| Da Dg |  |
| Debridement | A method of cleaning an open wound that involves the removal of dead tissue and foreign bodies, so that healing may take place. |
| Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) | The formation of a blood clot (solid mass of blood) within a blood vessel – particularly the large deep veins of the lower legs. They can be caused by a prolonged lack of body movement. The clot can block the flow of blood through the vessel and if the clot stays, it can cause tissue damage, due to lack of oxygen. |
| Deep veins | Large veins that are well below the level of the skin (usually used to refer to veins in the lower legs). |
| Defecation | The process whereby the body removes/expels faeces (stools) from the bowel via, the anus. |
| Dehydration | The lack of sufficient water, often specifically referring to a lack of water in the body. It may occur because there is not enough water being taken into the body (drunk) or that too much is leaving the body (e.g., too much urine is being formed, excessive sweating, vomiting, etc). |
| Deltoid | A thick muscle that covers the shoulder and is used to lift the arm up, away from the body. |
| Dendrites | Short, branching outgrowths of a nerve cell (neurone) that receive messages from other nerve cells and pass them the cell body. Each nerve cell has many dendrites. |
| Deoxygenated | Referring to a substance from which oxygen has been removed, e.g., deoxygenated blood. |
| Dependent oedema | Swelling due to fluid build up within the lowest body tissues, which is caused by the effects of gravity. |
| Dermis | The second layer of the skin. It is a layer of living tissue directly beneath the epidermis. |
| Descending colon | A section of the colon (part of the large intestine) that lies down the lefthand side of the abdomen. Material enters from the transverse colon, and is moved downwards towards the final part of the colon, called the sigmoid colon. |
| Dh Dn | |
| Diabetes | A condition in which there is too much sugar (glucose) in the blood. It occurs because of problems with the production or the effectiveness of the hormone, insulin. Type I diabetes involves the body not making enough insulin, while Type II diabetes involves the body not being able to respond to insulin. |
| Diagnosis | The process of deciding what the nature of a disorder is, by looking at its symptoms, any background information from the patient, and the results of any tests that have been done. |
| Diagnostic | Refers to something that is used to indicate a particular disease or medical condition. |
| Dialysis | Medical procedure that filters waste products or poisons from the blood; used when the kidneys are not working correctly. |
| Diaphragm | A thick, dome-shaped sheet of muscle below the lungs that is involved in breathing. The term may also be used to refer to a contraceptive device used by women, which involves placing a small sheet of domed rubber into the reproductive tract to prevent the sperm entering the womb. |
| Diffusing | The natural movement of a substance from an area where there is a high concentration of that substance to where there is a low concentration of the same substance. |
| Digestion | The process by which food that has been taken into the mouth is broken down so that is can be absorbed and used by the body’s cells. Digestion involves physically breaking down the food by chewing and churning in the stomach. Food is also chemically broken down by digestive juices that are produced in the stomach and other parts of the digestive tract. |
| Digestive tract | The muscle-walled tube running from the mouth to the anus. It is divided into sections, such as the oesophagus, stomach and small and large intestines. Food enters at the mouth and moves along the tube, being digested (broken down) and absorbed into the body at various points along its length. Material that is left over, e.g., fibre (roughage), leaves the body, as stools, from the anus. |
| Digital stimulation | Stimulation of the muscles in the walls of the rectum (bowel) by inserting a gloved, lubricated finger (digit) through the anus – aimed at encouraging the passing of stools. |
| Dilate | Become wider. |
| Dislocation | Condition where bones that usually meet at a joint, have completely lost contact with each other at the joint surface and are displaced. Dislocation usually results from trauma, and a dislocated shoulder is a particularly common sports injury. |
| Distended | Over-expanded, swollen. |
| Diuretic | Substance that causes the body to lose water by increasing the amount of urine that is produced. |
| Do Dz | |
| Doppler ultrasound | A method of using high frequency sound waves to detect blood clots. |
| Dorsal root | Structure (pathway) through which sensory nerves enter the ‘back’ of the spinal cord. |
| Drug dependency | Situation that occurs when a person becomes addicted to a particular drug. |
| Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) | A type of X-ray that is used to measure the mass of bone. May be used to provide evidence of osteoporosis (where there is loss of bone mass). |
| Duodenum | The first part of the small intestine (small bowel), which extends from the stomach. It is involved in digesting (breaking down) material in the food. |
| Dysfunction | Describes when something does not work properly. |
| Dyssynergia | Implies a lack of coordination.
When referring to the bladder, dyssynergia means that the bladder contracts at the same time as the valves at its exit (urethral sphincters) contract, blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder.
When referring to the bowel, it implies that the muscles in the bowel that push the faeces (stools) towards the outside contract at the same time as the muscles in the valves around the anus. Contraction of the muscles around the anus stops the faeces from being expelled from the body. Had the muscle been acting in a coordinated way, the valves would have relaxed to allow the faeces to leave the bowel. |
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