side effect 1 Problems that occur when treatment goes beyond the desired effect. An example is hemorrhage due to the use of too much anticoagulant (blood thinning medication). 2 Problems that occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effect. For example, the common side effects of cancer treatment include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell…
SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome.
sig Signature.
sight, day See nyctanopia.
sigmoid In human anatomy, the lower colon (the lower portion of the large bowel). Sigmoid is short for sigmoid colon. From the Greek letter sigma, which is shaped like a C. Sigmoid also means curved in two directions like the letter S. For example, a sigmoid curve is an S-shaped curve.
shinbone See tibia.
shinbone fever See trench fever.
shingles An acute infection characterized by often severe pain and a blistering rash that is caused by the varizella (herpes zoster) virus, which also causes chickenpox. Shingles usually emerges in adulthood after exposure to chickenpox or reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which can remain latent in body tissues for years, until the immune system is…
shock In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow through the body. The circulatory system fails to maintain adequate blood flow, sharply curtailing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to vital organs. It also compromises the kidneys and so restricts the removal of wastes from the body….
shock, cardiogenic Shock due to low blood output by the heart, most often seen in conjunction with heart failure or heart attack (myocardial infarction). In cardiogenic shock, the heart fails to pump blood effectively. For example, a heart attack (myocardial infarction) can cause an abnormal, ineffectual heartbeat (arrhythmia) with very slow, rapid, or irregular contractions…
shock, hemorrhagic Shock due to serious loss of blood. Symptoms include dizziness and loss of consciousness. Treatment includes intravenous fluids and blood transfusion. See also shock, hypovolemic.
shock, hypovolemic Shock due to a decrease in blood volume from bleeding, loss of blood plasma through severe burns, or dehydration. Symptoms include dizziness and loss of consciousness. This is the most frequent cause of shock. The primary treatment for hypovolemic shock is prompt intravenous administration of fluid and blood transfusion if necessary.