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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with Q
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q arm of a chromosome
q arm of a chromosome: The long arm of a chromosome. All human chromosomes have 2 arms - the p (short) arm and the q (long) arm - that are separated from each other only by a primary constriction, the centromere, the point at which the chromosomemore detail info...
Q bands
Q bands: The alternating bright and dull fluorescent bands seen on chromosomes under ultraviolet light after the chromosomes are stained with quinacrine. The Q stands for Quinacrine, an agent used as an antimalarial agent and, in the laboratory, as a fmore detail info...
q in population genetics
q in population genetics: The frequency of the less common of two different alternative (allelic) versions of a gene. (The frequency of the more common allele is p).more detail info...
q.d.
q.d.: Seen on a prescription, q.d. (or qd) means one a day (from the Latin quaque die). The abbreviation is sometimes written without a period in capital letters as "QD". However it is written, it is one of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Lamore detail info...
q.h.
q.h.: Abbreviation for &every hour.& On a prescription or doctor's hospital orders, q.h. means every hour. Also written qh (without the periods). From the Latin quaque meaning once + h for hour. However it is written, it is one of a numbmore detail info...
q.i.d.
q.i.d.: Seen on a prescription, q.i.d. (or qid) means 4 times a day (from the Latin quater in die). The abbreviation q.i.d. is also sometimes written without a period in capital letters as ôQIDö. However it is written, it is one of a number of hallmore detail info...
q.n.s.
q.n.s.: On a lab report, q.n.s. (or qns or QNS) means Quantity Not Sufficient. Not enough blood, urine or whatever to do the test.more detail info...
q_h
q_h: If a medicine is to be taken every so- many hours, it is written "q_h"; the "q" standing for the Latin word for once "quaque" and the "h" indicating the number of hours. So, for example, "2 caps q4h" means "Take 2 capsules every 4 hours." Homore detail info...
QALY
QALY: Quality adjusted life year, a year of life adjusted for its quality or its value. A year in perfect health is considered equal to 1.0 QALY. The value of a year in ill health would be discounted. For example, a year bedridden might have a valmore detail info...
Q-fever
Q-fever: An acute (abrupt-onset), self-limited febrile illness first reported in 1935 in Queensland, Australia. The Q is said not to be for Queensland, but for Query since the cause of the disease was long a query (question mark). It is now known to bemore detail info...
QRS complex
QRS complex: The deflections in an electrocardiographic (ECG or EKG) tracing that represent the ventricular activity of the heart.more detail info...
QT syndrome, long (LQTS)
QT syndrome, long (LQTS): A genetic (inherited) condition that predisposes individuals to irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), fainting spells and sudden death. The irregular heartbeats are typically brought on by stress or vigorous activity. LQTS imore detail info...
Quackery
Quackery: Deliberate misrepresentation of the ability of a substance or device for the prevention or treatment of disease. We may think that the day of patent medicines is gone but look around you and you will see them still. They appeal to our desiremore detail info...
Quadrant
Quadrant: A quarter. For example, the liver is in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.more detail info...
Quadriceps
Quadriceps: Any four-headed muscle but usually refers to the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, the large muscle that comes down the femur (the bone of the upper leg), over the patella (the kneecap) and anchors into the top of the tibia (the big bone in tmore detail info...
Quadriparesis
Quadriparesis: Weakness of all four limbs, both arms and both legs, as for example from muscular dystrophy.more detail info...
Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia: Paralysis of all four limbs, both arms and both legs, as from a high spinal cord accident or stroke.more detail info...
Qualitative
Qualitative: Having to do with quality. In contrast to quantitative (which pertains to quantity, the amount).more detail info...
Quality adjusted life year (QALY)
Quality adjusted life year (QALY): A year of life adjusted for its quality or its value. A year in perfect health is considered equal to 1.0 QALY. The value of a year in ill health would be discounted. For example, a year bedridden might have a vmore detail info...
Quantitative
Quantitative: Having to do with quantity or with the amount.more detail info...
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