Meningitis in Adults Glossary of Terms

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Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would b...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Bone marrow: The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains f...

Bone marrow transplant: A procedure in which bone marrow that is diseased or damaged is re...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Brain swelling: See: Cerebral edema.

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bruise: Injury of the soft tissues that results in breakage of the local capillaries and l...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest...

Cerebrospinal fluid: A watery fluid that is continuously produced and absorbed and that fl...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Deafness: Partial or complete hearing loss. Levels of hearing impairment vary from a mild ...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Epidural: Outside the dura, the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membran...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Glucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

HIB: Haemophilus influenzae type B.

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the v...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natur...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Influenza: The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract which are divide...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Intubation: The process of putting a tube into a hollow organ or passageway, often into th...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Leukemia: Cancer of the blood cells. Strictly speaking, leukemia should refer only to canc...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Lumbar puncture: A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Meninges: The three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord (singular: meninx).

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes that envelop the brain and t...

Meningococcal meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges due to infection with the bacterium...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Neisseria: A group of bacteria that includes the bacterium that causes gonorrhea.

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Photophobia: Painful oversensitivity to light. For example, photophobia is often seen in m...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Red blood cells: The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Resuscitation: The procedure of restoring to life, as in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CP...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sickle cell anemia: A genetic blood disease due to the presence of an abnormal form of hem...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal tap: Also known as a lumbar puncture or "LP", a spinal tap is a procedure whereby ...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Streptococcus: A group of bacteria that causes a multitude of diseases. Under a microscope...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Upper respiratory infection: An infection of the upper part of the respiratory system whic...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Vomit: Matter from the stomach that has come up into and may be ejected beyond the mouth, ...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...