Pap smear (short for Papanicolaou, also known as Cervical smear) is the screening for potentially pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix (i.e. opening of the uterus or womb), i.e....

Crackles (aka crepitations, rales, from French "rale" meaning "rattle") are discontinuous crackling/clicking/rattling noises made by either/both lungs in Pt's with a respiratory disease. Sx Discontinuous, non-musical, and brief Much more common during inspiration than...

Antiviral are drugs used to Tx viral infections. Like antibiotics (for bacteria), specific antivirals can Tx specific viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antivirals don't destroy the target pathogen, but rather inhibits their...

Revascularization (from "re" meaning "restoration", and "vasculature" meaning "circulatory structures of an organ) is the restoration of perfusion to a body part or organ, that has suffered ischemia. Method Ix, Dx, using different...

Bacteriuria is the presence of bacteria in urine, but NOT if the bacteria's presence is due to contamination from the urine sample collection. Cause UTI's, either cystitis or pyelonephritis, especially if the...

Meningococcal disease are infections caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis (aka meningococcus). [faq]What is meningicoccal disease? Does it have anything to do with meningitis? Actually, it does. It's an infection be a...

Breast reduction [mammoplasty] is plastic surgery for reducing the size of large breasts. Purpose Physical, the restoration of the bust Aesthetic, relating to the woman's self image Psychological, relating to the woman's mental health Correction...

Diet are the foods consumed by a person. Dietary habits are habitual decisions an individual makes when choosing foods, and can define a culture and religion. Proper nutrition requires ingestion...

Alcoholism (aka alcohol use disorder, alcohol dependence syndrome) is any drinking of alcohol that results in problems. Alcohol is a drink that contains ethanol. ETOH is shorthand for alcohol. Source: Standard drinks Dx 2 or more of the...

[Proximal] spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive disease, caused by a genetic defect in the SMN1 gene, which encodes SMN, a protein widely expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It...