Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease: Any disease
transmitted by sexual contact; caused by microorganisms that survive
on the skin or mucus membranes of the genital area; or transmitted
via semen, vaginal secretions, or blood during intercourse. Because
the genital areas provide a moist, warm environmen...
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Sexually transmitted disease in men
Sexually transmitted diseases in men: Men can
contract all of the venereal diseases, but may have no
symptoms, or have different symptoms than women do. For
example, most men who have chlamydia have no
symptoms at all, but can easily pass the infection on to their sexual
partners. The only su...
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Sexually transmitted diseases in women
Sexually transmitted diseases in women: Women can
contract all of the venereal diseases, but may have no symptoms, or
have different symptoms than men do. For example, women infected with
gonorrhea may not have any symptoms, but may have a severe pelvic
infection later and can pass the disease ...
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Sexually transmitted infection
Sexually transmitted infection: An infection that can be transferred from one person to another through sexual contact. In this context, sexual contact is more than just sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal) and also includes kissing, oral-genital contact, and the use of sexual "toys," such as vibra...
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SGA
SGA: Small for gestational age.
SGA infants weigh 2500 g or less at birth and are
considered to have intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR),
given their gestational age. By contrast, an infant may
weighs 2500 g or less simply because of prematurity.
...
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SGOT
SGOT: Serum glutamic
oxaloacetic transaminase, an enzyme that is normally
present in liver and heart cells. SGOT is released into
blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood SGOT
levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example,
from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the ...
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SGPT
SGPT: Serum glutamic pyruvic
transaminase, an enzyme that is normally present in liver
and heart cells. SGPT is released into blood when the liver
or heart are damaged. The blood SGPT levels are thus
elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral
hepatitis) or with an insult to the hea...
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Shaken baby syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome: Injuries, particularly to the head, caused by violently shaking an infant. The syndrome is the commonest cause of infant death from head injuries and one of the most serious kinds of child abuse. The syndrome also goes by other names such as shaking impact syndrome.
Shaken ba...
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Shank
Shank: 1. In anatomy, the tibia, the larger bone in the lower leg. The term is rarely used in this sense today.
2. In a culinary sense, the foreleg of a four-legged animal as, for example, a lamb shank. The shank is flavorful but tough (due to connective tissue) and therefore needs long slow cooking...
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Shark attack
Shark attack: Attack of a person by a shark. Not all shark attacks are feeding events. Sharks sometimes grab people by mistake. Other times an attack may protect a shark's space, much as a dog barks at and bites intruders.
To decrease the chance of becoming a victim of a shark attack, observe the fo...
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Sharp
Sharp: Medical slang for a needle or similar
pointed object....
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Shell egg
Shell egg: An egg in a shell. See: Raw egg....
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Shell shock
Shell shock: The World War I name for what is known
today as post-traumatic stress, this is a psychological disorder that develops in some
individuals who have had major traumatic experiences (and, for example, have been in a
serious accident or through a war). The person is typically numb at first ...
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Sherlock, Sheila
Sherlock, Sheila: British physician (1918-2001) who pioneered the study of the liver (hepatology). She made liver biopsy a routine clinical tool and, with its help, developed the current classification of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. She applied vascular catheterization, imaging, and pressure m...
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Shettles method
Shettles method: A set of procedures proposed and popularized for sex selection by the gynecologist Landrum B. Shettles (1909-2003) in his book entitled "Baby's Sex: Now You Can Choose." With his method, Dr. Shettles claimed that couples could increase their odds of having either a boy or a girl by ...
