Category: Pa-Pb

Childbirth, the process of delivering the baby and placenta from the uterus to the vagina to the outside world. Also called labor and delivery. Parturition comes from the Latin parturire, “to be ready to bear young” and is related to partus, the past participle of parere, “to produce.”

A seizure that affects only one part of the brain. Symptoms depend on which part is affected. One part of the body, or multiple body parts confined to one side of the body, may start to twitch uncontrollably. Partial seizures may involve head turning, eye movements, lip smacking, mouth movements, drooling, rhythmic muscle contractions in a part of the…

Bouts of rapid, regular heart beating that originate in the upper chamber of the heart (atrium). Abbreviated PAT. PAT is caused by abnormalities in the atrioventricular (AV) node that lead to rapid firing of electrical impulses from the atrium that bypass the AV node under certain conditions, including excess alcohol consumption, stress, caffeine use, overactive thyroid or excessive thyroid hormone intake, and use of certain drugs. PAT…

In medicine, a paroxysm is a violent attack. It may be due to the sudden occurrence of symptoms or the acute exacerbation (the abrupt worsening) of preexisting symptoms. You may have “a paroxysm of coughing” as opposed, for example, to “a lingering cough.” The word “paroxysm” comes from the Greek “para-,” during + “oxys,” sharp or acute.…

Inflammation of the folds of tissue surrounding the nail due to infection or inflammation. The infection may be bacterial (most commonly, staph or strep) or fungal pathogens. The term “paronychia” is compounded from “para-“, next to + the Greek “onyx”, nail = next to the nail. Paronychia is synonymous with perionychia.

1. Parkinson disease.2. A syndrome similar to Parkinson disease, for example, as a side effect of an antipsychotic drug.

A slowly progressive neurologic disease that is characterized by a fixed inexpressive face, tremor at rest, slowing of voluntary movements, gait with short accelerating steps, peculiar posture and muscle weakness (caused by degeneration of an area of the brain called the basal ganglia), and low production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Most patients are over 50, but at least 10 percent are under 40. Treatment involves use…

The outer layer of the pericardium which is a conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels. The pericardium has outer and inner coats. The outer coat is tough and thickened, loosely cloaks the heart, and is attached to the central part of the diaphragm and the back of the sternum (breastbone).…

Adjective from the Latin “parietalis” meaning “belonging to the wall” that the ancient anatomists used to designate the wall, as of a body cavity. For examples, there are the:

An abnormal sensation of the body, such as numbness, tingling, or burning.