Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Stillbirth
Stillbirth: The tragic birth of a dead baby, the delivery of a fetus that has died before birth. There is no possibility of resuscitation. The word "stillbirth" is a fusion of "still" in the now-obsolete sense of "dead" and "birth" = dead birth.
The distinction between a stillbirth and a miscarri...
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Stilling-Turk-Duane syndrome
Stilling-Turk-Duane syndrome: See: Duane syndrome....
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Sting, Africanized bee
Sting, Africanized bee: All stings from bees (and other large stinging insects such as yellow jackets, hornets and wasps) can trigger allergic reactions varying greatly in severity. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essential. This is surely so with Africanized honey bees, a special species of hone...
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Sting, insect
Sting, insect: Stings from large stinging insects such
as yellow jackets, bees, hornets and wasps can trigger allergic reactions varying greatly
in severity. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essential. In selected cases, allergy
injection therapy is highly effective. (The three "A's" of...
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Sting, jellyfish
Jellyfish sting: The injection into the
skin of venom from the stinging unit
(the nematocyst) of the jellyfish.
The jellyfish tentacles can extend for several feet and
are lined with venom-filled cells (nematocysts). One tentacle may fire thousands
of nematocysts into the skin on contact. On co...
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Sting, yellow jacket
Sting, yellow jacket: A sting from a yellow jacket (or other large stinging insects such as bees, hornets and wasps) can trigger allergic reactions ranging from local responses of limited duration to catastrophic general reactions which can be fatal. The susceptibility to severe reactions appears in...
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Stirrup
Stirrup: The stapes, one of the three bones in the middle ear. See: Stapes....
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STL1
STL1: Stickler syndrome, type I. See: Stickler syndrome....
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STL2
STL2: Stickler syndrome, type II. See: Stickler syndrome....
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STL3
STL3: Stickler syndrome, type III. See: Stickler syndrome....
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Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome: An extraordinary phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to their captor. Named for an episode that occurred in Stockholm in August, 1973 when an armed Swedish robber took some bank workers captive, held them for six days and stole their hearts....
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Stokes Adams attack
Stokes Adams attack: Sudden collapse into unconsciousness due to a disorder of heart rhythm in which there is a slow or absent pulse resulting in syncope (fainting) with or without convulsions. In this condition, the normal heartbeat passing from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chamber...
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Stoma
Stoma: An opening into the body from the outside created by a surgeon....
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Stomach
Stomach: 1. The sac-shaped digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upper part of the stomach connects to the esophagus, and the lower part leads into the small intestine.
When food enters the stomach, muscles in the stomach wall create a rippling motion (peristalsi...
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Stomach cancer
Stomach cancer: Cancer of the stomach, the main organ that holds food for digestion. Worldwide, stomach cancer is the second most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of death from cancer. It can develop in any part of the stomach and spread to other organs. It is also known as gastric cance...
