected immediately and for longer term. When immediate protection is not needed, hepatitis a vaccines are considered for individuals in high-risk settings, including frequent world travelers, sexually active individuals with multiple partners, homosexual men, individuals using illicit drugs, employees of daycare centres, and certain health care workers, and sewage workers. Two hepatitis a vaccines called havrix and vaqta are commercially available in the u.s. Both are highly effective and provide protection even after only one dose. Two doses are recommended for adults and 3 doses for children (under 18 years of age) to provide prolonged protection. (12 Dec 1998) |
| vaccination, hepatitis b | Hepatits B (hep B) vaccine gives prolonged protection, but 3 shots over a half year are usually required. In the u.s., all infants receive hep b vaccine. Two vaccines (engerix-b, and recombivax-hb) are available in the us. The first dose of hep b vaccine is frequently given while the newborn is in the hospital or at the first doctor visit following birth. The second dose is given about 30 days after the initial dose. A booster dose is performed approximately six months later. Babies born to mothers testing positive for hep b receive, in addition, hbig (hep b immune globulin) for prompt protection. Older children (11-12 years) are advised to receive a hep b booster as are adults in high-risk situations including healthcare workers, dentists, intimate and household contacts of patients with chronic hep b infection, male homosexuals, individuals with multiple sexual partners, dialysis patients, iv drug users, and recipients of repeated transfusions. Health care workers accidentally exposed to materials infected with hep b (such as needle sticks), and individuals with known sexual contact with hep b patients are available in the u.s. Both are highly effective and provide protection even after only one dose. Two doses are recommended for adults and 3 doses for children (under 18 years of age) to provide prolonged protection. Vaccination, hepatitis b: hepatits b (hep b) vaccine gives prolonged protection, but 3 shots over a half year are usually required. In the u.s., all infants receive hep b vaccine. Two vaccines (engerix-b, and recombivax-hb) are available in the us. The first dose of hep b vaccine is frequently given while the newborn is in the hospital or at the first doctor visit following birth. The second dose is given about 30 days after the initial dose. A booster dose is performed approximately six months later. Babies born to mothers testing positive for hep b receive, in addition, hbig (hep b immune globulin) for prompt protection. Older children (11-12 years) are advised to receive a hep b booster as are adults in high-risk situations including healthcare workers, dentists, intimate and household contacts of patients with chronic hep b infection, male homosexuals, individuals with multiple sexual partners, dialysis patients, iv drug users, and recipients of repeated transfusions. Health care workers accidentally exposed to materials infected with hep b (such as needle sticks), and individuals with known sexual contact with hep b patients are usually given both hbig and vaccine to provide immediate and long term protection. (12 Dec 1998) |
| vaccination, infectious hepatitis | See Vaccination, hepatitis a. (12 Dec 1998) |
| giant cell hepatitis | Hepatitis in the neonatal period presumed to be due to a variety of causes, chiefly viral; characterised by direct and indirect bilirubinaemia, hepatocellular degeneration, and appearance of multinucleated giant cells; may be difficult to distinguish from biliary atresia, but is more likely to end with recovery, although cirrhosis may develop. Synonym: giant cell hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| viral hepatitis | Liver inflammation caused by viruses. Specific hepatitis viruses have been labelled a, b, c, d, e, f, and g. While other viruses can also cause hepatitis, their primary target is not the liver. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral hepatitis type A | A virus disease with a short incubation period (usually 15 to 50 days), caused by hepatitis A virus, a member of the family Picornaviridae, often transmitted by faecal-oral route; may be inapparent, mild, severe, or occasionally fatal and occurs sporadically or in epidemics, commonly in school-age children and young adults; necrosis of periportal liver cells with lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltration is characteristic and jaundice is a common symptom. Synonym: epidemic hepatitis, hepatitis A, infectious hepatitis, MS-1 hepatitis, short incubation hepatitis, virus A hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |