Author: Glossary
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Absorbent dressing
A dressing consisting of gauze, sterilized gauze, or absorbent cotton.
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Drench
A dose of medicine that is administered to an animal by pouring it into its mouth.
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Dream state
The state of diminished consciousness in which the surroundings are perceived as if in a dream. The drowsy phase that occurs after an epileptic seizure.
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Dream
The occurrence of ideas, emotions, visual imagery, and other sensations during sleep. Some dreams may be recalled on awakening; others may not be. Any train of thoughts, images, or fancies that pass through the mind during sleep. There are many diverse beliefs about the nature of dreams, some dating from antiquity. Others go back to…
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Drapetomania
Wandering behavior; an uncontrollable urge to travel.
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Dram
A unit of weight in the apothecaries system.
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Drainage tube
A tube that, when inserted into a cavity, facilitates removal of fluids. A tube made from materials like glass or rubber, which is placed into a wound or body cavity to facilitate the drainage of fluids.
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Tidal drainage
A method, controlled mechanically, of filling the bladder with solution by gravity and periodically emptying the bladder with a catheter. It is usually used when the patient lacks bladder control as in injuries or lesions of the spinal cord.
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Through-and-through drainage
Irrigation and drainage of a cavity or an organ such as the bladder by placing two perforated tubes, drains, or catheters in the area. A solution is instilled through one catheter, and the other tube collects the returned fluid actively (by suction) or passively.
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Pleural drainage unit
A device used to evacuate fluids from the pleural cavity. Most PDUs consist of three chambers: one to collect fluids such as blood or pus, a second to maintain a water seal, and a third to control suction.