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Medical Dictionary: d

Word	Definition
/d	per day
D&C	dilatation and curettage
D&V	diarrhea & vomiting
dacry/o	tears
dacryoadenitis	Inflammation of the lacrimal glands (the eye’s tear-producing glands).
dacryocystitis	Inflammation of the lacrimal sac.
dactyl/o	fingers, toes
dactylitis	Painful inflammation of the fingers or toes.
dander	Fine, dry scales from the scalp.
dandruff	Excessive shedding of dry scaly material from the scalp.
dantrolene	Muscle relaxant drug.
dark adaptation	Adjustment of the retina and pupil of the eyes under conditions of low light enabling increased sensitivity to light.
DAW	dispense as written
dB	decibel
DBP	diastolic blood pressure
dc	discontinue
DDx	differential diagnosis
de-	lack of, without, less, down
DEA	Drug Enforcement Agency
deafness	A general term for the complete loss of the ability to hear from both ears.
death	Irreversible cessation of all bodily functions.
debridement	A procedure used to remove dead tissue and contaminated substances from a wound, by soaking or excising.
deca-	ten
decapitation	Removal of the head.
decay	The gradual decomposition of dead organisms after death.
deceleration	A decrease in the rate of speed.
deci-	one tenth
decibel	A unit for comparing levels of power on a logarithmic scale. Commonly used for measuring sound.
decidua	The membrane lining the wall of the uterus during pregnancy.
decongestant	A substance that reduces nasal congestion.
decubitus	The recumbent position. Lying on one's side.
deep	Below the surface of the skin or within body cavity or limbs.
deet	A common insect repellent.
defamation	False written or spoken statements that are known to be false and that are damaging to the reputation of a person, group or organization.
defibrillation	Use of an electronic device to give an electric shock to the heart to reestablish normal cardiac rhythm.
degeneration	The gradual loss of function of a cell, tissue or organ.
dehydration	The condition that results from excessive loss of water from a living organism.
deja vu	A subjective feeling that a current experience is a repetition of a previous experience.
delirium	A state of mental confusion that can occur due to illness, surgery or using certain medications.
delirium tremens	The most severe form of alcohol withdrawal, causing confusion, irregular heart rate, and sweating.
deltoid	Thick triangular muscle in the shoulder whose function is to abduct, flex, and extend the arm.
delusion	A belief that is clearly false.
dem/o	people, population
dementia	A group of symptoms caused by brain disorder. Not a specific disease. Causes are peripheral vascular disease, stroke, toxins, or Alzheimer's.
demi	half
dendrite	Short branches of the nerve cell body that receive stimuli from other neurons.
dengue	An acute febrile disease transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. It occurs in tropical regions and is characterized by fever, severe pain, headache and rash.
denial	Refusal to admit the truth or reality of a situation or experience.
dent/i	teeth
dentin	The main material of teeth. It is surrounded by pulp, covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root.
deodorant	A substance that represses or masks odors.
deoxyribonucleic acid	The primary carrier of genetic information. It consists of two chains of nucleotides that are twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases.
dependence	The state of reliance or subservience to another person or a substance.
depersonalization	A feeling of unreality concerning the self or the environment.
depreciation	Decline in value of capital assets over time.
depression	1) A sunken or hollow area. 2) Mental state of feeling sad, lonely, discouraged, hopeless or dejected.
deprevation	The loss or lack of something that is needed.
derailment	Mental disorder marked by speech consisting of a sequence of unrelated or remotely related ideas.
derivative	Something produced as a modification of another object or thought.
Derm	dermatology
derm/o	skin
derma-	skin
dermat/o	skin
dermatitis	Inflammation of the skin. May be caused by allergic reaction, drugs, infection or sun exposure.
dermatology	A medical specialty concerned with the structure, functions, diseases and treatment of the skin.
dermis	A layer of vascularized connective tissue underneath the epidermis. Embedded in or beneath it are glands, hair follicles, nerves and lymphatic vessels.
desicc/o	drying
desiccation	Removal of moisture from a substance.
-desis	bind, fixation
desm/o	ligament
desmoid tumor	A dense, fibrous neoplasm. Occurs on the abdomen, upper arms, neck and head.
desmosomes	An area of contact between adjacent cells, particularly epithelia.
detergent	A cleaning agent.
detoxification	The removal of poisons, alcohol or drugs and their effects from a patient.
detrition	Wearing away by use or friction.
deviant	Pertaining to an object or person that departs from normal. Abnormal.
dew point	The temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses to liquid.
dextr/o	right
DI	diabetes insipidus
di-	two, twice, double
dia-	complete, through
diabetes insipidus	A hormonal condition that causes the individual to have excessive and frequent urination. Inadequate ADH secretion.
diabetes mellitus	A grouping of diseases that affect how the body uses glucose. Type I is lack of insulin, Type II is insulin resistance.
diabetic retinopathy	The most common diabetic eye disease. It occurs when blood vessels in the retina are damaged. Leading cause of blindness in working age adults.
diagnosis	The determination of the nature of a disease or condition, or the distinguishing of one disease or condition from another.
diagnosis-related groups	A system for classifying patient care by relating common characteristics such as diagnosis, treatment, and age to an expected consumption of hospital resources and length of stay.
dialysis	A therapeutic procedure used in patients with kidney failure for removal of harmful wastes and fluids from the blood.
diaper rash	Dermatitis of the buttocks and thighs due to contact with urine or feces.
diaphoresis	Profuse sweating that is artificially induced.
diaphragm	The muscle sheet that that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdomen. The diaphragm's contraction and relaxation changes the volume of the thoracic cavity, aiding breathing.
diarrhea	The onset of three or more loose or liquid bowel movements in a day.
diastole	Part of the heart rhythm when the ventricles passively relax and refill with blood.
diastolic blood pressure	Atrial blood pressure during diastole when the heart is resting. The second number in a blood pressure reading.
diathesis	Genetic predisposition to certain diseases or abnormalities.
DIC	disseminated intravascular coagulation
dicrotic	A heartbeat with two separate peaks.
dielectric	Insulating material that can be polarized by an applied electric field.
dietary fiber	Indigestible carbohydrate materials. Can be soluble or insoluble in water.
dietetic	Pertaining to food and nutrition.
dif-	separation, taking apart, reversal
differential diagnosis	Distinguishing between two or more conditions having similar symptoms by systematic clinical comparison.
differentiation	The acquisition of functions or forms different that the original.
diffusion	The process of particles in gases and liquids to move from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration resulting in even distribution of such particles.
dig	digitalis; digoxin
digestion	The process of converting food into absorbable substances for metabolism and use by the body.
digestive system	A group of structures, organs and glands stretching from the mouth to the anus, that breakdown food substances, absorb nutrients and remove waste.
digit/o	finger, toe
digitalis	Medicines that strengthen heart contraction and to slow heart rates, particularly for atrial fibrillation.
digitization	The conversion of images, sounds or text into a digital form.
dil	dilute; diluted
dilat/o	enlarge, expand
dilation	Causing the increase in the diameter of an organ, vessel or body opening.
diopter	A unit of measurement of the refractive power of a lens.
dioxin	Highly toxic, persistent environmental pollutant. A contaminant of a widely used herbicide.
diphtheria	A bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract that causes a thick web to form in the back of the throat. May be fatal. Preventable with immunization. Can also damage heart muscle and nerves.
dipl/o	double, two-sided
diplegia	Paralysis involving both sides of the body.
diplopia	Double vision.
dips-	thirst
-dipsia	thirst
dipsomania	Uncontrollable, recurring craving for alcohol.
dis-	twice, apart, not
disc	A rounded, flat plate.
discharge	To release. The substance that is released.
disclosure	The revealing of information.
disease	A disorder of an organ or body function. Characterized by signs and symptoms.
disinfectant	Substance that kills or inhibits harmful microorganisms.
disinfection	Killing pathogens or rendering them harmless.
dislocation	Displacement of a body part from its normal position. Commonly used to refer to a bone displaced from a joint.
disorientation	A mentally confused state. Loss of one's bearings.
dissection	The separation of tissues for surgical reasons or for analysis.
dissociation	Separation of a particular of thoughts or emotions from normal consciousness.
dissolve	To disperse a solid in a solution.
dist/o	distant, far
distal	farthest from the origin
distemper	Highly contagious and dangerous viral diseases of animals, particularly dogs.
distillation	A process of separating the components of a liquid mixture by vaporization and condensation.
distortion	A state of being twisted out of shape. A defense mechanism to disguise unacceptable thoughts.
diuresis	Increased excretion of urine.
diuretics	Medication that promote the excretion of urine, decreasing fluids in the blood vessels and reducing blood pressure. Also known as water pills.
diurnal	Daily or relating to daylight hours.
diverticulitis	An inflammation in the diverticula of the intestinal tract.
diverticulosis	The presence of multiple pouches, usually in the colonic or gastric wall.
diverticulum	A pouch or sac developed from a tubular or saccular organ, such as the gastrointestinal tract.
DJD	degenerative joint disease
DKA	diabetic ketoacidosis
dL	deciliter
DM	diabetes mellitus
DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid
DNR	do not resuscitate
DOA	dead on arrival
DOB	date of birth
DOE	dyspnea on exertion
dolich/o	long
dolor/o	pain
dominant	Exhibiting a ruling influence. In genetics, capable of expression when carried by only one of a pair of homologous chromosomes.
donor	A human, animal or other organism that provides tissue for another body.
dopamine	A central nervous system neurotransmitter.
doppler effect	Changes in the observed frequency of sound, light, or radio waves due to the relative motion of source and observer.
dors/o	back of body
dorsal	Pertaining to the back or posterior.
dorsiflexion	The movement of the ankle joint that brings the dorsal (top region) of the foot towards the shin.
dorsum	top of the foot
down syndrome	A congenital disorder characterized by small size, hypotonia, protruding tongue, small ears, short, broad hands and cognitive impairment.
DPL	diagnostic peritoneal lavage
DPT	diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (vaccine)
dr	dram
drainage	The removal of fluids or discharges from the body, such as from a wound, sore, or cavity.
DRE	digital rectal examination
DRG	diagnosis-related group
drom/o	running
-drome	running
dry eye syndrome	Corneal and conjunctival dryness due to deficient tear production.
dry socket	An inflammation of a tooth socket, that can occur after tooth extraction, caused by the disintegration of a blood clot.
DSB	drug-seeking behavior
DTR	deep tendon reflex
DTs	delirium tremens
DUB	dysfunctional uterine bleeding
duct/o	to lead
duoden/o	duodenum
duodenitis	Inflammation of the duodenum section of the small intestine.
duodenum	The proximal (first) portion of the small intestine, extending from the pylorus to the jejunum.
dur/o	hard, dura mater
dura mater	The dense, leathery membrane covering and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
DVT	deep vein thrombosis
dwarfism	Abnormally short in stature.
DWI	driving while intoxicated
Dx	diagnosis
dynam/o	power, strength
-dynia	pain
dys-	bad, painful, abnormal
dysarthria	Difficulty in articulating words caused by impairment of the pharynx, larynx, tongue, or face muscles.
dysentery	Acute inflammation of the intestine marked by frequent watery stools, often with blood and by pain, fever, and dehydration.
dysgenesis	Defective development.
dyskinesia	Involuntary muscle movements of the face, trunk, neck and extremities and difficulty with voluntary movements. Often associated with the use of certain medications.
dyslexia	A common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language.
dysmenorrhea	Painful cramps that can occur immediately before or during the menstrual period.
dyspepsia	Impaired digestion, especially after eating.
dysphagia	Difficulty in swallowing.
dysphonia	Difficulty in speaking.
dysplasia	Abnormal development in tissues or organs.
dysplastic nevi	Unusual, benign moles that may resemble melanoma.
dyspnea	Difficult or labored breathing. Can indicate heart failure or a respiratory abnormality.
dyssomnia	A disorder in which normal sleep patterns are disrupted.
dystocia	Difficult childbirth.
dystonia	A disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures.
dystrophy	Any abnormal condition caused by defective nutrition
dysuria	Painful or difficult urination.