Dictionary

diverticula The plural of diverticulum.

diurnal Occurring in the daytime. A patient may have a diurnal fever rather than a nocturnal one. Diurnal also refers to something that recurs every day.

diuretic, thiazide A diuretic that works by encouraging excretion of both sodium (salt) and chloride. See also diuretic.

diuretic, potassium-sparing A diuretic that blocks the exchange of sodium (salt) and potassium, encouraging the excretion of sodium and therefore of water, but generally allowing potassium to be retained. See also diuretic.

diuretic, loop A diuretic that works by encouraging the loss of sodium (salt) and water by affecting sodium transport at the loop area of the kidneys. As the sodium is removed, it takes water with it. Loop diuretics are very strong, and they should be used only under constant medical supervision. They can deplete the…

diuretic Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney. All diuretics cause a person to “lose water,” but they do so by diverse means, including inhibiting the kidney’s ability to reabsorb sodium, thus enhancing the loss of sodium and consequently water in the urine (loop diuretic); enhancing the excretion of both sodium and…

diuresis Excretion of urine, typically in large volumes. See also diuretic.

distal hereditary myopathy See muscular dystrophy, distal.

dissociative disorder A psychiatric disorder characterized by the ability to temporarily disconnect from reality. Multiple personality disorder is a type of dissociative disorder in which, while dissociating, the person believes himself or herself to be another person.

dissociation In psychology and psychiatry, a perceived detachment of the mind from the emotional state or even from the body. Dissociation is characterized by a sense of the world as a dreamlike or unreal place and may be accompanied by poor memory of specific events.

dissecting aneurysm See aneurysm, dissecting.

dissect To cut apart or separate tissue, as for anatomical study or in surgery. Also, an artery is said to dissect when its wall is torn, as in a dissecting aneurysm.