Medical Definitions - D
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Denys-Drash syndrome - a syndrome characterized by the following conditions: gonadal dysgenesis, nephropathy and Wilms tumor.
Desaturation - also known as desat; the blood oxygen levels have dropped below a normal amount.
Dialysis - the process of cleansing the blood by passing it through a special machine; necessary when the kidneys are not able to filter the blood.
Diaphragm - the muscle that separates the chest (thoracic) cavity from the abdomen. The diaphragm is the main muscle of respiration.
Diaphragm eventration - a congenital abnormality characterized by the elevation of the diaphragm dome. It is the result of a thinned diaphragmatic muscle and injured phrenic nerve, allowing the intra-abdominal viscera to push the diaphragm upward against the lung.
Diffuse Parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) - also known as interstitial lung disease (ILD); a group of lung diseases affecting the interstitium of the lung: alveolar epithelium, pulmonary capillary endothelium, basement membrane, perivascular and perilymphatic tissues. The term ILD is used to distinguish these diseases from obstructive airways diseases.
Diuretic - anything that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney.
DNR - do not resuscitate; orders given by the patient or the patients family that no life saving measures be taken.
Dobutamine - this medication is used to treat heart conditions; the medication provides additional pumping strength by stimulating the heart muscle.
Dopamine - a drug used to help regulate blood pressure.
Down Syndrome - also known as Trisomy 21 or mongolism; the most common cause of mental retardation and malformation in a newborn. It occurs because of the presence of an extra chromosome.
Ductus arteriosus - the arterial shunt of blood bypassing the lungs while in utero; closes after birth in most cases.
Dura mater - also known as dura or pachymeninx; the outermost, toughest of the three meninges (membranes) of the brain and spinal cord. The tough fibrous membrane covering the brain and the spinal cord and lining the inner surface of the skull.
Dysmorphism - an anatomical malformation.