| transfusion hepatitis | A virus disease with a long incubation period (usually 50 to 160 days), caused by hepatitis B virus, a DNA virus and member of the family Hepadnoviridae, usually transmitted by injection of infected blood or blood derivatives or by use of contaminated needles, lancets, or other instruments; clinically and pathologically similar to viral hepatitis type A, but there is no cross-protective immunity; HBsAg is found in the serum and the hepatitis delta virus occurs in some patients. Synonym: hepatitis B, serum hepatitis, transfusion hepatitis, virus B hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| epidemic hepatitis | 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) |
| equine serum hepatitis | <veterinary> An acute hepatic disease of the horse, often associated with prior administration of biological products; neurologic signs and jaundice are usually prominent signs; aetiology is unknown. Synonym: Theiler's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fulminant hepatitis | <gastroenterology, pathology> A severe and rapidly progressive form of hepatitis accompanied by hepatocellular death and the signs and symptoms of hepatic failure. May be a complication of hepatitis B, hepatitis C or hepatitis D. (05 Jan 1998) |
| long incubation hepatitis | Outdated name for hepatitis B based on the longer incubation period (generally 30-180 days, usually 60-90) compared to hepatitis A (15-45 days, mean 30). (05 Mar 2000) |
| lupoid 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) |
| abdomen, acute | Clinical syndrome characterised by abdominal pain of great severity associated with other symptoms and signs, usually those of acute peritonitis, which might well be the result of a ruptured abdominal viscus or a similar abdominal catastrophe requiring urgent surgical operation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute | 1. Sharp, poignant. 2. Having a short and relatively severe course. Origin: L. Acutus = sharp (18 Nov 1997) |
| acute abdomen | Any serious acute intra-abdominal condition (such as appendicitis) attended by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and for which emergency surgery must be considered. Synonym: surgical abdomen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute abscess | A recently formed abscess with little or no fibrosis in the wall of the cavity. Synonym: hot abscess. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute adrenal crisis | <endocrinology> An abrupt life-threatening state which is caused by insufficient production of cortisol by the adrenal gland. A typical finding in Addison's disease. Individuals who have been taking corticosteroids (glucocorticoids) for a prolonged period of time (weeks to months) are at risk for acute adrenal crisis if the medication is stopped abruptly. For this reason, corticosteroid medication are withdrawn slowly on a diminishing dosing schedule. Symptoms include low blood pressure (shock), weakness, headache, vomiting, fever chills, tachycardia and sweating. Treatment includes blood pressure support and intravenous hydrocortisone. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute adrenocortical insufficiency | Severe adrenocortical insufficiency when an intercurrent illness or trauma causes an increased demand for adrenocortical hormones in a patient with adrenal insufficiency due to disease or use of relatively large amounts of similar hormones as therapy; characterised by nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and frequently hyperthemia, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and hypoglycaemia; can be fatal if untreated. Synonym: addisonian crisis, adrenal crisis, Bernard-Sergent syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute African sleeping sickness | A disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Uganda south to Zimbabwe; it is clinically similar to Gambian trypanosomiasis but of shorter duration and more acute in form; patients suffer repeated episodes of pyrexia, become anaemic, and die commonly from cardiac failure. Synonym: acute African sleeping sickness, acute trypanosomiasis, East African sleeping sickness, East African trypanosomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute alcoholism | A temporary deterioration in mental function, accompanied by muscular incoordination and paresis, induced by the rapid ingestion of alcoholic beverages. Synonym: intoxication. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute angle | Any angle less than 90 |