|
pacemaker |
battery-powered implantable device that electrically stimulates the
heart to contract and pump blood throughout the body in cases where the
heart's electrical system is dysfunctional |
|
palliation |
relieving
symptoms and maintaining comfort through either the use of surgery,
radiation, or chemotherapy |
|
palliative |
something
that helps manage symptoms of, but does not cure, a disease |
|
papule |
small (less
than 1 centimeter), circumscribed, elevated skin lesion that is pointed,
flat topped, dome shaped, smooth, or eroded |
|
paraneoplastic |
disorders
that occur due to the remote effects of cancer, such as through the
mechanism of hormonal or antibody production |
|
parasite |
organism that
lives in or on another organism (host) strictly for its own survival |
|
paresthesias |
unusual
sensory symptoms of tingling, numbness, or other abnormal feelings of
sensation |
|
Parkinson's disease |
condition in
which cells that produce dopamine degenerate, causing tremor, muscle
stiffness, and loss of motor function |
|
pathology |
field
concerned with examination of tissues removed for the purposes of
diagnosing disease and guiding patient care |
|
PCP (primary care physician) |
large subset
of physicians who do not provide specialized care, including internists,
pediatricians, and general practitioners |
|
peak expiratory flow |
measurement
of the ability to blow air out of the lungs that is used to diagnose
asthma |
|
pelvic muscle exercises |
pelvic muscle
exercises intended to improve pelvic muscle tone and prevent leakage
associated with stress urinary incontinence; Kegel exercises |
|
percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCN) |
manual
extraction of kidney stones "through the skin" |
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pericardial effusion |
accumulation
of fluid between the pericardium and the heart |
|
pericardiocentesis |
surgical
puncuture of the pericardial space in order to drain fluid |
|
pericarditis |
inflammation
of the tissues of the pericardium |
|
pericardium |
thin
membranous covering of the outer surfaces of the heart |
|
perineal prostatectomy |
procedure to
remove the prostate that uses a perineal incison, which allows easier
visualization of the bladder/urethral anastomosis, quicker recovery,
tissue spare, and blood conservation |
|
peripheral nerves |
nerves
outside the brain and spinal cord |
|
peripheral nervous system |
peripheral
nerves and muscular structures |
|
periurethral bulking injections |
procedure in
which injected implants are used to "bulk up" the area around the neck
of the bladder, allowing it to resist increases in abdominal pressure,
which can push down on the bladder and cause leakage |
|
pes cavus |
highly arched
feet |
|
pes planus |
flat feet |
|
petechiae (pe tek' ee) |
small,
pinpoint red or brown spots that represent escape of blood from the
vessels into the surrounding skin |
|
phalanx (pl., phalanges) |
small bones
of the foot that make up the toes; the first toe having two, the
proximal phalanx (hallux) and the distal phalanx; the other four toes
having three phalanges each: proximal, middle, and distal |
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phleboliths |
small stones,
or calcium deposits, that form within veins, causing congestion |
|
photophobia |
visual
aversion to light, as experienced with migraine headache |
|
plain film |
basic x-ray
with no contrast agents |
|
plantar fascia |
band of
connective tissue that anchors the calcaneus to the front of the foot in
order to support the arch |
|
plantar fasciitis |
inflammation
of the plantar fascia, often occurring with, or caused by, a heel spur |
|
plantar warts |
warts that
occur on the sole or plantar surface of the foot |
|
plantarflex |
downward
motion of a body part |
|
plaque |
broad,
elevated patch of skin, frequently formed by papules joining together;
lesion that occurs in the "white matter" of the brain due to
demyelination; in atherosclerosis, a mixture composed of cholesterol,
other fatty substances, fibrous tissue, and calcium that collects in the
lining of an arterial wall |
|
platelets |
coagulating
blood cells |
|
polyps |
small
fingerlike outgrowths of tissue from the linings of various tubular
organs that are usually benign |
|
polysomnography |
sleep study,
in which numerous physiological monitors are attached to the patient to
record nighttime breathing, brain activity, and physical activity |
|
porcine valve |
valve made of
tissue from a pig that is used to replace a diseased heart valve |
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positive airway pressure |
technique for
treating obstructive sleep apnea in which forced air, fed through a
mask, is pumped into the nose and mouth, and which keeps the airway open
during sleep |
|
post-void residual (PVR) volume |
diagnostic
test that measures how much urine remains in the bladder after urination |
|
posterior chamber |
space between
the iris and the lens |
|
prophylactic |
medications
or treatments that are preventative in the treatment of disease |
|
prostaglandin |
various
oxygenated unsaturated cyclic fatty acids of animals that have a variety
of hormonelike actions, e.g., to control blood pressure or smooth muscle
contraction |
|
prostate |
muscular,
walnut-sized gland that surrounds part of the urethra and secretes
seminal fluid, a milky substance that combines with sperm (produced in
the testicles) to form semen |
|
prostatectomy |
surgical
removal of the prostate; See also suprapubic prostatectomy, retropubic
prostatectomy, radical retropubic prostatectomy, perineal prostatectomy. |
|
prostatic stent |
wire device
that expands after placement, pushing prostate tissue away from
passageway and allowing for easier urination |
|
prostatitis |
inflammation
of the prostate |
|
prostatron (TUMT, or transurethral microwave
thermotherapy) |
microwaves
used to open passageways, allowing for easier urination |
|
ptosis |
drooping of
the eyelids due to weakness of the muscles that normally keep the lids
open |
|
pubovaginal sling |
surgical
procedure in which tissue or synthetic material is placed under the
bladder neck to support and immobilize it, improving sphincter function
and continence by decreasing bladder neck movement |
|
pulmonary embolus |
blockage in
the lung, namely a blood clot |
|
pupil |
opening in
the center of the iris through which light enters the eye |
|
pustule |
raised lesion
on the skin that contains pus |
|
pyelonephritis |
inflammation
of the kidney, usually due to a bacterial infection |
|
pyuria |
presence of
pus in the urine, usually an indication of kidney or urinary tract
infection |
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