Dictionary

electrodesiccation Use of an electric current to destroy cancerous tissue and control bleeding.

electrodiathermy See cauterization.

electroencephalogram A technique for studying the electrical currents within the brain. Electrodes are attached to the scalp. Wires attach these electrodes to a machine, which records the electrical impulses. The results are either printed out or displayed on a computer screen. Different patterns of electrical impulses can denote various forms of epilepsy. Abbreviated EEG.

electrogastrogram A test in which the electrical current generated by the muscle of the stomach is sensed and recorded in a manner very similar to that of an electrocardiogram of the heart. Abbreviated EGG. An EGG is performed by taping electrodes to the skin on the upper abdomen over the stomach. Recordings from the muscle…

electrolarynx A battery-operated instrument that makes a humming sound to help people who have lost their larynx talk.

edentulous Being without teeth. Complete loss of all natural teeth can substantially reduce quality of life, self-image, and daily functioning.

Edwards syndrome See trisomy 18 syndrome.

EEG Electroencephalogram.

EFA Essential fatty acid.

effacement Thinning of the cervix, which occurs before and while the cervix dilates.

effect, founder See founder effect.

efferent Carrying away. For example, an artery is an efferent vessel that carries blood away from the heart, and an efferent nerve carries impulses away from the central nervous system. The opposite of efferent is afferent.