| left-ventricular assist device | Mechanical pump inserted at some point in the circulation to parallel the activity of the left ventricle and thereby reduce its load. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| left ventricular ejection time | The time measured clinically from onset to incisural notch of the carotid or other pulse; properly the time of ejection of blood from the left ventricle beginning with aortic valve opening and ending with aortic valve closure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular failure | <cardiology> A disorder where the left side of the heart fails to pump blood effectively. This results in a back flow (and pressure) and congestion of blood into the lungs. The causes of this condition include, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, anaemia, hyperthyroidism, atrial myxoma, drug toxicity and congenital heart disease. Risk factors include diabetes, alcoholism, obesity and smoking. Symptoms include increasing shortness of breath with activity and while lying flat. Other symptoms include cough, palpitations, fatigue, decreased urine production and waking in the middle of the nigh with difficulty breathing. Complications include pulmonary oedema, arrhythmias and pleural effusion. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left ventricular hypertrophy | <radiology> Coarctation, aortic stenosis (12 Dec 1998) |
| left ventricular myomectomy | Resection of myocardial tissue used in cases of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular volume overload | <radiology> VSD, patent ductus arteriosus, mitral incompetence, aortic incompetence (12 Dec 1998) |
| aberrant complex | An anomalous electrocardiographic complex, more specifically an abnormal ventricular complex caused by abnormal intraventricular conduction of a supraventricular impulse. (05 Mar 2000) |
| activated complex | <chemistry> State of highest energy during a reaction. When reactants form the activated complex, bond breaking and bond formation is occurring. Synonym: transition state. (09 Jan 1998) |
| AIDS dementia complex | <immunology> A frequent cerebral condition in people with AIDS that results in the loss of cognitive capacity, affecting the ability to function in a social or occupational setting. Its cause has not been determined exactly, but may result from HIV infection of cells in the brain or an inflammatory reaction to such infection. (09 Oct 1997) |
| aids-related complex | A prodromal phase of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Laboratory criteria separating aids-related complex (arc) from aids include elevated or hyperactive B-cell humoral immune responses, compared to depressed or normal antibody reactivity in aids; follicular or mixed hyperplasia in arc lymph nodes, leading to lymphocyte degeneration and depletion more typical of aids; evolving succession of histopathological lesions such as localization of kaposi's sarcoma, signaling the transition to the full-blown aids. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex | See: alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase. Anaerobic dehydrogenase, an enzyme (usually a pyridinoenzyme) catalyzing the transfer of hydrogen from some metabolite to some acceptor molecule (e.g., NAD+, cytochrome) other than oxygen; e.g., lactate dehydrogenase's, isocitrate dehydrogenase's, and others in EC class 1, excluding those listed under aerobic dehydrogenase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex | alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase |
| amygdaloid complex | Almond-shaped group of basal nuclei anterior to the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle of the brain, within the temporal lobe. The amygdala is part of the limbic system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| anomalous complex | A complex in the electrocardiogram differing significantly from the physiologic type in the same lead. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antennal complex | <cell biology> Light harvesting complexes (LHC) of protein and pigment in or on photosynthetic membranes of bacteria are organised into arrays, called antennae. They transfer photon energy to reaction centres. (18 Nov 1997) |