Heimlich maneuver An emergency treatment for obstruction of the airway in adults. The Heimlich maneuver may be needed when someone chokes on a piece of food that has “gone down the wrong way.” To perform the Heimlich maneuver, a rescuer stands behind the victim, wraps his or her arms around the victim’s waist, makes a…
heel spur See calcaneal spur.
heel bone See bone, heel.
Hecht’s pneumonia See pneumonia, giant cell.
Hecht syndrome An inherited disorder that is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait, in which short, tight muscles make it impossible to open the mouth fully or keep the fingers straight when the hand is flexed back. The small mouth creates feeding problems. The hands may be so tightly fisted that infants with Hecht syndrome…
Heberden’s node A small fixed bony enlargement of the joint at the end of the finger. A Heberden’s node is a calcified spur of the bone of that joint (distal interphalangeal joint) and is associated with osteoarthritis.
Heberden’s disease 1 Angina. 2 Osteoarthritis of the small joints with bony enlargement (Heberden’s nodes) of the joint at the end of the finger. See also angina pectoris.
heatstroke See hyperthermia.
heat rash A red or pink rash usually found on body areas covered by clothing. It can develop when sweat ducts become blocked and swell. Symptoms may include discomfort and itching. Heat rash is most common in babies, but may affect adults in hot, humid climates. Most cases of heat rash heal by themselves, and…
heat prostration See hyperthermia.
heart-lung machine A machine that does the work both of the heart and of the lungs: pumping and oxygenating blood. Blood returning to the heart is diverted through a heart-lung machine before being returned to arterial circulation. Such machines may be used during open-heart surgery. Also known as pump-oxygenator or cardiopulmonary bypass machine.
heartburn An uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth that occurs in waves, rising up behind the breastbone (sternum) and moving toward the neck. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It is usually due to gastroesophageal reflux, the return of stomach acid into the esophagus. See also gastroesophageal reflux disease.