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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with C
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Carcinoma in situ
Carcinoma in situ: Cancer that involves only the cells in which it began and that has not spread to other tissues.more detail info...
Cardiac
Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.more detail info...
Cardiac aneurysm
Cardiac aneurysm: An outpouching of an abnormally thin portion of the heart wall. Cardiac aneurysms tend to involve the left ventricle because the blood there is under greatest pressure.more detail info...
Cardiac defibrillator, implantable
Cardiac defibrillator, implantable: A device put within the body that is designed to recognize certain types of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and correct them. Defibrillators continuously monitor the heart rhythm in order to detect overly rapid amore detail info...
Cardiac muscle
Cardiac muscle: A type of muscle with unique features and only found in the heart.more detail info...
Cardiac output
Cardiac output: The amount of blood that is pumped by the heart per minute. The amount of blood that is put out by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction is called the stroke volume. The stroke volume and the heart rate determine the cardiacmore detail info...
Cardiac tamponade
Cardiac tamponade: A life-threatening situation in which there is such a large amount of fluid (usually blood) inside the pericardial sac around the heart that it interferes with the performance of the heart. The end result, if untreated, is lowmore detail info...
Cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic (HCM)
Cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic (HCM): A heart defect characterized by increased thickness (hypertrophy) of the wall of the left ventricle, the largest of the four chambers of the heart. HCM can surface any time in life. It may, in a worst-case scenamore detail info...
Cardiopulmonary
Cardiopulmonary: Having to do with both the heart and lungs.more detail info...
Cardiopulmonary bypass
Cardiopulmonary bypass: Bypass of the heart and lungs as, for example, in open heart surgery. Blood returning to the heart is diverted through a heart-lung machine (a pump-oxygenator) before returning it to the arterial circulation. The machine does thmore detail info...
Cardiopulmonary resusitation (CPR)
Cardiopulmonary resusitation (CPR): CPR involves breathing for the victim and applying external chest compression to make the heart pump. In the case of an early heart attack, death can often be avoided if a bystander starts CPR promptly (within 5 minumore detail info...
Cardioversion
Cardioversion: The conversion of one cardiac rhythm or electrical pattern to another, almost always from an abnormal to a normal one. This conversion can be accomplished by pharmacologic means using medications or by electrical cardioversion using a defibmore detail info...
Cardioverter
Cardioverter: Although cardioversion (the conversion of one cardiac rhythm to another) may sometimes be done with medications, a cardioverter is now synonymous with a defibrillator. Implantable defibrillators continuously monitor the heart rhythm in ordemore detail info...
Carditis
Carditis: Inflammation of the heart.more detail info...
Care proxy, health
Care proxy, health: A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives pertain to treatment preferences and the designation of a surrogate decision-maker in the event that a person should become unable to makmore detail info...
Care, ambulatory
Care, ambulatory: Medical care (including diagnosis, observation, treatment and rehabilitation) provided on an outpatient basis. Ambulatory care is given to persons who are not confined to a hospital but who are &ambulatory& and literally ablmore detail info...
Care, managed
Care, managed: Any system that manages healthcare delivery in order to control costs.more detail info...
Care, nail
Care, nail: Many nail problems are due to poor nail care. Good nail habits help keep nails healthy. The following recommendations are designed for good nail care: Keep nails clean and dry to keep bacteria and other infectious organisms from collectingmore detail info...
Caries
Caries: Dental cavities. Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living toomore detail info...
Carotene, beta
Carotene, beta: An antioxidant which protects cells against oxidation damage that can lead to cancer. Beta carotene is converted, as needed, to vitamin A. Food sources of beta carotene include vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and othmore detail info...