Category: L

The characteristic odor of the breath that accompanies severe liver disease. It has been described as “mousy.”  

A local defense mechanism in which minute bits of material, such as fibrinous exudate from injured tissue, enter local lymphatic vessels, obstructing them and preventing foreign substances, especially bacteria, from passing through them.  

An inability to understand the meaning of letters; a form of aphasia.  

A degree of loss of visual acuity that prevents a person from performing work requiring eyesight. In the U.S. this is defined as corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less, or a visual field of 20° or less in the better eye. In the U.S. there are about three quarters of a million blind people,…

Bile that favors gallstone production. This may be associated with several conditions: the most important is increased secretion of cholesterol in the bile (e.g., in obesity, high caloric diets, or drugs such as clofibrate).  

A mattress composed of inflatable air cushions that is used to relieve pressure on body parts, especially in patients who are being hospitalized for a long time or who have skin breakdown.  

A bath in which the patient’s body except the head is immersed in water from 94° to 96°F (34.4° to 35.6°C) for 15 to 60 min.  

A component of a hand splint that rests on the dorsal surface of the proximal phalanges to prevent hyperextension of the metacarpophalangeal joints.  

A bandage applied by fixing the initial end by a circular or oblique fixation at the ankle or with a figure-of eight of the foot and ankle.  

A flat or slightly concave board approx. 6 ft long and 2 ft wide, often made of laminated wood or plastic, that is used to immobilize a patient with a mechanism for a potential neck or back injury. This device is used in combination with a cervical/head immobilization device or blanket roll and a rigid…