Category: F

A corticosteroid used to treat skin disorders and inflammatory eye, ear, and nose disorders. Fluocinolone (Fluonid, Flurosyn, Synalar, Synemol, Derma-Smoothe/FS) is available as a cream, gel, lotion, ointment, and shampoo. Fluocinolone is one of the corticosteroids and is applied to the skin as a cream, lotion or ointment. It is more potent than hydrocortisone, and…

Wavelike motion felt during physical examination when a bodily structure containing fluid is palpated, or examined with the hands and fingers. When physical examination shows that an abnormal body structure is fluctuant, this means that it is filled with fluid rather than a solid mass. The term “fluctuation” is used to describe the movement felt…

A method for measuring components or structural elements of cells, primarily by optical means. In flow cytometry, a cytometer, a device for counting cells, projects a beam of laser light through a liquid stream containing cells or other particles. When the intensely focused light strikes the stream, cellular elements give out signals that are picked…

Physical activity based on stretching movements, which are designed to increase the range in which a person can bend and stretch his or her joints, muscles, and ligaments. Exercises that stretch the muscles may also help relieve certain kinds of pain: lower back pain may b alleviated or prevented by stretching the hamstring muscles (at…

A structural disorder of the feet in which the curve of the long arch flattens. The term fallen arches may sometimes be used to describe flat feet. Flat feet are considered normal in young children since everyone has flat feet at birth, and the arch of the foot develops slowly over the first 6 years…

Assessments to determine a person’s level of fitness. Fitness testing may begin with recording basic information such as age, height, weight, blood pressure, and medical history. A body composition test may be performed to determine the body’s ratio of fat to lean tissue. The person being tested may be requested to perform a number of…

A small pack of sensitive photographic film worn as a badge. A film badge indicates how much radiation the person wearing the badge has been exposed to over time. Technicians and radiologists wear film badges to make sure they are not overexposed to radiation. A badge containing film that is sensitive to x-rays. It is…

A drug used to prevent infection in people with cancer. After chemotherapy, which often depresses the production of anti-infective white blood cells (WBCs), filgrastim may be prescribed to stimulate the production and activity of WBCs, returning the WBC count to pretreatment levels. It is also used to treat people with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) or…

A drug used to treat seasonal allergies. Fexofenadine (Allegra) is a non-sedating antihistamine used to treat symptoms of hay fever, including sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and itchy throat. It is also used to treat certain cases of hives or itching skin. Unlike other antihistamines, fexofenadine is not likely to cause drowsiness. A piperidine, administered…

Also known as fetal nerve cell transplantation. Researchers have studied the implantation of fetal cells and stem cells into the brains of individuals with a degenerative brain disorder to treat diseases such as Parkinson disease. The controversy regarding this approach to treatment centers on the source of the fetal tissue and the ongoing ethical debate…