Penardd Un: From 1 Different Sources
(Celtic) In mythology, the wife of Llyr
A state of UNCONSCIOUSNESS or a description of mental activities of which an individual is unaware. The term is also used in PSYCHOANALYSIS to characterise that section of a person’s mind in which memories and motives reside. They are normally inaccessible, protected by inbuilt mental resistance. This contrasts with the subconscious, where a person’s memories and motives – while temporarily suppressed – can usually be recalled.... unconscious
The BRAIN is the organ of the mind. Normal conscious alertness depends upon its continuous adequate supply with oxygen and glucose, both of which are essential for the brain cells to function normally. If either or both of these are interrupted, altered consciousness results. Interruption may be caused by three broad types of process affecting the brain stem: the reticular formation (a network of nerve pathways and nuclei-connecting sensory and motor nerves to and from the cerebrum, cerebellum, SPINAL CORD and cranial nerves) and the cerebral cortex. The three types are di?use brain dysfunction – for example, generalised metabolic disorders such as URAEMIA or toxic disorders such as SEPTICAEMIA; direct effects on the brain stem as a result of infective, cancerous or traumatic lesions; and indirect effects on the brain stem such as a tumour or OEDEMA in the cerebrum creating pressure within the skull. Within these three divisions are a large number of speci?c causes of unconsciousness.
Unconsciousness may be temporary, prolonged or inde?nite (see PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE (PVS)), depending upon the severity of the initiating incident. The patient’s recovery depends upon the cause and success of treatment, where given. MEMORY may be affected, as may motor and sensory functions; but short periods of unconsciousness as a result, say, of trauma have little obvious e?ect on brain function. Repeated bouts of unconsciousness (which can happen in boxing) may, however, have a cumulatively damaging e?ect, as can be seen on CT (COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY) scans of the brain.
POISONS such as CARBON MONOXIDE (CO), drug overdose, a fall in the oxygen content of blood (HYPOXIA) in lung or heart disease, or liver or kidney failure harm the normal chemical working or metabolism of nerve cells. Severe blood loss will cause ANOXIA of the brain. Any of these can result in altered brain function in which impairment of consciousness is a vital sign.
Sudden altered consciousness will also result from fainting attacks (syncope) in which the blood pressure falls and the circulation of oxygen is thereby reduced. Similarly an epileptic ?t causes partial or complete loss of consciousness by causing an abrupt but temporary disruption of the electrical activity in the nerve cells in the brain (see EPILEPSY).
In these events, as the brain’s function progressively fails, drowsiness, stupor and ?nally COMA ensue. If the cause is removed (or when the patient spontaneously recovers from a ?t or faint), normal consciousness is usually quickly regained. Strokes (see STROKE) are sometimes accompanied by a loss of consciousness; this may be immediate or come on slowly, depending upon the cause or site of the strokes.
Comatose patients are graded according to agreed test scales – for example, the GLASGOW COMA SCALE – in which the patient’s response to a series of tests indicate numerically the level of coma.
Treatment of unconscious patients depends upon the cause, and range from ?rst-aid care for someone who has fainted to hospital intensive-care treatment for a victim of a severe head injury or massive stroke.... unconsciousness
A hospital unit equipped and sta?ed to nurse patients who require a high level of technically supported care. Patients are usually moved to such units when they have made satisfactory progress in an INTENSIVE THERAPY UNIT (ITU) and do not require the one-to-one nursing necessary in ITUs. Patients who have undergone major surgery are often transferred from the recovery ward to a high dependency unit until they are well enough to be cared for in a standard ward.... high dependency unit
The international system of measurement-units used throughout the sciences. SI units, which derive from metres, kilograms, and seconds, comprise seven basic units and two supplementary ones. Among the other base units are ampere (electric current) and mole (amount of a substance at molecular level). Derived SI units include joule (energy), pascal (pressure), becquerel (activity), and newton (force). (See APPENDIX 6: MEASUREMENTS IN MEDICINE.)... si units
(Latin) From the waves; in mythology, a female water spirit Undene, Undeen, Undyn, Undyne, Undina, Undinah, Undyna, Undinia, Undynia, Undinya... undine
Another name for BRUCELLOSIS.... undulant fever
An adjective relating to the ?ngernails or toenails.... ungual
The Latin name for ointment.... unguentum
Having only one polarity; primarily in reference to individuals who only manifest a manic or depressive phase in personality or thyroid bipolarity.... unipolar
A specialist ward for the care of acutely ill patients who may be suffering, or who have suffered, a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or another serious cardiovascular disorder.... coronary care unit
Called after the Swedish physicist, this is a measurement of length and equals 1/10,000 of a micrometre, or one-hundred-millionth of a centimetre. It is represented by the symbol Å and is used to give the length of electromagnetic waves.... ångström unit
An o?cially recognised measurement of heat: a unit is equal to the quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1°Fahrenheit. One BTU is equivalent to 1,055 joules (see JOULE).... british thermal unit (btu)
A specialised hospital unit equipped and sta?ed to provide intensive care (see INTENSIVE THERAPY UNIT (ITU)) for patients who have had severe heart attacks or undergone surgery on the heart.... coronary care unit (ccu)
Sometimes called an intensive care unit, this is a hospital unit in which seriously ill patients undergo resuscitation, monitoring and treatment. The units are sta?ed by doctors and nurses trained in INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE, and patients receive 24-hour, one-to-one care with continuous monitoring of their condition with highly specialised electronic equipment that assesses vital body functions such as heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, temperature and blood chemistry. The average ITU in Britain has four to six beds, although units in larger hospitals, especially those dealing with tertiary-care referrals – for example, neurosurgical or organ transplant cases – are bigger, but 15 beds is usually the maximum. Annual throughput of patients ranges from fewer than 200 to more than 1,500 patients a year. As well as general ITUs, specialty units are provided for neonatal, paediatric, cardiothoracic and neurological patients in regional centres. The UK has 1–2 per cent of its hospital beds allocated to intensive care, a ?gure far below the average of 20 per cent provided in the United States. Thus patients undergoing intensive care in the UK are usually more seriously ill than those in the US. This is re?ected in the shortage of available ITU beds in Britain, especially in the winter. (See CORONARY CARE UNIT (CCU); HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT.)... intensive therapy unit (itu)
A long-term care facility unit with services specifically for persons with particular diseases, disorders or injuries.... special care unit
lx.... the unit of illumination. the abbreviation is
A type of temporal lobe EPILEPSY in which a patient has a hallucination of smell or of taste; it may also be the result of a tumour pressing on that part of the BRAIN concerned with the appreciation of smell and taste.... uncinate fit
The use of a service or facility below its potential. universal access The right and ability to receive comprehensive, affordable, appropriate and effective health and care services.... underutilization
In insurance, the process of selecting, classifying, evaluating and assuming risks according to their insurability. Its purpose is to make sure that the insured group or individual has the same probability of loss and probable amount of loss, within reasonable limits, as the universe on which premium rates are based. Since premium rates are based on an expectation of loss, the underwriting process must classify risks into groups with about the same expectation of loss.... underwriting
See under TESTICLE, DISEASES OF.... undescended testis
A type of cancer in which the cells have become very primitive and do not look or behave like the cells from which they originated. Usually more malignant than a cancer which is highly differentiated. Anaplastic.... undifferentiated
(American) A long-suffering woman Undrah, Undria, Undriah, Undreah, Undrea, Undriya, Undriyah... undra
(Latin) Woman who is bearlike Unelinah, Uneleena, Unelena, Unelyna, Uneleana, Unelinia... unelina
(Greek) Form of Eunice, meaning “one who conquers” Unise, Unyce, Unyse... unice
The term applied to a quantity assumed as a standard for measurement. Thus, the unit of insulin is the speci?c activity contained in such an amount of the standard preparation as the Medical Research Council may from time to time indicate as the quantity exactly equivalent to the unit accepted for international use. The standard preparation consists of pure, dry, crystalline insulin. (See APPENDIX 6: MEASUREMENTS IN MEDICINE.)... unit
The unit to which a performance measure is applied (e.g. subjects, patients, clinicians, group of professionals).... unit (of analysis)
(American) Woman who upholds oneness; togetherness Unitey, Unitie, Uniti, Unitee, Unitea, Unyty, Unytey, Unytie, Unyti, Unytee, Unytea, Unite, Unita, Unyta... unity
Studying the distribution of cases of one variable only.... univariate
(Norse / Hebrew) One who is modest / a musician of the temple Unnie, Unny, Unney, Unnee... unni
remedies are underlined. For instance, leading remedies for treatment of neuralgia are Chamomile and Valerian. ... underlined herbs
Persistent fever with no apparent cause. The cause is usually an illness that is difficult to diagnose or a common disease that presents in an unusual way. These illnesses include various viral infections; tuberculosis; cancer, particularly lymphoma; and collagen diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and temporal arteritis. Another possible cause is a drug reaction.... pyrexia of uncertain origin
See prognathism.... underbite
See fats and oils.... unsaturated fats
Another name for irritable bladder.... unstable bladder
a unit of heat equal to the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1° Fahrenheit. 1 British thermal unit = 1055 joules. Abbrev.: Btu.... british thermal unit
(in Jungian psychology) structures of the unconscious mind shared by all humans. Jung considered the collective unconscious to exist collectively amongst humans in addition to the personal unconscious mind postulated by Freud. He argued that the collective unconscious, populated by instincts and *archetypes, had a profound influence on the lives of individuals through symbols, rituals, and shared narratives.... collective unconscious
a major fixed piece of dental equipment to which are attached the dental drills, aspirator, compressed air syringe, and ultrasonic scaler. It is frequently integral with the *dental chair.... dental unit
the numerical unit assigned electronically to each *pixel in a computerized tomography (CT) image, according to its X-ray density. The fixed points on the scale are arbitrarily assigned as ?1000 for air and 0 for water. The CT image is viewed in a ‘window’. The range of Hounsfield units displayed (window width) and the centre point of the range of interest (window level) can be varied by the radiologist in order to observe specific tissues (see windowing). The unit was named after Sir Godfrey Hounsfield (1919–2004), who developed CT scanning in the 1950s. Symbol: HU.... hounsfield unit
(ITU, intensive care unit) a hospital unit designed to give intensive care, provided by specialist multidisciplinary staff, to a selected group of seriously ill patients or to those in need of special postoperative techniques (e.g. those patients undergoing complex heart or lung procedures).... intensive therapy unit
see MUST.... malnutrition universal screening tool
(PUL) a positive pregnancy test when no fetus can be seen on an ultrasound scan, which is due to a very early ongoing pregnancy, an early failing pregnancy, or an ectopic pregnancy not located on scan.... pregnancy of unknown location
see PICU.... psychiatric intensive care unit
(SUDEP) the sudden unexpected nontraumatic death of a person with *epilepsy, with or without evidence of a seizure and with no obvious cause found at post mortem.... sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
a *personality disorder characterized by a tendency to act impulsively without consideration of the consequences, unpredictable and capricious mood, a tendency towards outbursts of emotion, inability to control behavioural explosions, quarrelsome behaviour, and conflict with others. There is an impulsive type, with particular emphasis on impulsivity and quarrelsome behaviour, especially when criticized; and a borderline type, with an emphasis on disturbance and uncertainty about self-image (including sexual preference), liability to become involved in intense and unstable relationships, excessive efforts to avoid abandonment, recurrent threats or acts of self-harm, and chronic feelings of emptiness. Treatments include cognitive analytical therapy (see cognitive therapy), *antipsychotic medication, and occasionally *SSRIs and *lithium. In DSM-5 the disorder is called borderline personality disorder.... emotionally unstable personality disorder
a serious condition in which a person with diabetes loses the earliest warning signs of an approaching hypoglycaemic episode. Such people may suffer a severe attack of hypoglycaemia, with confusion, seizures, or even coma and death, because they fail to take the necessary measures to abort the episode. The condition is more common in longstanding diabetes and in those who experience frequent hypoglycaemic episodes. People with hypoglycaemic unawareness should not drive. Some awareness of hypoglycaemia may be restored by careful avoidance of more episodes, ensuring that the blood glucose level never falls below 4 mmol/l.... hypoglycaemic unawareness
n. the situation in which no diagnostic conclusion can (yet) be reached but the patient remains ill. Professionals vary in their ability to cope with this uncertainty: the best clinical practice is to accept the lack of clarity, to continue to support the patient, and to use the situation creatively in his or her *best interest in the interim.... uncertainty
see hamate bone.... unciform bone
a form of temporal lobe *epilepsy in which hallucinations of taste and smell and inappropriate chewing movements are prominent features.... uncinate fits
(uE3) a product of the placenta, levels of which are reduced in pregnancies affected by Down’s syndrome. It is one of the markers used in *prenatal screening tests (see triple test).... unconjugated oestriol
n. any hook-shaped structure, especially a projection of the lower surface of the cerebral hemisphere that is composed of cortex belonging to the temporal lobe.... uncus
an antifungal agent, applied to the skin for the treatment of athlete’s foot.... undecenoic acid
n. a fingernail or toenail. See nail.... unguis
adj. describing organisms or tissues that consist of a single cell. Unicellular organisms include the protozoans, most bacteria, and some fungi.... unicellular
adj. (in anatomy) relating to or affecting one side of the body or one side of an organ or other part.... unilateral
n. (in a fractured bone) the successful result of healing of a fracture, in which the previously separated bone ends have become firmly united by newly formed bone. Failure of union (non-union) may result if the bone ends are not immobilized or from infection or bone diseases. Compare malunion.... union
see UICC.... union international contre le cancer
a welfare benefit in the UK that is due to replace six mean-tested benefits and tax credits, with the intention of simplifying the benefits system and strengthening incentives to work. Rollout of universal credit began in 2013 and is ongoing with a forecast completion date of 2022. It has been criticized by some for its focus on the centralization of administration, particularly the requirement for most claimants to file claims online rather than face-to-face, as well as for delays to the rollout, which was originally supposed to be complete in 2017.... universal credit
a *fatty acid in which one (monounsaturated) or many (polyunsaturated) of the carbon atoms are linked by double bonds that are easily split in chemical reactions so that other substances can connect to them. These fats occur in fish and plant-derived foods, and a diet high in unsaturated fats is associated with low serum cholesterol levels. Compare saturated fatty acid.... unsaturated fatty acid
(zinc undecylenate) an antifungal agent with uses similar to those of *undecenoic acid.... zinc undecenoate
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