Chapter: 6.4 Common Terms

Catharsis - A cleaning or purging; the therapeutic release of pent up feelings and emotions by open discussion of ideas and thoughts; the process of drawing repressed ideas and feelings into the consciousness by the technique of free association, often in conjunction with hypnosis and use of-hypnotic drugs.

Catheter - A hollow flexible tube that can be inserted into a vessel or cavity of the body to withdraw or to instill fluids, directly monitor  various types of information and visualize a vessel or cavity.

Cauterize - To burn tissues by thermal heat including steam, hot metal or solar radiation; electricity; or another agent, such as laser or dry ice, usually with the objective of destroying damaged or diseased tissues, preventing infections, or coagulating blood vessels.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - a progressive and irreversible condition characterized by diminished inspiratory and expiratory capacity of the lungs. The condition is aggravated by cigarette smoking and air pollution. COPDs include asthma, chronic bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.

Congenital - present at birth, as a congenital anomaly or defect.

Conjunctivitis - inflammation of the conjunctive caused by bacterial or viral infection, allergy or environmental factors. Red eyes, thick discharge, sticky eyelids in the morning, and inflammation without pain are characteristic.

Cyst - a closed sac in or under the skin lined with epithelium and containing fluid or semisolid material. It may or may not be infected

Defibrillator - a device that delivers an electrical shock at a preset voltage to the myoeardium. It is used from restoring the normal cardiac rhythm and rate when the heart has stopped beating or is fibrillating

Diabetes insipidus - a metabolic disorder caused by injury of the neurohypophyseal system. It is characterized by copious excretion of urine and excessive thirst, caused by deficient production of secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or inability of the kidney tubules to respond to ADH. Rarely the symptoms are self induced by an excessive water intake. The condition may be acquired, familial, idiopathic, neurogenic, nephrogenic or psychogenic.