Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy. (From the New Latin, philosophize doctor). Ph.D.’s are involved in clinical care (as in clinical psychology), biomedical research, health administration and other areas in medicine.
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pH
A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a fluid. The pH of any fluid is the measure of its hydrogen ion (H+) concentration relative to that of a given standard solution. The pH may range from 0 to 14, where 0 is most acid, 14 most basic, and 7 is neutral. Mathematically, the pH…
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Petit mal
A form of epilepsy with very brief, unannounced lapses in consciousness. A petit mal seizure involves a brief loss of awareness, which can be accompanied by blinking or mouth twitching. Petit mal seizures have a very characteristic appearance on an electroencephalogram (EEG). Petit mal (little illness in French) seizures are also known as absence seizures. Petit mal seizures take the form…
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Petechiae
Pinpoint flat round red spots under the skin surface caused by intradermal hemorrhage (bleeding into the skin). Petechiae are red because they contain red blood that has leaked from the capillaries into the skin. Petechiae are quite tiny (less than 3 millimeters in diameter) and do not blanch when pressed upon. There are many conditions in which petechiae may be seen. These…
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Pestilence
The pestilence referred to the bubonic plague and it now refers to any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating. The plague was a highly contagious, infectious, virulent, and devastating disease due to bacteria called Yersinia pestis which mainly infects rats and other rodents that serve as the prime reservoir for the bacteria. Fleas function as the prime vectors carrying…
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Pes
Latin word meaning foot.
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Pertussis
Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” is a highly contagious, acute respiratory illness characterized by fits of coughing and caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Whooping cough, a communicable, potentially deadly illness characterized by fits of coughing followed by a noisy, “whooping” indrawn breath. It is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. The illness is most…
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Personality disorder
A disorder characterized by the chronic use of mechanisms of coping in an inappropriate, stereotyped, and maladaptive manner. Personality disorders are enduring and persistent styles of behavior and thought, not atypical episodes. The personality disorders encompass a group of behavioral disorders that are different and distinct from the psychotic and neurotic disorders. The official psychiatric manual, the DSM-IV…
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Pernicious anemia
Low red blood cell count caused by inadequate vitamin B12. Abbreviated PA. Patients with PA do not produce intrinsic factor (IF), a substance that allows the body to absorb vitamin B12 from foods. The resulting inadequacy of vitamin B12 hampers the production of red blood cells. PA can be treated by injection of vitamin B12: oral administration will not work because…
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Peritoneum
The membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal organs.
Got any book recommendations?