Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Shunting of blood outside the body to a device that performs a body function; blood is then returned to the patient’s circulatory system; examples include the use of a heart-lung machine or kidney dialysis. Circulation of blood outside the body. This may be through an artificial kidney or a heart-lung device. Extracorporeal circulation refers to…

A bilateral muscle of the lateral chest that begins at the fifth ribs and inserts into the anterior iliac crest, serving the function of compressing the abdomen and maintaining an upright posture. Either of a pair of muscles of the lower trunk originating on the lower eight ribs and inserted in the iliac crest and…

The paired, bilateral blood vessels of the neck that return blood from the head and neck to the heart. A vein that drains blood from the deep and superficial veins of the head and crosses the sternocleidomastoid muscle before entering the subclavian vein. Vein located at the side of the neck that carries blood returning…

Surgical procedure used to treat a complicated fracture using application of metal pins that are inserted in the bone on either side of the fracture and connected to a metal frame to immobilize a fracture or lengthen a congenitally short leg. The use of external devices, such as pins, in fractured devices, such as pins,…

A large blood vessel of the neck that carries oxygenated blood to the thyroid gland, face, throat, and mandible. One of the two divisions of the common carotid artery that supplies blood to the extracranial parts of the head. It branches from the common carotid artery at the top of the trachea and proceeds behind…

Collective group of muscles on the dorsal surface of the forearm that function to extend the hand and wrist; includes the extensor carpi, radialis longus, and radialis brevis muscles.  

Muscles that extend or stretch a limb or part. The forearm houses a collection of muscles responsible for the lifting or extension of the wrist and hand. This group of muscles, commonly known as the extensor muscles, plays a significant role in various movements. Overuse and subsequent inflammation of the tendons that connect these muscles…

Extrusion of a hollow organ, such as the bladder, causing it to be turned inside out due to congenital malformation. The notion of being turned inside out, in conjunction with existing outside the body, can be described as a concept that combines the inversion of one’s internal structure with an existence external to the physical…

Surgical procedure that uses an abdominal incision to open the abdominopelvic cavity for scrutiny. An open diagnostic operation within the abdomen. An exploratory laparotomy is performed when noninvasive tests fail to reveal the cause of symptoms, such as inflammation, abdominal distension, pain, vomiting, and fever. Intestinal obstructions, ruptured ulcers, cancer, ovarian cysts, and ectopic pregnancies…

The volume of air exiting the lungs combined with tidal volume (TV) during forced exhalation; average value = 1,000 cc. The maximal amount of air that can be forced from the lungs after normal expiration. The expiratory reserve volume refers to the additional amount of air that can be breathed out during the deepest possible…