Medical terms - Letter P (page 20) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Post-traumatic stress

Stress: An anxiety disorder that develops in some individuals who have had major traumatic experiences. The person is typically numb at first but later has symptoms including depression, excessive irritability, guilt…
Post-traumatic stress disorder

Stress disorder: A common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Family members of victims also can develop the disorder…
Postcoital contraception

See: Emergency contraception
Posterior

The space in the eye behind the iris and in front of the lens. (The iris is the colored ring of tissue that regulates the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil. The lens is the transparent…
Posterior chamber

The space in the eye behind the iris and in front of the lens. (The iris is the colored ring of tissue that regulates the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil. The lens is the transparent…
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)

The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide…
Posterior pituitary

The back portion of the pituitary, a small gland in the head called the master gland. The posterior pituitary secretes the hormone oxytocin which increases uterine contractions and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) which…
Posteroanterior

In anatomy, posteroanterior (PA) means from back-to-front. For example, a PA X-ray of the chest is taken from back-to-front. PA in this respect is the opposite of AP, which stands for anteroposterior: from front-to-back.
Posteroanterior (PA)

In anatomy, posteroanterior (PA) means from back-to-front. For example, a PA X-ray of the chest is taken from back-to-front. PA in this respect is the opposite of AP, which stands for anteroposterior: from front-to-back.
Postherpetic neuralgia

Localized pain in the area of involvement of shingles that persists beyond one month. The most common complication of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia. This occurs when the pain associated with shingles persists…
Posthitis

Inflammation of the prepuce (the foreskin of the penis). In the uncircumcised male, posthitis and balanitis (inflammation of the glans, the rounded head of the penis) usually occur together as balanoposthitis…
Postlingual

After the development of speech and language. As opposed to prelingual, before the development of speech. See also: Lingual
Postmature infant

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…
Postmaturity

Overly mature, overly developed, especially as regards a baby. 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…
Postmenopausal

After the menopause. Postmenopausal is defined formally as the time after which a woman has experienced twelve (12) consecutive months of amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) without a period. The average length of the…
Postmenopausal cervical kyphosis

An outward curvature (kyphosis) of the cervical vertebrae (the bones of the neck), creating a hump at the back of the neck. This condition, once thought to be a characteristic deformity of older women, was called a…
Postmenopause

The period of time after the menopause. The postmenopause is formally defined as the time after which a woman has experienced twelve (12) consecutive months of amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) without a period. The…
Postmortem examination

An autopsy. Also called a necropsy. Postmortem examinations have been done for more than 2,000 years but during most of this time they were rarely done, and then only for legal purposes. The Roman physician Antistius…
Postop

Short for postoperative, after surgery. The opposite of postop is preop
Postoperative

After surgery. As opposed to preoperative, before surgery
Postoperative care

Care given after surgery until the patient is discharged from the hospital or surgicenter and, in some cases, continuing on an ambulatory basis. Postoperative care is aimed at meeting the patient's physical and…
Postoperative hemorrhage

Bleeding after a surgical procedure. The hemorrhage may occur immediately after the surgery or be delayed. It need not be restricted to the surgical wound. Common causes of postoperative hemorrhage are from tissues…
Postpartum

In the period just after delivery, as with postpartum depression. Postpartum refers to the mother and postnatal to the baby. From the Latin post, after + partum, birth
Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression: A form of severe depression after delivery that requires treatment. It is sometimes said that postpartum depression (PPD) occurs within 4 weeks of delivery but it can happen a few days or even…
Postpartum psychosis

A very serious mental illness that can affect a new mother. The episode of psychosis usually begins within 1 to 3 months of delivery. A woman with postpartum psychosis may lose touch with reality and have auditory…
Postphlebitic syndrome

See: Post-thrombotic syndrome
Postpolio syndrome (PPS)

Postpolio syndrome (PPS): Persons who have had polio may develop newly progressive fatigue, pain, and weakness 15 or more years after recovery from poliomyelitis. In some cases, muscle atrophy (muscle wasting) also…
Postprandial

After mealtime. A postprandial rise in the blood glucose level is one that occurs after eating. Most medical terms have a reasonably logical derivation. Not so with 'postprandial.' The 'post-' part is Latin for 'behind…
Postremission therapy

Chemotherapy to kill leukemia cells that survive after remission induction therapy
Postulates, Koch's

In 1890 the German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch set out his celebrated criteria for judging whether a given bacteria is the cause of a given disease. Koch's criteria brought some much-needed scientific…
Postural

Pertaining to the posture or position of the body, the attitude or carriage of the body as a whole, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs). Postural hypotension is a drop in blood pressure (hypotension) due to…
Postural hypotension

A drop in blood pressure (hypotension) due to a change in body position (posture) when a person moves to a more vertical position: from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting or standing. Postural hypotension…
Posture

The carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs). 'Postural' pertains to the posture or position. For example, postural hypotension is a drop in blood…
Posture, neutral

See: Neutral posture
Posture, static

See: Static posture
Potassium

The major positive ion (cation) found inside of cells. The chemical notation for potassium is K+. The proper level of potassium is essential for normal cell function. An abnormal increase of potassium (hyperkalemia) or…
Potassium balance

The balance between too much potassium and, far more often today, too little potassium. Adults should consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium per day to lower blood pressure, blunt the effects of salt, and reduce the…
Potassium deficiency

Inadequate potassium intake and hence potassium levels in the blood that are abnormally low. This state is termed hypokalemia. For further information, see: Hypokalemia and Potassium balance
Potassium excess

Too much potassium in the blood, usually because of kidney impairment. This state is termed hyperkalemia. For further information, see: Hyperkalemia and Potassium balance
Potassium perchlorate

See: Perchlorate
Potomania

An intense and persistent desire to drink alcohol to excess. Synonymous with dipsomania
Pott's disease

An old term for tuberculosis of the spine that caused softening and collapse of the vertebrae, often resulting in kyphosis, a 'hunchback' deformity, which was called 'Pott's curvature.' Named for the English surgeon Sir…
Pouch of Douglas

>Culdoscopy, the introduction of an endoscope through the vagina into the cul-de-sac; >Culdoscope, the viewing tube (endoscope) that is used to look into the cul-de-sac; and >Culdocentesis, the aspiration (withdrawal)…
Pouch, Pavlov

At different points along the dogs' digestive tracts, the Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1848-1936) surgically created pockets ('Pavlov pouches') from which he could obtain secretions, the aim being to…
Pouch, rectovaginal

An extension of the peritoneal cavity between the rectum and back wall of the uterus. The term 'cul-de-sac,' aside from being any 'blind pouch or cavity that is closed at one end,' is used specifically to refer to the…
Poultice

A soft moist mass about the consistency of cooked porridge that is spread on cloth and applied warm to create moist local heat or counterirritation. As in: 'And silence, like a poultice, comes/ To heal the blows of…
Pound

A measure of weight equal to 16 ounces or, metrically, 453.6 grams. The word 'pound' goes back to the Latin 'pondo' which meant a 'weight' (but one of only 12 ounces). The abbreviation for pound-just to confuse…
Power of attorney, durable

This is a type of advance medical directive in which legal documents provide the power of attorney to another person in the case of an incapacitating medical condition. The durable power of attorney allows another…
Power outage and the heat

When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Use bottled water for eating or drinking. If you don't have bottled water on hand, and are not sure that your tap water is safe, follow these…
Power outage drinking water safety

>Boil the water vigorously (water should be bubbling and rolling) for one to 3 minutes. >If you can't boil water, add 8 drops of newly purchased liquid household bleach per gallon of water, stir it well, and then let…