Brown Recluse Spider Bite Glossary of Terms

1. Black Widow vs. Brown Recluse Spiders Slideshow Pictures
2. Bad Bugs and Their Bites Slideshow Pictures
3. Bites and Infestations Image Gallery

Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

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

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Acute renal failure: Sudden and often temporary loss of kidney function. Also called acute...

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

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

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

Bee sting: An area of skin affected by piercing from the stinger of a bee. A bee sting can...

Blood clots: Blood that has been converted from a liquid to a solid state. Also called a t...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Capillaries: Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxyge...

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

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

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

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

Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or ...

ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a rapid immunochemical test that involves an enz...

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

Endemic: Present in a community at all times but in relatively low frequency. Something t...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

Erythema: Redness of the skin that results from capillary congestion. Erythema can occur w...

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

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

Graft: Healthy skin, bone, kidney, liver, or other tissue that is taken from one part of t...

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

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

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

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

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

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

Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische...

Necrotic: Dead. For example, necrotic tissue is dead tissue.

Open wound: An injury that is exposed because of broken skin. An open wound is at high ris...

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

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Platelet count: The calculated number of platelets in a volume of blood, usually expressed...

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

Rattlesnake bite: A poisonous bite by a member of the pit viper family. All rattlesnakes...

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

Renal: Having to do with the kidney. For example, renal cancer is cancer of the kidneys.

Skin graft: Skin used to cover an area where the patient's skin has been lost due to a bur...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Spider bites: Bites from spiders. These are usually irritating, but not poisonous. Localiz...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

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

Subcutaneous: Under the skin. For example, a subcutaneous injection is an injection in whi...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Tetanus: An often fatal infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tet...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Urinalysis: A test that is done in order to analyze urine. Because toxins and excess fluid...

Venom: A poison, particularly one secreted by an animal. Examples are bee venom, snake ven...