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A change in the condition of a disease or organism that occurs naturally over time and not as a result of treatment.
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(mă-tūrʹ, mă-choorʹ) [L. maturus, early, timely, ripe] 1. Fully developed or ripened. 2. To become fully developed.
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Any teenager who can demonstrate competence to consent to or refuse treatment. In the common law, a teenager who demonstrates adequate maturity may choose or reject some forms of care, including contraceptive and pregnancy care, mental health and chemical dependency consultations, and treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. In these instances the consent of the parent or guardian is not necessarily needed.
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Although the concept of the mature minor recognizes the autonomy of the teen, before care is provided without parental consent health care professionals must be able to obtain evidence of and clearly document both the teen’s maturity and his or her understanding of any proposed treatment.
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(mă-choorʹĭt-ē, mă-toorʹĭt-ē, mă-tūrʹĭt-ē) 1. The state of completed growth or development. 2. The stage of growth at which an individual becomes capable of reproducing. 3. In psychology, reliability and responsibility.
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fetal lung m. The ability of the developing lung to oxygenate and ventilate effectively outside the womb. The lungs are the last fetal organ to mature. Surfactant, which allows the alveoli in the lungs to expand and not stick together, is secreted by the fetal lungs after 28 weeks. The readiness of the fetal lung can be assessed with several invasive, e.g., amniocentesis, and noninvasive, e.g., ultrasound, tests, all of which have some shortcomings. Some tests on amniotic fluid include measurements of surfactant, phosphatidylglycerol, the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, and the number of lamellar bodies.
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PATIENT CARE: Premature infants born with immature lungs have a high likelihood of developing infantile respiratory distress syndrome. Antenatal treatment with glucocorticoids improves most amniotic fluid indices of fetal lung maturity. Infants born with immature lungs are also often treated with continuous positive airway pressure, other forms of mechanical ventilation, and surfactant.
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skeletal m. The apparent stage of development the bones of a growing child or adolescent. It is determined with radiological studies. The determination is used to analyze normal and disordered growth in children.
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(mă-chooʹtĭ-năl) [L. matutinalis, pert. to the morning] Pert. to morning or occurring early in the day, as morning sickness.
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(mak-silʹă, mak-silʹēʺ, mak-silʹīʺ) pl. maxillae [L. maxilla, jawbone] A paired bone with several processes that forms most of the upper face, roof of the mouth, sides of the nasal cavity, and floor of the orbit; the upper jaw. The alveolar process of the maxilla supports the teeth. SEE: skull for ...