Category: J

An independent, nonprofit, voluntary organization sponsored by the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and other medical, dental, and health care organizations. JCAHO is the successor to the Hospital Standardization Program (HSP) of the ACS. It is based in Chicago,…

A religious group holding a belief that prohibits any member to receive a blood transfusion. While it has been established that any adult can refuse treatment for him or herself, no court has upheld a parent’s wish, based on religious beliefs, that medical intervention be withheld from their child if a reasonable parent would want…

A ridge or furrow that connects two parts of a bone. A ridge or furrow connecting two points.  

An approach to understanding human psychology founded by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist who was an early pupil of Sigmund Freud but later broke with him. Jung called his theory analytical psychology. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) formulated the theory that specific concepts known as archetypes, inherited from our distant human history, reside within…

A painful irritation of the sensitive skin on a nipple that is usually caused by chafing from a sports bra during high-impact exercise, especially jogging or running. Women can help prevent jogger’s nipple by wearing sports bras that are less likely to cause irritation. Synthetic fabrics do not stay as wet as cotton and are…

A rarely performed diagnostic procedure in which a tissue sample from the jejunum (the part of the small intestine between the duodenum and ileum) is removed for analysis through a tube that enters the body orally. A jejunal biopsy is performed when an individual experiences symptom such as malabsorption (impaired absorption of nutrients through the…

The accumulation of fluid within a joint, such as the knee joint. Joint effusion may be caused by trauma, infection, gout, or arthritis. The resulting swelling may cause pain and restricted movement in the affected area. The escaped fluid is usually reabsorbed by the body within 1 t o 2 weeks, after which the symptoms…

A prosthetic device made of metal or a combination of metal with plastic or porcelain, which is used to replace an arthritic or damaged joint that has been removed. A joint is generally removed and replaced with a prosthesis because it is no longer functional, because of extreme pain, immobility, or both. Hip joint replacements…

A procedure to inject medication into an affected joint for the relief of inflammation, pain, and swelling. The corticosteroids, also known as glucocorticoids, which include cortisone, are often used for joint injections. The injections may be used to treat the joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; bursitis of the shoulder, hip, or knee;…

A procedure that involves the withdrawal of synovial fluid, the fluid that lubricates the surfaces of the bones and provides nutrients to the cartilage inside a joint. Fluid obtained from joint aspiration or arthrocentesis may be used as a diagnostic tool; an analysis of the fluid can help establish the cause of swelling in a…