About Us | Privacy | Site Map
February 10, 2012


Animal Bites Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Animal Bites article.

Acetaminophen: A pain reliever and fever reducer. Brand name: Tylenol. The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold (that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person). Acetaminophen reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center (the "thermostat") of the brain. Generic is available.

Amoxicillin: An antibiotic of the penicillin type that is effective against different bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Escherichia coli, Pneumococci, Streptococci, and certain strains of Staphylococci, particularly infections of the middle ear, tonsillitis, throat infections, laryngitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Amoxicillin is also used in treating urinary tract infections, skin infections, and gonorrhea. The brand names are Amoxil, Polymox, and Trimox. A generic version is available.

Chronic: This important term in medicine comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time.
See the entire definition of Chronic

Debride: To remove dead, contaminated or adherent tissue or foreign material. The purpose of wound debridement is to remove all materials that may promote infection and impede healing. This may be done by enzymatic debridement (as with proteolytic enzymes), mechanical nonselective debridement (as in a whirlpool), or sharp debridement (by surgery). Debride comes from the French debrider, to remove the bridle (as from a horse).

Debridement: The act of debriding (removing dead, contaminated or adherent tissue or foreign material). Debridement encompasses enzymatic debridement (as with proteolytic enzymes), mechanical nonselective debridement (as in a whirlpool), and sharp debridement (by surgery). See: Debride.

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus share the name "diabetes" because they are both conditions characterized by excessive urination (polyuria).
See the entire definition of Diabetes

Dog bite: A bite wound inflicted by a dog. Approximately 880,000 dog bite victims seek emergency medical care at hospitals in the U.S. every year. The pressure exerted by the dog's jaws during the bite can cause significant damage to the tissues under the skin, including bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. The main medical issues to be addressed with dog bites are the skin damage; any injury to underlying tissues such as muscle, nerve, and bone; and the significant potential for infection of the wound.

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.
See the entire definition of Emergency department

Erythromycin: Erythromycin is a common antibiotic for treating bacterial infection. Sold under many brand names, including EES, Erycin and Erythromia.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.).
See the entire definition of Fever

Ibuprofen: A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used to treat pain, swelling, and fever. Common brand names for Ibuprofen include Advil, Motrin, and Nuprin.

Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person.
See the entire definition of Infection

Injury: Harm or hurt. The term "injury" may be applied in medicine to damage inflicted upon oneself as in a hamstring injury or by an external agent on as in a cold injury. The injury may be accidental or deliberate, as with a needlestick injury. The term "injury" may be synonymous (depending on the context) with a wound or with trauma.

Leg: In popular usage, the leg extends from the top of the thigh down to the foot. However, in medical terminology, the leg refers to the portion of the lower extremity from the knee to the ankle.
See the entire definition of Leg

Macerate: To soften tissues after death by soaking and by enzymatic digestion, as occurs with a stillborn.
See the entire definition of Macerate back to top

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses chemical and electrical signals to transmit sensory and motor information from one body part to another. See: Nervous system.

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia. Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors.
See the entire definition of Pain

Pharmacy: A location where prescription drugs are sold. A pharmacy is, by law, constantly supervised by a licensed pharmacist.

Pus: A thick whitish-yellow fluid which results from the accumulation of white blood cells (WBCs), liquified tissue and cellular debris. Pus is commonly a site of infection or foreign material in the body.

Rabies: A potentially fatal viral infection that attacks the central nervous system.
See the entire definition of Rabies

Saline: Relating to salt. As an adjective, "saline" means "salty, containing salt." As a noun "saline" is a salt solution, often adjusted to the normal salinity of the human body.
See the entire definition of Saline

Syringe: A device used in medicine to inject fluid into or withdraw fluid from the body. Medical syringes consist of a needle attached to a hollow cylinder that is fitted with a sliding plunger. The downward movement of the plunger injects fluid; upward movement withdraws fluid.
See the entire definition of Syringe

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the conjunctiva and cornea.

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids: blood vessels or lymph vessels.

X-ray: 1. High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-rays possess the properties of penetrating most substances (to varying extents), of acting on a photographic film or plate (permitting radiography), and of causing a fluorescent screen to give off light (permitting fluoroscopy). In low doses X-rays are used for making images that help to diagnose disease, and in high doses to treat cancer. Formerly called a Roentgen ray. 2. An image obtained by means of X-rays.

back to top


Women's Health

Find out what women really need.



Animal Bites

Land Animal Bite Overview

A person attacked by a land animal should attempt to identify the type of animal, the time of the injury, and the nature of the attack.

  • Animal bites can occur on any dive or wilderness trip.

  • Unprovoked animal bites are particularly dangerous. The possibility of a cat, dog, or wild animal having rabies is high, especially in less-developed countries.

  • Bites from humans, dogs, and cats often lead to severe infections. Puncture wounds are very dangerous because they inject bacteria deep into the tissues.

  • Bites to the hand, wrist, foot, or joint are very dangerous and require immediate medical attention.

  • Infection is a major concern with bites because a local wound infection may develop in as little as 24 hours.

Land Animal Bite Symptoms

  • Symptoms of ...

Read the Land Animal Bite article »


Medical Dictionary


Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick,
    easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including
    24 hour
    pharmacies