Medical terms - Letter I (page 6) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Infection, nosocomial

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…
Infection, opportunistic

An infection that occurs because of a weakened immune system. Opportunistic infections are a particular danger for people with AIDS. The HIV virus itself does not cause death, but the opportunistic infections that occur…
Infection, pinworm

An infection caused by a small, white intestinal worm: the pinworm or, more formally, Enterobius vermicularis. The pinworm is about the length of a staple and lives for the most part within the rectum of humans. While…
Infection, pork tapeworm

Known medically as cysticercosis, an infection caused by Taenia solium (the pork tapeworm). Infection occurs when the tapeworm larvae enter the body and form cysticerci (SIS-tuh-sir-KEY) (cysts). When cysticerci are…
Infection, primary HIV

The first few months after infection with HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus). During primary HIV infection, seroconversion occurs -- the appearance of detectable antibodies to HIV in the blood. It normally takes…
Infection, rotavirus

Rotavirus: A leading cause of severe winter diarrhea in young children. Each year, rotavirus (RV) causes an estimated 500,000 doctor visits and 50,000 hospital admissions in the United States. Almost every child catches…
Infection, roundworm

Infection from a type of parasitic worm that hatches in the intestines and lives there. The eggs of the roundworm usually enter the body through contaminated water or food or on fingers placed in the mouth after the…
Infection, urinary tract (UTI)

An infection in the urinary system that begins when microorganisms cling to the opening of the urethra (the canal from the bladder) and begin to multiply. Most UTIs are due to one type of bacteria, E. (Escherichia)…
Infection, Vincent

This is trench mouth, a progressive painful infection with ulceration, swelling and sloughing off of dead tissue from the mouth and throat due to the spread of infection from the gums. Certain germs (including fusiform…
Infection, yeast

Infection due to fungal organisms which have the characteristic of being single-celled, usually rounded and reproduce by budding. Most yeast are harmless (some are used in baking and brewing). Yeast is commonly present…
Infectious Diseases, Nat'l Institute of Allergy &

See Hepatitis A.
Infectious hepatitis

See Hepatitis A
Infectious hepatitis immunization

See Immunization, hepatitis A
Infectious mono

See infectious mononucleosis.
Infectious mononucleosis

Infectious mononucleosis: A specific viral infection (with the Epstein-Barr virus) in which there is an increase of white blood cells that are mononuclear (with a single nucleus) 'Mono' and 'kissing disease' are popular…
Infectivity

The proportion of persons exposed to an infectious agent who become infected by it
Inferior

A large vein that receives blood from the lower extremities, pelvis and abdomen and delivers it to the right atrium of the heart.
Inferior vena cava

A large vein that receives blood from the lower extremities, pelvis and abdomen and delivers it to the right atrium of the heart. NTER>
Inferolateral

Below and to one side. Both inferior and lateral. In anatomy, there are many such compound terms. For a more complete listing of terms used in medicine for spatial orientation, please see the entry to 'Anatomic…
Infertile

Not able to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception. Infertility can be due to many causes. In most cases of possible female infertility, the problem is found to originate with the male…
Infertility

Infertility: The diminished ability or the inability to conceive and have offspring. Infertility is also defined in specific terms as the failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception…
Infertility, Y chromosome

See: Y chromosome infertility
Infiltrate

To penetrate. If an IV infiltrates, the IV fluid penetrates the surrounding tissue.
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast

Breast: Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is one of several recognized specific patterns of cancer of the breast. It is so named because it begins in the cells forming the ducts of the breast. It is the most common form of…
Infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the breast

Breast: Infiltrating lobular carcinoma is the second most common type of invasive breast cancer next to infiltrating ductal carcinoma, accounting for 5 to 10% of breast cancer. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts in…
Inflammation

A basic way in which the body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response. More…
Inflammation, bladder

See: Bladder inflammation
Inflammatory bowel disease

A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by inflammation of the bowel -- the large or small intestine. The most common types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease…
Inflammatory response

A fundamental type of response by the body to disease and injury, a response characterized by the classical signs of 'dolor, calor, rubor, and tumor' -- pain, heat (localized warmth), redness, and swelling. Innumerable…
Influenza

Influenza: The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract which are divided into three types, designated A, B, and C. Most people who get the flu recover completely in 1 to 2 weeks, but some people…
Influenza vaccination priorities

The influenza (flu) vaccine is recommended for persons at high risk for serious complications from influenza virus infection. This includes: > >Everyone age 50 or more; >Residents of nursing homes and other long-term…
Influenza, Asian

See: Asian flu
Influenza, avian

Influenza, avian: Also called fowl plague, avian flu, and bird flu. A highly contagious viral disease with up to 100% mortality in domestic fowl. Caused by influenza A virus subtypes H5 and H7. All types of birds are…
Influenza, Hong Kong

See: Hong Kong flu
Influenza, Spanish

See: Spanish flu
Informatics

The application of computers and statistics to the management of information. For example, in the Human Genome Project, informatics has permitted the development and use of methods to search databases quickly, analyze…
Informed consent

A process in which a person learns key facts about a clinical trial, including potential risks and benefits, before deciding whether or not to participate in a study. Informed consent continues throughout the trial
Infraspinatus muscle

>The infraspinatus muscle; >The teres minor muscle, which (like the infraspinatus muscle) helps in the outward turning (external rotation) of the arm; >The supraspinatus muscle, which is responsible for elevating the…
Infuse

In medicine, to introduce a solution into the body through a vein. An infusion is the therapeutic introduction of a fluid other than blood into a vein. The infused fluid might, for example, be a saline (salt) solution
Ingelfinger rule

The policy of considering a manuscript for publication only if its substance has not been submitted or reported elsewhere. This policy was promulgated in 1969 by Franz J. Ingelfinger, then the editor of The New England…
Ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenail: A common disorder that occurs when the edge of the toenail grows into the skin of the toe particularly on the big (great) toe. The corner of the nail curves down into the skin, often due to mis-trimming…
Inguinal

Having to do with the groin.
Inguinal canal

A passage in the lower anterior abdominal wall which in the male allows passage of the spermatic cord and in the female contains the round ligament. Because of the weakness it creates in the abdominal wall, it is the…
Inguinal orchiectomy

Surgery to remove the testicle, with the incision made through the groin.
Inhalant

1. Generally, any breathable chemical vapor.2. Specifically, a psychoactive substance whose volatile vapors are subject to abuse such as solvents, household and commercial gases, medical anesthetic gases, and nitrites…
Inhaler, metered-dose

Not something that is contained in a will, but rather a gene, chromosome or genome that is transmitted from parent to child. The pattern of inheritance is the manner in which a gene is transmitted. For example, the…
Inheritance

Not something that is contained in a will, but rather a gene, chromosome or genome that is transmitted from parent to child. The pattern of inheritance is the manner in which a gene is transmitted. For example, the…
Inheritance, holandric

Inheritance of genes on the Y chromosome. Since only males normally have a Y chromosome, Y-linked genes can only be transmitted from father to son. It has often been said that little is known about specific genes that…
Inheritance, mendelian

The manner in which genes and traits are passed from parents to their children. The four modes of Mendelian inheritance are autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant and X-linked recessive. The term…
Inheritance, mitochondrial

The type of hereditary pattern seen when there is more than one genetic factor involved and, sometimes, when there are also environmental factors participating in the causation of a condition. Many common traits are…