Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Abdominal pool

    The accumulation of blood in the visceral organs of the abdominal cavity. This may occur as a result of abdominal trauma.  

  • Pontiac fever

    An infection with Legionella species that causes fevers, chills, headache, muscle aches, gastrointestinal upset, and prostration but not pneumonia.  

  • Polyvinyl chloride

    A thermoplastic polymer formed from vinyl chloride, used in the manufacture of many products such as rainwear, garden hoses, and floor tiles.  

  • Polytropic

    Affecting more than one type of cell, said of viruses, or affecting more than one type of tissue, said of certain poisons.  

  • Polytrauma

    Simultaneous injury to several organs or body systems. The medical term for an injury involving multiple body parts or different types of injuries, such as burns in addition to broken bones, is referred to as polytrauma.  

  • Polytherapy

    Therapy with two or more drugs used at the same time to treat a condition. The term is used most often to describe treatment of seizure disorders with more than one drug; however, it is also used to describe multidrug therapy in Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and other brain diseases.  

  • Polyteny

    Multiple lateral duplication of the chromosome. This produces a giant chromosome.  

  • Polytendinitis

    Inflammation of several tendons. Inflammation affecting multiple tendons simultaneously.  

  • Polysulfone

    A synthetic polymer used in the fabrication of dialysis membranes with high biocompatibility,  

  • Polystyrene

    A synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene from ethylene and benzene. The formula is (CH2CHC6H5)n. It is used in the plastics industry.