Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Glossary of Terms
The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) article.
Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For... See the entire definition of AcquiredAcute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th... See the entire definition of AcuteAcute respiratory distress syndrome: Respiratory failure of sudden onset due to fluid in t... See the entire definition of Acute respiratory distress syndromeAllergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ... See the entire definition of AllergyAlveolar: Pertaining to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The exchange of oxyge... See the entire definition of AlveolarAlveoli: The plural of alveolus. The alveoli are tiny air sacs within the lungs where the ... See the entire definition of AlveoliAnthrax: A serious bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis that occurs primarily ... See the entire definition of AnthraxAntibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu... See the entire definition of AntibodyAntigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b... See the entire definition of AntigenAntiviral: An agent that kills a virus or that suppresses its ability to replicate and, he... See the entire definition of AntiviralARDS: Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Avascular necrosis: A condition in which poor blood supply to an area of bone leads to bon... See the entire definition of Avascular necrosisBacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection. Bird flu: See: Avian influenza. Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ... See the entire definition of Breathing
CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a... See the entire definition of CDCCell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c... See the entire definition of CellCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest... See the entire definition of Centers for Disease Control and PreventionChest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t... See the entire definition of ChestChronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ... See the entire definition of ChronicCoronavirus: One of a group of RNA viruses, so named because they look like a corona or ha... See the entire definition of CoronavirusCough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa... See the entire definition of CoughCritical care: The specialized care of patients whose conditions are life-threatening and ... See the entire definition of Critical careCytokine: A small protein released by cells that has a specific effect on the interactions... See the entire definition of CytokineDiabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell... See the entire definition of DiabetesDiagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ... See the entire definition of DiagnosisDiarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ... See the entire definition of DiarrheaEar: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex... See the entire definition of EarEpidemic: The occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community... See the entire definition of EpidemicEpidemiologist: A person engaged in epidemiology. Epidemiologists can be people with MD, P... See the entire definition of Epidemiologist
Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ... See the entire definition of FatigueFever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr... See the entire definition of FeverFlu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w... See the entire definition of FluGastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte... See the entire definition of GastrointestinalGastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract. Gram stain: The Danish bacteriologist J.M.C. Gram (1853-1938) devised a method of staining... See the entire definition of Gram stainHeadache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he... See the entire definition of HeadacheHepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ... See the entire definition of HepatitisHepatitis B: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), once thought t... See the entire definition of Hepatitis BIndicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ... See the entire definition of IndicateInfection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an... See the entire definition of InfectionInfluenza: The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract which are divide... See the entire definition of InfluenzaIntensive care: See critical care. Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that interferes with the ability of viruses t... See the entire definition of InterferonInternal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ... See the entire definition of Internal medicine
Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a... See the entire definition of LaboratoryLegionella: The bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease. Leukocytosis: A condition in which the number of white blood cells is higher than normal. Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon... See the entire definition of LungsMalaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed... See the entire definition of MalaiseMechanical ventilation: Use of a machine called a ventilator or respirator to improve the ... See the entire definition of Mechanical ventilationMicroscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects.... See the entire definition of MicroscopeMortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m... See the entire definition of MortalityMortality rate: A death rate. There are a number of different types of mortality rates as,... See the entire definition of Mortality rateMouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con... See the entire definition of MouthMucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b... See the entire definition of MucousMuscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T... See the entire definition of MuscleNecrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische... See the entire definition of NecrosisNitric oxide: A compound that is toxic but which, paradoxically, plays a number of importa... See the entire definition of Nitric oxideNose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c... See the entire definition of Nose
Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen... See the entire definition of OxygenPain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa... See the entire definition of PainPathologic: 1. Indicative of or caused by disease, as in a pathologic fracture, pat... See the entire definition of PathologicPathology: The study of disease. Pathology has been defined as "that branch of medicine... See the entire definition of PathologyPharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup... See the entire definition of PharmacyPneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum... See the entire definition of PneumoniaProbe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e... See the entire definition of ProbePrognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan... See the entire definition of PrognosisPulmonary: Having to do with the lungs. Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is... See the entire definition of PulseRespiratory: Having to do with respiration. Respiratory failure: Inability of the lungs to perform their basic task of gas exchange, t... See the entire definition of Respiratory failureRespiratory syncytial virus: A virus that causes mild respiratory infections, colds, and c... See the entire definition of Respiratory syncytial virusRisk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam... See the entire definition of Risk factorRSV: Although several standard medical dictionaries indicate only that RSV stands for Rous... See the entire definition of RSV
Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera... See the entire definition of Rule outRunny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ... See the entire definition of Runny noseSARS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome. A severe form of pneumonia which appeared in outb... See the entire definition of SARSSevere acute respiratory syndrome: A severe form of pneumonia. Abbreviated SARS. A term ap... See the entire definition of Severe acute respiratory syndromeShortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ... See the entire definition of Shortness of breathSneeze: 1. As a verb, to suddenly expel air through the nose and mouth by an involu... See the entire definition of SneezeSore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (... See the entire definition of SoreSore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu... See the entire definition of Sore throatSputum: Mucous material from the lungs that is produced (brought up) by coughing. Supportive care: Treatment given to prevent, control, or relieve complications and side ef... See the entire definition of Supportive careSymptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin... See the entire definition of SymptomSyndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process. Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th... See the entire definition of ThroatTiredness: See: Tired. Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur... See the entire definition of Urinary
Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm... See the entire definition of UrineVentilation: The exchange of air between the lungs and the atmosphere so that oxygen can ... See the entire definition of VentilationViral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa... See the entire definition of ViralVirus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar... See the entire definition of VirusViruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I... See the entire definition of VirusesWest Nile virus: The mosquito-borne virus that causes West Nile fever. One of the flavivi... See the entire definition of West Nile virusWorld Health Organization: The subagency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with... See the entire definition of World Health OrganizationX-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used... See the entire definition of X-ray
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