Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Encapsulated
Confined to a specific area. For example, an encapsulated tumor remains in a compact form.
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Enanthem
Or enanthema, is a rash inside the body. An example: the spots in measles (Koplik’s spots) inside the mouth that look like a tiny grains of white sand surrounded by a red ring. By contrast, a rash on the outside of the body is called an exanthem. A patient with measles may have both an exanthem and an enanthem or…
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Empyema
Empyema is a condition in which pus and fluid from infected tissue collects in a body cavity. The name comes from the Greek word empyein meaning pus-producing (suppurate). Empyema is most often used to refer to collections of pus in the space around the lungs (pleural cavity), but sometimes refers to similar collections in the gall bladder or the pelvic cavity. Empyema may have a…
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Empirical
Based on experience and observation rather than on systematic logic. Experienced physicians often use empirical reasoning to make diagnoses, based on having seen many cases over the years. Less-experienced physicians are more likely to use diagnostic guides and manuals. In practice, both approaches (if properly applied) can lead to the same diagnosis.
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Empiric risk
The chance that a disease will occur in a family, based on experience with the diagnosis, past history, and medical records rather than theory.
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Emphysema
Emphysema: is a lung condition featuring an abnormal accumulation of air due to enlargement and destruction of the lung’s many tiny air sacs resulting in the formation of scar tissue. The destruction of the air sacs and formation of scar tissue is permanent and the disease is incurable, however medication may be helpful to ease symptoms. Emphysema is…
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emia
Suffix meaning blood or referring to the presence of a substance in the blood. As for example, anemia (lack of blood) and hypervolemia (too high a volume of blood). The ending -emia is one of the building blocks derived from Greek (in this case) or Latin used to construct medical terms. From the Greek haima blood + -ia.
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Emesis
Vomiting.
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Emergency department
The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care. Emergency department personnel may also respond to certain situations within the hospital such cardiac arrests. The emergency department is also called the emergency room or ER.
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Emergency code
While there is no formal definition for a “Code,” doctors often use the term as slang to refer to a patient in cardiopulmonary arrest , requiring a team of providers (sometimes called a “code team”) to rush to the specific location and begin immediate resuscitative efforts. The term “Code” derives from the practice at many institutions of…
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