Category: Io-Iz

In vitro fertilization.

1. Intravenous cholangiogram, an X-ray study of the gallbladder. 2. Inferior vena cava, the largest vein coming up below the heart to it. As an IVC filter.

Within a vein. IV is the abbreviation for “intravenous.” The word “intravenous” is quite properly an adjective. In this guise, it entered the English language around 1849. It means, according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, “situated, performed, or occurring within or entering by way of a vein.” Some examples of the use of “intravenous” as…

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…

An international unit (IU) is an internationally accepted amount of a substance. This type of measure is used for the fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D and E) and certain hormones, enzymes, and biologicals (such as vaccines). All international units are officially defined by the International Conference for Unification of Formulae.

Insecticide-treated bednet. “Provision of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) is universally accepted as an efficacious and essential public health service in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa endemic for malaria.” (H Guyatt and S Ochola, Lancet 2003;362:1549) 

Suffix meaning inflammation. For example, colitis is literally colon inflammation or figuratively inflammation of the colon. The ending -itis is one of the building blocks derived from Greek (in this case) or Latin used to construct medical terms.

Itching of the ears. Can be the first sign of an ear infection, but if the problem is chronic, it is more likely caused by a chronic dermatitis of the ear canal. Seborrheic dermatitis and eczema can both affect the ear canal. There is really no cure for this problem, but it can be made tolerable with the use of steroid drops and…

An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on the skin and makes the person want to scratch the affected area. Itching is medically known as pruritis; something that is itchy is pruritic.

In-the-canal (that is, the ear canal).