F - Faculty

F

1. Fahrenheit; femto-; fibrosis; field of vision; folic acid; formula; function. 2. Symbol for the element fluorine. 3. Symbol for filial generation. The symbol is usually used with a following subscript number, e.g., F₁, the first filial generation, for the offspring of a cross between two unrelated individuals, F₂, the second filial generation, for the offspring of a cross between two individuals of the F₁ generation; etc.

FA

fatty acid; filterable agent; first aid; fluorescent antibody.

FAAN

Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

FAARC

Fellow of the American Association of Respiratory Care.

Fab

fragment antigen binding.

fabella

(fă-bel′ă, fă-bel′ē″) pl. fabellae [L. fabella, little bean] Fibrocartilage or bone that sometimes develops in the head of the gastrocnemius muscle.

FABERE test, FABER test

Acronym for flexion, abduction, external rotation, and extension of the hip. The FABERE test is used to identify hip arthritis or sacroiliac dysfunction. SEE: Patrick's test.

fabrication

(fab″rĭ-kā′shŏn) [L. fabricare, to make] 1. Deliberate falsification in order to deceive, e.g., the faking of research results; a lie. 2. Confabulation.

Fabry disease

(fob′rē) [Johannes Fabry, Ger. physician, 1860–1930] An X-linked disease in which there is a galactosidase deficiency, which leads to accumulation of glycosphingolipids throughout the body.

INCIDENCE: Although Fabry disease is thought to be rare, the disorder has an unusually wide range of estimates of its prevalence, from as few as 0.2 to as many as 80 cases per 100,000 population.

CAUSES: It is an X-linked disorder of alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme that degrades glycosphingolipids. In the absence of normal amounts of this enzyme, lipids accumulate in excessive amounts in lysosomes within cells throughout the body, preventing those cells from functioning normally.

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS: Fabry disease affects multiple organ systems, including the heart (in which it causes generalized hypertrophy and arrhythmias), the kidneys (renal failure), the nervous system (neuropathies, hearing loss), and the skin (angiokeratomas and reduced sweating).

DIAGNOSIS: It may be diagnosed by measuring levels of alpha-galactosidase in the patient's white blood cells. Levels of this enzyme are abnormally low in patients with Fabry disease.

PREVENTION: Genetic screening of family members of patients with Fabry disease can identify relatives who have or who carry the abnormal gene.

TREATMENT: Recombinant, manufactured enzyme replacement therapy is available for Fabry patients. It consists of injections of alpha-galactosidase every two weeks for life. ...