Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Jejunum
Part of the small intestine. It is half-way down the small intestine between its duodenum and ileum sections. The term “jejunum” derives from the Latin “jejunus,” which means “empty of food,” “meager,” or “hungry.” The ancient Greeks noticed at death that this part of the intestine was always empty of food. Hence, the name the jejunum. The Latin…
-
Jejunostomy
A surgical operation to create an opening of the jejunum (a part of the small intestine).This can be done thru an abdominal incision or endoscopically. Usually refers to a procedure to establish enteral feeding but commonly done by a surgeon for one of many other reasons during a surgical procedure.
-
Jaundice
Yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally high blood levels of the bile pigment bilirubin. The yellowing extends to other tissues and body fluids. Jaundice was once called the “morbus regius” (the regal disease) in the belief that only the touch of a king could cure it. When red blood cells are removed from…
-
Jammed finger
Lay terminology that refers to an injury of the finger joints. The most common joint affected is the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP), the joint formed by the first and second finger bones. A jammed finger occurs because of an on-end injury to the tip of a finger. The injury most commonly occurs during athletic activity, particularly with ball-handling sports.…
-
Jacksonian seizure
A form of epilepsy involving brief alteration in movement, sensation or nerve function caused by abnormal electrical activity in a localized area of the brain. Jacksonian seizures is a form of simple complex seizures in which the abnormal electrical activity is localized to one region in the brain. Seizures of this type typically cause no change in…
-
IVF
In vitro fertilization.
-
IVC
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.
-
IV (intravenous)
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…
-
IUD (intrauterine contraceptive device)
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…
-
International unit (IU)
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.
Got any book recommendations?