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A tube that, when inserted into a cavity, facilitates removal of fluids.
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(dram) [L. drachma, fr Gr. drachmē, a Gr. unit of weight] ABBR: dr. SYMB: a. A unit of weight in the apothecaries', avoirdupois, and troy weights. SYN: drachm.
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(drāp) [F. drap, cloth] A covering, usually of cloth, plastic, or sterile paper, used to cover body parts, as during surgical operations or the examination of patients. In surgical procedures, drapes create a sterile barrier, help maintain a sterile field, and eliminate or minimize the passage of organisms between non-sterile and sterile areas.
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[Gr. drastikos, effective] 1. Excessively vigorous; said in the past of some medications. 2. A very active cathartic, usually producing many explosive bowel movements accompanied by pain and tenesmus. The use of this type of cathartic is not advisable.
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(drăft) [ME. draught, a pulling] 1. A drink. 2. Liquid drawn into the mouth. 3. A breeze produced by wind or a fan. 4. Draft.
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(dra-vā′) [Charlotte Dravet, Fr. psychiatrist and epileptologist, b. 1936] A severe form of childhood epilepsy, often beginning in the first year of life as a febrile seizure. As the affected children grow up, they develop myoclonic jerking, and their seizures may become refractory to treatment. SYN: severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy.
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A nonverbal test to assess intelligence and to screen for emotional and behavioral disorders. The test subject is asked to draw an image of a man, a woman, and oneself. The images drawn are assessed according to several criteria for their complexity, completeness, and other qualities. SYN: Machover test.
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(dro′(ĕ)r) Determination of the instability of ligaments by forcibly displacing one bone or structure relative to another.
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1. Assessment of the cruciate ligament(s) of the knee. The knee is flexed to 90° with the foot stabilized on the examination table. The examiner applies an anterior, then a posterior, force against the upper tibia, perpendicular to the long axis of the leg. An increased glide, anterior or posterior, of the tibia is caused by rupture of the anterior or posterior cruciate ligament, respectively.
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2. Assessment of the anterior talofibular ligament of the ankle. The foot is placed in its neutral position, the knee is flexed to a minimum of 20° to release the tension of the gastrocnemius muscle, and the tibia is stabilized. The examiner cups the posterior and plantar surface of the calcaneus and draws the foot forward, observing for increased displacement of the lateral foot and talus relative to the opposite extremity. These findings suggest rupture of the ligament. SYN: ...