| ANAD | anorexia nervosa with associated disorders |
|---|---|
| ASDC | American Society of Dentistry for Children; Association of Sleep Disorders Centers |
| AUDIT | alcohol use disorders identification test |
| CAMDEX | Cambridge mental disorders of the elderly examination |
| CELDIC | Commission on Emotional and Learning Disorders in Children |
low blood pressure
| urination disorders | Disorders in the frequency of urination, the volume of urine produced or eliminated, or the ability to retain or void urine in normal fashion. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| lactation disorders | Disturbances of milk secretion in either sex, not necessarily related to pregnancy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| language development disorders | Failure to understand or speak the language at the expected age. Causal factors include slow maturation, hearing loss, brain injury, mental retardation and emotional disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| language disorders | Disabilities related to both the sensory and motor aspects of language; includes impairments in understanding of written and spoken language, and impairments in speaking and writing language. (12 Dec 1998) |
| learning disorders | Impairment of learning ability due to emotional, environmental or physiological factors. (12 Dec 1998) |
| leukocyte disorders | Disordered formation of various types of leukocytes or an abnormal accumulation or deficiency of these cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lymphoproliferative disorders | Disorders characterised by proliferation of lymphoid tissue, general or unspecified. (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) |
| blood agar | <cell culture> An agar-based medium which hasbeen enriched with sterilised, defibinated blood (sheep, rabbit or horse). It is used for primary plating andsubculturing, especially to determine bacterial haemolysis. (09 Oct 1997) |
| blood-air barrier | The barrier between capillary blood and alveolar air comprising the alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium with their adherent basement membranes and epithelial cell cytoplasm. Gaseous exchange occurs across this membrane. (12 Dec 1998) |
| blood albumin | <protein> The serum level of the low molecular protein albumin. Albumin, produced by the liver, plays an important role in maintaining plasma oncotic pressure. Normal serum albumin should be 3.5-5.0 grams per decilitre. Low serum albumin can be found in cases of liver disease and malnutrition. (27 Sep 1997) |