Category: Ci-Co

In research, control subjects or control procedures permit comparison with experimental results. The first controlled clinical research was probably done in 1875 by the British naval surgeon James Lind who, on board the HMS Salisbury, gave sailors with scurvy either oranges or lemons or cider or vinegar or nutmeg (or another treatment) and after just six days discovered that…

Short for “contrast media.” Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contrast, for example, between blood vessels and other tissue.

Of or pertaining to the other side. The opposite of ipsilateral (the same side). For example, a?stroke?involving the right side of the brain may cause contralateral paralysis of the left leg.

A condition which makes a particular treatment or procedure potentially inadvisable. A contraindication may be absolute or relative. Contraindications often highlight the balance of risk versus benefit of a particular treatment or procedure.

The tightening and shortening of a muscle.

Commonly called “the pill,” combined oral contraceptives are the most commonly used form of reversible?birth control?in the United States. This form of birth control suppresses ovulation (the monthly release of an egg from the ovaries) by the combined actions of the hormones estrogen and progestin. If a woman remembers to take the pill every day as directed, she has an…

A device inserted into the uterus (womb) to prevent conception (pregnancy). The?IUD?can be a coil, loop, triangle, or T in shape made of?plastic?or metal.?An IUD is inserted into the uterus by a health care professional. How IUDs prevent pregnancy is not entirely clear. They seem to prevent sperm and eggs from meeting by either immobilizing the sperm on their way to…

A skin condition caused by contact between skin and some substance. Includes irritant contact dermatitis (a rash brought on purely by repeated irritation from a substance such as water causing “dish pan hands”) and allergic contact dermatitis (involving a specific sensitivity or allergy to a specific substance such as poison ivy).

An old and once common term for wasting away of the body, particularly from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Other old TB terms include the King’s evil or scrofula (TB of the lymph nodes in the neck) and Pott’s disease (TB of the spine). The World Health Organization (WHO) in “L’histoire de la tuberculose” notes that: “In 460 BC Hippocrates identified phtisis (the Greek word meaning “consumption”)…

Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the opposite of diarrhea and is commonly caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulosis, and medications. Paradoxically, constipation can also be caused by overuse of laxatives. Colon cancer can also narrow the colon and thereby cause constipation. A high-fiber diet can frequently relieve constipation. If the diet is not helpful, medical evaluation…