Health, diseases terms glossary - Starting with D

Debridement: Debridement- surgical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue, or some foreign material from a wound or burn
Deep: Deep-vein thrombosis- the formation of a blood clot inside of a deep-lying vein, usually in the legs
Defecation: Defecation- the passing of feces out of the body through the anus; a bowel movement
Defibrillation: Defibrillation- a short electric shock to the chest to normalize an irregular heartbeat
Degenerative arthritis: Degenerative arthritis- the breakdown of the cartilage lining the bones in joints, usually weight-bearing joints (such as the knee); causes stiffness and pain (also called osteoarthritis)
Dehydration: Dehydration- excessive, dangerous loss of water from the body
Delta cell: Delta cell- A type of cell in the pancreas in areas called the islets of Langerhans. Delta cells make somatostatin, a hormone that is believed to control how the beta cell make and release insulin and how the alpha cells make and release glucagon.
Dementia: Dementia- a gradual decline in mental ability usually caused by a brain disease, such as Alzheimer disease
Depilatory: Depilatory- a chemical hair remover
Depot injection: Depot injection- injection of a drug into a muscle; the drug is designed to absorb slowly into the body
Depression: Depression- feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and a general disinterest in life, which for the most part have no cause and may be the result of a psychiatric illness
Dermis: Dermis- the inner skin layer
Desensitization: Desensitization- the process of making a person less allergic to a substance by injecting gradually increasing amounts of the substance; sometimes done to prevent anaphylactic shock
Dextrocardia: Dextrocardia- a rare genetic condition in which the heart is located on the right side of the body, instead of the left
Dextrose: Dextrose- A simple sugar found in the blood. It is the body’s main source of energy. Also called glucose. See also: Blood glucose.
Dextrose: Dextrose- another name for the sugar glucose
Diabetes insipidus: Diabetes insipidus- a rare condition characterized by increased urine production
Diabetes mellitus: Diabetes mellitus- Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder with a strong hereditary basis associated with high blood sugar and usually with passage of sugar in the urine.
Diabetic acidosis: Diabetic acidosis- In diabetic acidosis, potassium is lost from the cells due to dehydration, acidosis and tissue breakdown. This is excreted by the kidneys.
Diabetic Coma: Diabetic Coma- A severe emergency in which a person is not conscious because the blood glucose (sugar) is too low or too high. If the glucose level is too low, the person has hypoglycemia; if the level is too high, the person has hyperglycemia and may develop ketoacidosis. See also: Hyperglycemia; hypoglycemia; diabetic ketoacidosis.

Glossary