Medical terms - Letter I (page 5) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Indication

1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or procedure advisable. CML (chronic myeloid leukemia) is an indication for the use of Gleevec (imatinib mesylate). 2. A sign or a circumstance which points…
Indifferent gonad

In embryonic life, the gonad in males and females is initially identical. This gonad is said to be 'indifferent' before it differentiates into a definitive testis or ovary. An indifferent gonad becomes a testis if the…
Indirect immunofluorescence assay

A laboratory test used to detect antibodies in serum or other body fluid. The specific antibodies are labeled with a compound that makes them glow an apple-green color when observed microscopically under ultraviolet…
Indolent lymphoma

A lymphoma that tends to grow and spread slowly, in contrast to an aggressive lymphoma which tends to grow and spread quickly. Indolent lymphomas include chronic lymphocytic lymphoma and follicular small cleaved cell…
Induced abortion

An abortion that is brought about intentionally. Also called an artificial or therapeutic abortion. As opposed to a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage)
Induced disease by proxy

See: Munchhausen syndrome by proxy
Induced menopause

Menopause: Menopause may be due to an unusual ('unnatural') event. It is induced when the ovaries are surgically removed (by bilateral oophorectomy) or when the ovaries are gravely damaged by radiation, chemotherapy or…
Induction therapy

Therapy: Treatment designed as a first step toward reducing the number of cancer cells. Often just referred to as induction. Induction may be followed by consolidation therapy and maintenance therapy. Consolidation is…
Induration

Induration: Localized hardening of soft tissue of the body. The area becomes firm, but not as hard as bone
Industrial health

A branch of public health concerned with the health and well-being of workers. Its aims are to eliminate hazards and reduce industrial fatigue in the workplace
Indwelling bladder catheter

See: Catheter, indwelling bladder
Infant

A child up to 2 years (24 months) of age. The word 'infant' came from the Latin infans which was derived from in-, not + Fari, to speak = not to speak, speechless. The idea was that, since the ability to speak was…
Infant carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrates (glucose, lactose, sucrose, galactose, etc.) are sugars or several sugars linked together. Carbohydrates provide energy (calories) for the brain tissues, muscles, and other organs. Lactose is a…
Infant fat requirements

Fat in human milk provides 30%-35% of the total daily caloric needs for a growing infant. Manufacturers of infant formulas utilize many different vegetable oils for fat including corn, soy, safflower, and coconut oils…
Infant formula

A substitute for breast milk for feeding infants. Pediatricians generally advise exclusively breastfeeding (that is, breastfeeding with no formula) for all full term, healthy infants for the first 6 months of life…
Infant in swaddling

The symbol of pediatrics and child health. Also known as the della Robbia or the bambino. The infant in swaddling was chosen by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as its symbol in the early 1930s and has since become the…
Infant iron supplementation

Iron is included in most infant formulas. Therefore, there is no evidence that iron supplementation is necessary for healthy formula-fed, full-term infants. In the past it was recommended that infants from birth to 4…
Infant mineral requirements

Minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine, copper and zinc) and trace elements (manganese, chromium, selenium, and molybdenum) are included in most infant formulas. Therefore, there is no evidence that…
Infant mortality rate

The number of children dying under a year of age divided by the number of live births that year. The infant mortality rate is also called the infant death rate. The infant mortality rate is an important measure of the…
Infant protein requirements

Proteins contain different amino acids that are linked together. Proteins provide both calories and the amino acid building blocks that are necessary for proper growth. The protein in human milk provides between 10%-15%…
Infant vitamin requirements

Vitamins are organic substances that are essential in minute quantities for the proper growth, maintenance, and functioning of the baby. Vitamins must be obtained from food because the body cannot produce them. The…
Infant water requirements

Water is an important part of a baby's diet because water makes up a large proportion of the baby's body. When properly prepared, all infant formulas are approximately 85% water. Infant formulas are available in three…
Infant, post-term

An overly mature baby that has not been born until well after the usual term pregnancy. A post-term baby is specifically one born 2 weeks (14 days) or more after the usual 9 months (280 days) of gestation. The gestation…
Infant, postmature

A baby born 2 weeks (14 days) or more after the usual 9 months (280 days) of gestation. The gestation (length of the pregnancy) is calculated from the date of the last menstrual period (LMP). This is an important…
Infant, small for gestational age

Small for gestational age (SGA) infants weigh 2500 g or less at birth and are considered to have intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), given their gestational age. By contrast, an infant may weighs 2500 g or less…
Infantile autism

Autism: (Also called autism.) A spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and unusual and repetitive behavior. Some, but not all, people with autism are…
Infantile beriberi

Disease in infants due to deficiency of thiamine. This disease is well-known in undeveloped countries among malnourished infants but it is very rare in developed countries. It can occur if a breastfeeding mother has an…
Infantile genetic agranulocytosis

Children born with this condition lack neutrophils (a type of white blood cell that is important in fighting infection). These children suffer frequent infections from bacteria which in the past led to death in three-…
Infantile hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism (subnormal activity of the thyroid gland) that starts after birth and is manifest by features including delays in growth and development and myxedema surfacing during infancy. Myxedema is a dry waxy type…
Infantile myxedema

Hypothyroidism (subnormal activity of the thyroid gland) that starts after birth and is manifest by features including delays in growth and development and myxedema surfacing during infancy. Myxedema is a dry waxy type…
Infantile paralysis (polio)

Infantile paralysis is an old synonym for poliomyelitis, an acute and sometimes devastating viral disease. Man is the only natural host for poliovirus. The virus enters the mouth and multiplies in lymphoid tissues in…
Infantile spasms

A seizure disorder of infancy and early childhood with the onset predominantly in the first year of life of myoclonic seizures, hypsarrhythmia (abnormal, chaotic electroencephalogram), and mental retardation. The spasms…
Infantile systemic hyalinosis

A genetic disorder characterized at birth or soon afterwards by painful swollen joint contractures and red pigmentation over bony prominences. Pearly papules (little bumps) and fleshy nodules then develop in the skin…
Infantile thiamine deficiency

See: Infantile beriberi
Infantile vitamin B1 deficiency

See: Infantile beriberi
Infantilism, Brissaud's

An eponym that is little used (in the USA) for hypothyroidism (subnormal activity of the thyroid gland) that starts after birth and is manifest by features including delays in growth and development and myxedema…
Infarct

An area of tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen. For example, in a myocardial infarction there is death of myocardial (heart muscle) tissue due to sudden (acute) deprivation of circulating blood. This is usually…
Infarction

The formation of an infarct, an area of tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen. For example, in a myocardial infarction there is death of myocardial (heart muscle) tissue due to sudden (acute) deprivation of…
Infarction, acute myocardial

See: Acute myocardial infarction
Infection

The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a 'germ')…
Infection, acute HIV

The body's initial reaction to infection by the HIV virus. Acute HIV infection is a flu-like syndrome that occurs immediately after a person contracts HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus 1, the agent that causes…
Infection, adenovirus

Infection with one of a group of viruses responsible for a spectrum of respiratory disease as well as infection of the stomach and intestine (gastroenteritis), eyes (conjunctivitis), and bladder (cystitis) and rash…
Infection, breast

See: Breast infection. See also: Mastitis
Infection, ear (acute middle)

Acute middle ear infection, medically called acute otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear. Acute otitis media typically causes fluid in the middle ear accompanied by signs or symptoms of ear infection: a bulging…
Infection, group B strep

Group B strep: Group B strep are a major cause of infections involving the pregnant woman and her newborn infant, causing maternal infections of the uterus, placenta, and urinary tract and infections in the infant that…
Infection, hospital-acquired

An infection caught while hospitalized. The medical term for a hospital-acquired infection is 'nosocomial.' Most nosocomial infections are due to bacteria. Since antibiotics are frequently used within hospitals, the…
Infection, Leishmania

See: Leishmania infection
Infection, meningococcal

See: Meningococcal infection
Infection, middle ear

Acute middle ear infection, medically called acute otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear. Acute otitis media typically causes fluid in the middle ear accompanied by signs or symptoms of ear infection: a bulging…
Infection, Neisseria

An infection acquired in a hospital. Specifically an infection that was not present or incubating prior to the patient being admitted to the hospital, but occurred within 72 hours after admittance to the hospital. After…