Medications

Bag of waters: Popular name for the amniotic sac together with the amniotic fluid within it. The amniotic sac is formed by the amnion within the uterus and encloses the fetus. This sac bursts normally during the birthing process, releasing the amniot...

BAEP (brainstem auditory evoked potentials) - Medical

BAEP (brainstem auditory evoked potentials): See: ABR test. Last Editorial Review: 9/28/2003 ABR test: Auditory brainstem response test. A test for hearing and brain (neurological) functioning. ABR may be used in the evaluation of: Hearing inte...

Bad air - Medical

Bad air: Any air considered noxious. Today, air filled with tobacco smoke might be considered "bad air." So might air contaminated by the emissions of power plants. In the past, bad air was termed a miasma, a poisonous vapor or mist believed to be m...

Bacterium - Medical

Bacterium: The singular of bacteria.Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent upon another organism for life). Exam...

Bacteriostatic - Medical

Bacteriostatic: Capable of inhibiting the growth or reproduction of bacteria. Different from bactericidal (capable of killing bacteria outright).Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Reproduction: The production of offspring. Reproduction ...

Bacteriophage - Medical

Bacteriophage: See: Phage.Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Phage: Short for bacteriophage, a virus that lives within a bacteria. A virus for which the natural host is a bacterial cell. Bacteriophages have been very important and h...

Bacteriology - Medical

Bacteriology: The science and study of bacteria and their relation to medicine and to other areas such as agriculture (e.g., farm animals) and industry. Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms which can live as independent organisms or, dependently...

Bacteriocidal - Medical

Bacteriocidal: Capable of killing bacteria. Antibiotics, antiseptics, and disinfectants can be bactericidal. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM...

Bacteriaphobia - Medical

Bacteriaphobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of germs. Sufferers from bacteriaphobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize that most germs are not pathogens (disease-causing germs). To avoid germs, they may repeat cleaning rituals, suc...

Bacterial vaginosis - Medical

Bacterial vaginosis: A vaginal condition characterized by an abnormal vaginal discharge due to an overgrowth of normal bacteria in the vagina. Women with bacterial vaginosis have less of the normal vaginal bacteria called lactobacilli. Symptoms are t...

Bacterial prostatitis, chronic - Medical

Bacterial prostatitis, chronic: Longstanding bacterial infection of the prostate gland superimposed on a defect in the prostate. (The prostate is a small organ below the bladder which surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine down fro...

Bacterial prostatitis, acute - Medical

Bacterial prostatitis, acute: Inflammation of the prostate gland of sudden (acute) onset due to bacterial infection. The symptoms include chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, body aches, burning or painful urination, and the frequ...

Bacterial artificial chromosome - Medical

Bacterial artificial chromosome: A laboratory creation involving an artificially constructed chromosome in which medium-sized segments of DNA (100,000 to 300,000 bases in length) that come from another species are cloned into bacteria. Once the ...

Bacterial - Medical

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria. For example, a bacterial lung infection.Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dep...

Bacteria - Medical

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent upon another organism for life). Examples of bacteria include: Acidophilus, a normal inhabitant of yogurt, Chlamydia...

Bacteremia - Medical

Bacteremia: The presence of live bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteremia is analogous to viremia (the presence of a virus in the blood) and parasitemia (the presence of a parasite in the blood). Bacteremia, viremia and parasitemia are all forms of ...

Background radiation - Medical

Background radiation: Radiation that comes from environmental sources including the earth's crust, the atmosphere, cosmic rays, and radioisotopes. Natural sources of radiation account for the largest amount of radiation exposure received by most peo...

Backbone - Medical

Backbone: The spine. A flexible row of bones stretching from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM...

Back pain, low - Medical

Back pain, low: Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spine, the discs between the vertebrae, the ligaments around the spine and discs, the spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pel...

Back pain - Medical

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the l...

Bacillus anthracis - Medical

Bacillus anthracis: The bacterium that causes anthrax. Anthrax differs from most bacteria in that they exist in an inactive (dormant) state called spores. The spores are found in soil, animal carcasses and feces (including sheep, goats, cattle, bison...

Bacillus - Medical

Bacillus: A large family of bacteria that have a rod-like shape. They include the bacteria that cause food to spoil, and also those responsible for some types of diseases. Helpful members of the bacillus family are used to make antibiotics, o...

Bacillophobia - Medical

Bacillophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of bacilli (bacteria). A phobia is an unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be treated with cognitive b...

Bacille Calmette Guerin - Medical

Bacille Calmette Guérin: An effective immunization against tuberculosis. Commonly abbreviated BCG, it is an attenuated (weakened) version of a bacterium called Mycobacterium bovis which is closely related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the age...

Bacillary angiomatosis - Medical

Bacillary angiomatosis: A bacterial infection due to a cat scratch most often seen today in people with HIV. The disease characteristically presents with swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), sore throat, fatigue, and fever, chills, sweats, vomit...

BAC - Medical

BAC: Abbreviation for bacterial artificial chromosome. An artificially created chromosome in which medium-sized segments of foreign DNA (pieces of DNA 100,000 to 300,000 bases in length from another species) are cloned into bacteria. Once the foreign...

Babysitter's elbow - Medical

Babysitter's elbow: See: Nursemaid's elbow. Last Editorial Review: 11/8/2003 Nursemaid's elbow: Partial dislocation of the elbow. The radius (a bone in the forearm) slips out of the ligament that holds it in place at the elbow. This is common i...

Baby, fetal alcohol syndrome - Medical

Baby, fetal alcohol syndrome: See: Fetal alcohol syndrome.Last Editorial Review: 3/16/2004Fetal alcohol syndrome: The sum total of the damage done to the child before birth as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol s...

Baby walker - Medical

Baby walker: A device that allows a baby to move about in a half-seated, half-upright position. A "walker" may paradoxically delay a baby in development. The baby using a walker tends to be slow in reaching motor milestones such as sitting up, crawl...

Baby teeth - Medical

Baby teeth: See: Primary teeth.Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Primary teeth: The first teeth which are shed and replaced by permanent teeth. The first primary tooth comes in at about 6 months of age and the 20th and last primary tooth...