Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Daytime drowsiness

    Drowsiness occurring during the day rather than just before normal bedtime. It may have many causes, including insomnia and other sleep disturbances, anxiety, overwork, or the effects of prescribed or abused drugs.  

  • Drownproofing

    A method of staying afloat by using a minimum amount of energy. It may be kept up for hours even by non-swimmers, whereas only the most fit and expert could swim for more than 30 min. Details of the drown proofing technique may be obtained from local chapters of the American Red Cross.  

  • Near drowning

    Survival after immersion in water. About 330,000 persons, most of whom are children, adolescents, or young adults, survive an immersion injury in the U.S. each year, and of these, about 10% receive professional attention. Many who suffer near drowning do so because of preventable or avoidable conditions, such as the use of alcohol or drugs…

  • Drosophila melanogaster

    A genus of fruit flies used extensively in the study of genetics. The development of the chromosome theory of heredity was largely the outcome of research on this species.  

  • Medicine dropper

    According to USP XXII, a tube made of glass or other suitable transparent material that generally is fitted with a collapsible bulb and, while varying in capacity, is constricted at the delivery end to a round opening having an external diameter of 3 mm. When held vertically, it delivers water in drops each weighing between…

  • Drop factor

    The number of drops of an infusion that add to a volume equal to 1 milliliter.  

  • Drop arm test

    A test used to identify tears of the rotator cuff muscle group, especially supraspinatus. With the patient sitting or standing, the fully abducted shoulder is slowly lowered to the side. In the presence of rotator cuff tears, the arm will fall uncontrollably to the side from a position of about 90 degrees of abduction.  

  • Nose drop

    Medication instilled in or sprayed into the nasal cavity.  

  • Culture drop

    A bacterial culture in a drop of culture medium.  

  • Dromotropic

    Affecting the conductivity of nerve or muscle fibers.