Category: Da-Dg

  • Dextrose

    Glucose, a simple sugar.

  • Dextroposition of the heart

    The heart is displaced to the right (from its usual location in the left chest). There is no anatomic alteration in the heart itself, just in its location. Dextroposition occurs when the contents of the left side of the chest shove the heart to the right or when the contents of the right chest are…

  • Dextromethorphan

    An oral cough suppressant available in the US without a prescription but which is sometimes abused as a recreational drug. Dextromethorphan (DXM) is chemically related to codeine and acts on the brain to suppress cough, but it does not have the pain relieving and addictive properties of codeine. DXM is an ingredient in more than 125 nonprescription cough and…

  • Dextro-

    Prefix from the Latin word dexter, meaning ‘on the right side.’ For example, a molecule that shows dextrorotation is turning or twisting to the right. The opposite of levo-.

  • Developmental disorder

    One of several disorders that interrupt normal development in childhood. They may affect a single area of development (specific developmental disorders) or several (pervasive developmental disorders). With early intervention, most specific developmental disorders can be accommodated and overcome. Early intervention is absolutely essential for pervasive developmental disorders, many of which will respond to an aggressive approach that may…

  • Development

    The process of growth and differentiation. The most important stage of human development occurs before birth, as tissues and organs arise from differentiation of cells in the embryo. This process continues until birth, and interruptions in development result in the most serious types of birth defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. The developmental process…

  • Desquamation

    The shedding of the outer layers of the skin. For example, when the rash of measles fades, desquamation occurs.

  • Desmoplastic reaction

    A reaction that is associated with some tumors and is characterized by the pervasive growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor. The formation of scar tissue (adhesion) within the abdomen after abdominal surgery is another type of desmoplastic reaction.

  • Desmoplastic

    This term refers to the growth of fibrous or connective tissue. Some tumors elicit a desmoplastic reaction, the pervasive growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor. Scar tissue (adhesion) within the abdomen after abdominal surgery is another type of desmoplastic reaction. “Desmo-” comes from the Greek “desmos” meaning “a fetter or band” and “-plastic” is also borrowed from…

  • Designer steroid

    A synthetic steroid derived by simple chemical modification from another steroid, usually an anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids, which build muscle mass, can have serious long-term health consequences in men, women, and children.