Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

AAA

American Ambulance Association

A.A.A

American Academy of Allergists; American Association of Anatomists

A.A.A.S

American Association for the Advancement of Science

AABB

American Association of Blood Banks

AACC

American Association for Clinical Chemistry

A.A.C.N

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; American Association of Colleges of Nursing

A.A.F.P

American Academy of Family Physicians

AAHN

American Association for the History of Nursing

AAL

anterior axillary line

A.A.M.A

American Association of Medical Assistants

A.A.M.I

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

AAMS

Association of Air Medical Services

AAMT

American Association for Medical Transcription

A.A.N

American Academy of Nursing

A.A.N.A

American Association of Neuroscience Nurses

A.A.O.H.N

American Association of Occupational Health Nurses

A.A.O.S

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

A.A.P

American Academy of Pediatrics; American Association of Pathologists

A.A.P.A

American Academy of Physician Assistants

AAPMR

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

A.A.R.C

American Association for Respiratory Care

AARP

American Association of Retired Persons

AAS

atomic absorption spectroscopy

AASECT

American Association of Sec Educators, Counselors, and Therapists

Ab

antibody

Abacavir

A nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in the treatment of HIV-1

Abadie's sign

Charles A. Abadie - In exophthalmic goiter, spasm of the levator palpebrae superioris

A band

A dark-staining area in the center of a sarcomere in skeletal or cardiac muscle, composed of overlapping myosin and actin filaments.

Abandonment

A premature termination of the professional treatment relationship by the health care provider without adequate notice or the patient's consent

Abaptiston

Trephine that cannot slip and injure the brain

Abarognosis

Loss of ability to sense weight.

Abarthrosis

A moveable joint or point at which bones move freely against each other.

Abarticular

At a distance from a joint

Abarticulation

1. Ambiguous term meaning dislocation of a joint. 2. Diarthrosis

Abasia

1. motor incoordination in walking. 2. Inability to walk due to impairment of coordination

a.-astasia

lack of motor coordination with inability to stand or walk

paralytic a.

Abasia in which the leg muscles are paralyzed

paroxysmal trepidant a.

abasia caused by trembling and sudden stiffening of legs on standing, making walking impossible. It may be related to hysteria

Abate

1. To lessen or decrease. 2. To cease or cause to cease

Abatement

Decrease in severity of pain or symptoms.

Abaxial, abaxile

1. Not within the axis of a body or part. 2. At the opposite end of the axis of a part

Abbe-Wharton-Mclndoe operation

A surgical procedure performed to create a new vagina in patients who do not have one.

Abbot's method

A treatment for scoliosis that is no longer used, in which a series of plaster jackets were applied to straighten the spine

ABC

antigen- binding capacity; airway, breathing, circulation

ABCD

A mnemonic to aid health care providers in the recognition of malignant melanoma.

abciximab

a monoclonal antibody that inhibits platelet aggregation and prevents blood clots from forming.

acute abciximab

An abnormal condition of the abdomen in which there is a sudden, abrupt onset of severe pain.

pendulous abciximab

A condition in which the excessively relaxed anterior abdominal wall hangs over the pubis

scaphoid abciximab

a condition in which the anterior wall is hollowed, presenting a sunken appearance as in emaciation

Abdominal

pertaining to the abdomen

Abdominal decompression

A technique used in obstetrics to facilitate child birth

Abdominal muscles

The group of four muscles that make up the abdominal wall consisting of the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis

abdominal quadrants

Four parts or divisions of the abdomen determined by drawing imaginary vertical and horizontal lines through the umbilicus

Abdominal reflexes

Contraction of the muscles of the abdominal wall on stimulation of the overlying skin.

Abdominal regions

The abdomen and its external surface, divided into nine regions by four imaginary planes

Abdominal rescue

Emergency cesarean delivery of a fetus jeopardized during labor or failed vaginal birth.

Abdominal rings

The apertures in the abdominal wall

abdominocentesis

puncture of the abdomen with an instrument for withdrawal of fluid from the abdominal cavity

Abdominocyesis

abdominal pregnancy

Abdominocystic

pertaining to the abdomen and bladder

abdominodiaphragmatic breathing

A controlled breathing pattern using reciprocal action of the abdominal muscles for expiration and the diaphragm for inspiration

Abdominogenital

Pertaining to the abdomen and genital or gans

Abdominohysterectomy

Removal of the uterus through abdominal incision

abdominohysterotomy

Incision of the uterus through a surgical opening in the abdomen

Abdominoperineal

pertaining to the abdomen and perineum area

Abdominoplasty

plastic surgery on the abdomen

Abdominoscopy

An outdated term for laparoscopy

abdominoscrotal

pertaining to abdomen and scrotum

abdominoscrotal muscle

Cremaster

Abdominothoracic

pertaining to the abdomen and thorax

Abdominouterotomy

Abdominohysterotomy

Abdominovaginal

pertaining to the abdomen and vagina

Abdominovesical

pertaining to the abdomen and urinary bladder

Abducens

Pertaining to drawing away from the midline of the body

abducens labiorum

The muscle that elevates the angle of the mouth

Abdominalgia

pain in the abdomen

abdominalgia oculi

Musculus rectus lateralis bulbi

Abducens muscle

Rectus lateralis muscle of the eye; it moves the eyeball outward

Abducens nerve

The sixth cranial nerve; it innervates the lateral rectus muscle of the eye

Abducent

1. Abducting; leading away. 2. Abducens.

Abducent nerve

Abducens nerve

Abduct

To draw away from the median plane of the body or one of its parts

Abduction

1. lateral movement of the limbs away from the median plane of the body, or lateral bending of the head or trunk.

2. Movement of the digits away from the axial line of a limb.

3. Outward rotation of the eyes

Abductor

muscle that moves a part away from the midline

Abentric

Related to or involving organs located outside the intestines

Abernethy's Fascia

A layer of areolar tissue separating the external iliac artery from the biliac fascia over the soas muscle

Aberrant

Deviating from the normal

aberrant conduction

In the electrical conduction system of the heart, the passage of the electrical stimulus via an abnormal pathway, diagnosed by examination of the electrocardiogram

Aberratio

aberration

a. testis

Location of a testis in a position away from the path of normal descent

Aberration

1. Deviation from the normal

2. Imperfect refraction of light rays

Chromatic aberration

Unequal refraction of different wavelengths of light through a lens, producing a colored image

Chromosomal aberration

An abnormality in chromosomes regarding number or chromosomal material

Dioptric aberration

Spherical a.

Lateral aberration

Deviation of a ray from the focus measured on a line perpendicular to the axis

Longitudinal aberration

Deviation of a ray from the direction parallel to the optic axis

Spherical aberration

Aberration or distortion of an image due to rays entering the peripheral portion of spherical mirror or lens being reflected differently from those closer to the center