Category: Z

An antiviral drug; an AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) drug. Zaicitabine, or ddC (Hivid), is used alone or in combination with other drugs in the treatment of the infection caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Zaicitabine (ddC) cannot cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS, although it can keep HIV from reproducing, and it seems to…

A form of pressure point massage of the feet and hands designed to reduce and relieve pain. Zone therapy is based on the idea that the body is divided into lo equal energy channels: five on each side and each containing its own “bioelectrical energy” that travels from the toes to the brain to the…

An abnormal pouch of tissue that forms at the juncture of the pharynx (lower part of the throat) and the esophagus (the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach). Zenker diverticulum is a common type of esophageal diverticulum. The condition is usually diagnosed by an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series (an X-ray procedure that…

A method of fertilization in which the fertilized egg (zygote) is placed in the woman’s fallopian tube. If all goes well, the egg will travel to the uterus, settle there, and develop into an embryo and fetus.  

A technique of tissue layer X-ray study that blurs all tissue layers above and below the layer needed for the study. A type of tomography, using a tomographic angle less than 10°, that produces an image of a larger thickness of tissue. This technique is used for kidneys or structures lacking inherent contrast.  

A test done to determine the gamma globulin concentration in blood; increased in infection, allergy, and autoimmune illnesses, and decreased in some leukemias, cancers, and hypoimmune conditions.  

The facial muscle that draws the corner of the mouth upward and outward.  

A technique of administering an intramuscular injection that prevents the fluid from seeping out of the site by pulling the skin tightly to one side, administering the injection removing the needle, then allowing the skin to slide back into the normal position.  

Process of fermentation. The process of fermentation, brought about by yeast organisms. The fermentation process. The occurrence of contagious diseases; any infectious or communicable illness.  

Like an enzyme. A toxin originating from decomposing tissues, bearing a resemblance to a ferment.