Topic: Health Glossary S
| status epilepticus | seizures that continue for more than 20 minutes without an intervening period of responsiveness |
| stenosis | condition that develops when any of the four major valves that regulate blood flow through the heart and lungs thickens, becomes damaged, or is diseased |
| stereotactic biopsy | biopsy technique that relies on computer guidance to exactly locate and biopsy the tumor |
| straight | slang; heterosexual orientation |
| stress test | test that monitors the heart during exercise in order to identify the presence of heart disease or the risk of developing cardiac problems during strenuous activity; also, diagnostic test that requires patients to lift something or perform an exercise to determine if there is urine loss when stress is placed on bladder muscles |
| stress urinary incontinence | involuntary loss of urine during periods of increased abdominal pressure, such as laughing, sneezing, coughing, or lifting |
| stroke | medical event that occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood and oxygen supply to the brain; brain attack |
| subarachnoid hemorrhage | bleeding in the area surrounding the brain, usually caused by a ruptured cerebral aneurysm |
| subcutaneous fat | third layer of skin, located below the dermis and composed mainly of fat cells and blood vessels |
| suprapubic prostatectomy | incising the bladder to remove obstructing prostatic tissue through a suprapubic incision below the navel |
| surgeon | physician who has been educated and trained in diagnosis and preoperative, operative, and postoperative management |
| suture | (n.) a stitch; (v.) to stitch |
| synovial fluid | viscous substance that lubricates joints in the body and allows two adjacent cartilage caps to glide upon one another with minimal friction |
| systemic | involving the entire body or multiple body systems |
| systolic pressure | arterial pressure measured as the heart contracts |
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Posted by TheBlogMachine.com
at 2:38 PM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 10 June 2006 8:39 PM EDT