Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Dopa-oxidase

    An enzyme in some epithelial cells that converts dopa to melanin.  

  • Donovan body

    The intracytoplasmic inclusion present in the microphages of a patient having granuloma inguinale caused by Klebsiella granulomatis.  

  • Do not resuscitate

    An order stating that a patient should not be revived. It may be written by a physician at the patient’s request. If the patient is not competent or is unable to make such a decision, the family, legal guardian, or health care proxy may request and give consent for such an order to be written…

  • Do not hospitalize

    An advance directive that explicitly limits the transfer of patients from the community to hospitals. Patients or their surrogate decision makers may choose DNH status when they hope to die in familiar surroundings or when they perceive further hospital care to be futile.  

  • Do not attempt resuscitation

    An order somewhat more precise than “do not resuscitate” (DNR). DNR implies that, if a resuscitation attempt is made, the patient can be revived. DNAR indicates that resuscitation efforts should not be attempted regardless of their expected outcome.  

  • Living donor

    A person who donates an organ or tissue while he or she is still living. Living donors must be healthy and antigenically matched to the recipient.  

  • Cadaveric donor

    A person who donates an organ or tissue after his or her death. An organ donor who has recently passed away due to causes unrelated to the specific organ intended for transplantation.  

  • Donnan’s equilibrium

    A condition in which an equilibrium is established between two solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane so that the sum of the anions and cations on one side is equal to that on the other side.  

  • Donation service area

    In U S. organ donation, a region of the country usually specified as containing certain counties from which all organs received from non-excluded donors may be obtained by an organ procurement organization.  

  • Donation rate

    In organ transplantation the number of potential organ donors in a community divided by the number of actual donors.