Dictionary

Treponema pallidum The cause of syphilis, a worm-like, spiral-shaped bacterium called a spirochete that wiggles vigorously when viewed under a microscope.

trench mouth See acute membranous gingivitis.

trench foot A painful condition caused by exposure of the foot for several days. Trench foot was common during trench warfare in World War I and World War II, when soldiers stood for days and weeks in wet, muddy ditches without being able to change their footwear; today it is seen most frequently in urban…

trench fever A disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than 1 million people. Trench fever is still seen endemically in Mexico, Africa, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. Urban trench fever occurs among homeless people and street alcoholics, and…

tremor An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and can be inherited, related to illnesses (such as thyroid disease), or caused by fever, hypothermia, drugs, or fear.

treadmill, exercise See exercise treadmill.

treadmill A machine with a moving strip on which one walks without moving forward. A treadmill was originally a wide wheel turned by the weight of people climbing on steps around its edge, used in the past to provide power for machines or as a punishment in prisons. The treadmill today serves as a device…

travelers’ diarrhea Diarrhea that results from infections acquired while traveling to another country. Among the causes of travelers’ diarrhea are enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and a variety of viruses.

traumatology The branch of surgery that deals with injured patients, usually on an emergency basis. Patients who have suffered significant physical trauma, as from a car accident, may be cared for in a traumatology unit.

traumatic alopecia See alopecia, traumatic.

trauma center A specialized hospital facility that is designed to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with injuries.

trauma A physical or emotional injury.