Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Epididymitis:
An infection of the epididymis, the structure in which sperm collect before
being transported to the seminal vesicles.
Epilepsy:
A neurologic disorder characterized by repeated convulsions.
Epizootic:
An infectious epidemic in animals.
Eschar:
A dry, leathery crust or scab formed at the site of skin injuries such as thermal
burns, corrosive burns, or frostbite.
Etiology:
The cause or origin of a medical disorder.
Extrasystole:
An abnormal cardiac rhythm in which a normally beating heart suddenly
contracts after a shorter interval than usual; sometimes called “skipped beats.”
Extravasate:
To force a material such as blood out of its normal channel (a blood vessel)
into surrounding tissue.
Exudate:
Any substance, most commonly inflammatory cells and protein, that passes
through blood vessel walls in living tissue and can be removed or extracted; most
frequently associated with inflammation.
Fascia:
A sheet or membrane of fibrous connective tissue that envelops muscles or vari-
ous other structures.
Fever:
A higher-than-normal body temperature, most commonly the result of infection
but also caused by other disorders.
Fibrillation:
An abnormal cardiac rhythm in which cardiac muscle fibers contract inde-
pendently of each other instead of in synchrony. When only the atrium is involved,
the cardiac rhythm is completely irregular. If the ventricle is involved, the condition
is lethal if not corrected within minutes because cardiac output falls to very low
levels.
Flaccid:
Completely lacking in muscle tone; totally relaxed.
Flatus:
Gas or air expelled from the intestines.
Gamow Bag:
An airtight bag, large enough to hold a person, that can be inflated with a
pump to decrease the effective altitude by approximately 2000 feet (600 m) to treat
illnesses.
Gangrene:
Death of a part of the body, such as an arm or leg, usually the result of an in-
adequate blood supply but sometimes due to infection.
Gasp reflex:
Involuntary tendency to gasp or inspire when suddenly immersed in cold
water.
Generalized:
Spread throughout the body; opposite of localized.
Globe:
The entire eye.
Gonorrhea:
A sexually transmitted infection that typically produces painful urethral in-
flammation and a discharge in men but often produces no symptoms in women.
Hallucination:
A sound, sight, or other sensation perceived as real in the absence of an
actually existing object or source.
HACE:
High-altitude cerebral edema.
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