Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Mechanical ventilation with pressure maintained, thereby increasing the volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of expiration. The procedure of forcing a person to breathe through a mask in cases where fluid has collected in the lungs. A treatment that provides mechanical breathing assistance for people with respiratory problems that prevent adequate…

The process of separating blood into its components by centrifuging. A process of filtering the blood. An operation to take blood from someone, then to separate the red blood cells from the plasma, and to return the red blood cells suspended in a saline solution to the patient through a transfusion. Method of removing plasma…

Treatment of disease by exposure to light. A treatment for jaundice and vitamin D deficiency, which involves exposing the person to ultraviolet rays. The medical treatment of diseases with light, in any of a variety of forms, including sunlight, ultraviolet light, visible blue light (as in fluorescent bulbs), and lasers. Newborns who are affected with…

The coagulation (clotting) of tissue by controlled use of a laser in order to seal off bleeding blood vessels. The process in which tissue coagulates from the heat caused by light, used to treat a detached retina. Destruction of tissue by an intense beam of light, used to destroy diseased retinal tissue or to create…

Refers to oral communication or vocal sounds.  

An object placed in the vagina to support the uterus. A drug in soluble material which is pushed into the vagina and absorbed into the blood there. A contraceptive device worn inside the vagina to prevent spermatozoa entering. A device like a ring, which is put into the vagina as treatment for prolapse of the…

Condition in which the skin is dimpled, resembling the skin of an orange. Thickened skin with many little depressions caused by lymphoedema which forms over a breast tumour or in elephantiasis. A state where the skin retains its natural hue but exhibits a texture resembling that of an orange peel. The dimpled skin texture arises…

One who specializes in the study of disease. A doctor who specialises in the study of diseases and the changes in the body caused by disease, examining tissue specimens from patients and reporting on the presence or absence of disease in them. A doctor who examines dead bodies in order to find out the cause…

A screening test in which a small piece of material containing the allergy-causing substance is placed on the skin; redness or edema indicates a positive reaction. A skin test in which small pieces of filter paper or linen soaked in a solution or covered with ointment are applied directly to the skin. A test for…

A measure of the coagulation sequence of plasma and screen for platelet abnormalities. A blood test to screen for coagulation (clotting) disorders such as hemophilia, or to monitor anticoagulant medication. The time needed for plasma to clot after the addition of partial thromboplastin; used to test for defects of the clotting system. A diagnostic examination…