Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Inability to stand or maintain erect posture due to muscular incoordination. An inability to stand for which no physical cause can be found. Astasia-abasia is an inability to stand or walk in the absence of any recognizable physical illness. The patient’s attempts are bizarre and careful examination reveals contradictory features. It is often an expression…

Mechanically supported breathing where the patient is permitted to initiate breathing but the ventilator delivers a preset volume of air and will initiate breathing if the patient’s breathing slows or stops.  

Intracellular enzyme test to detect tissue damage in the liver, brain, and muscles. An intracellular enzyme involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. It is present in high concentrations in muscle, liver, and brain. An increased level of this enzyme in the blood indicates necrosis or disease in these tissues. Formerly called serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase…

Inability to produce clear and distinct speech.  

Removal of excess fluid in a joint by inserting a needle into the joint space. Entry into a joint space with a needle to remove fluid. A medical technique involving the insertion of a needle by the physician into the patient’s joint to extract fluid for diagnostic analysis or to evacuate infected fluid from the…

Narrowing of the lumen of an artery; may be temporary or permanent.  

The middle layer of the three meninges covering the central nervous system.  

Sudden, gross bleeding in an organ; stroke caused by bleeding in the brain.