Glossary of Bio-Medical Terms
W
RETURN TO INDEX Waardenburg's Syndrome
AN = a syndrome of multiple abnorm; check syndrome book for other Waardenburg skull deform syndromes; do not use /congen & do not coord with INFANT, NEWBORN, DISEASES CATALOG: do not use /in inf
MS = Rare, autosomal dominant disease with variable penetrance and several known clinical types. Characteristics may include depigmentation of the hair and skin, congenital deafness, heterochromia iridis, medial eyebrow hyperplasia, hypertrophy of the nasal root, and especially dystopia canthorum. The underlying cause may be defective development of the neural crest (neurocristopathy). Waardenburg's syndrome may be closely related to piebaldism. Klein-Waardenburg Syndrome refers to a disorder that also includes upper limb abnormalities.
UI = D014849
WAGR Syndrome
AN = WAGR stands for Wilms' tumor, Aniridia, Genitourinary abnorm, mental Retardation
MS = Wilms' tumor with aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation. It is associated with hemizygous deletions of chromosome region 11p13.
UI = D017624
Waikavirus
AN = a genus of plant viruses; from Japanese word waika describing features of plant dis induced by the rice tungro spherical virus; coord IM with specific plant (often RICE) /virol (IM or NIM)
MS = A genus of plant viruses in the family SEQUIVIRIDAE. Transmission is mostly by leafhoppers and depends on a self-encoded helper protein. The type species is rice tungro spherical virus.
UI = D019193
Waiting Lists
AN = no qualif
MS = Prospective patient listings for appointments.
UI = D014850
Wakefulness
MS = A state in which the individual is fully aware of his environment.
UI = D014851
Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia
AN = in titles & translations use diacrit: Waldenstrèom
MS = A plasma cell dyscrasia resembling leukemia with cells of lymphocytic, plasmacytic, or intermediate morphology, which secrete an IgM M component. There is diffuse infiltration of bone marrow and also, in many cases, of the spleen, liver, or lymph nodes. The circulating macroglobulin produces symptoms of hyperviscosity syndrome: weakness, fatigue, bleeding disorders, and visual disturbances. Peak incidence is in the sixth and seventh decades. (Dorland, 28th ed)
UI = D008258
Wales
UI = D014852
Walkers
MS = Walking aids generally having two handgrips and four legs.
UI = D014853
Walking
AN = human & animal; /inj: coord IM with specific inj (IM); /physiol permitted; differentiate from GAIT, the way one walks
MS = An activity in which the body advances at a slow to moderate pace by moving the feet in a coordinated fashion. This includes recreational walking, walking for fitness, and competitive race-walking.
UI = D016138
Wallenberg's Syndrome
AN = a type of cerebral embolism
MS = Syndrome caused by occlusion of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, marked by ipsilateral loss of facial pain and temperature sensations, ipsilateral limb ataxia, and contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensations in the trunk and extremities.
UI = D014854
Wallerian Degeneration
AN = a type of nerve degeneration
MS = Fatty degeneration of a nerve fiber which has been severed from its nutritive centers. (Dorland, 28th ed)
UI = D014855
Walrus
AN = IM; qualif permitted
UI = D014856
War
AN = war wounds: index under WOUNDS AND INJURIES or specific inj (IM) + WAR (IM or NIM); Persian Gulf War: index under WAR + MIDDLE EAST CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = Hostile conflict between organized groups of people.
UI = D014857
War Crimes
MS = Criminal acts committed during, or in connection with, war, e.g., maltreatment of prisoners, willful killing of civilians, etc.
UI = D014858
Warfarin
AN = an anticoagulant & rodenticide
MS = An anticoagulant that acts by inhibiting the synthesis of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. Warfarin is indicated for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of venous thrombosis and its extension, pulmonary embolism, and atrial fibrillation with embolization. It is also used as an adjunct in the prophylaxis of systemic embolism after myocardial infarction. Warfarin is also used as a rodenticide.
UI = D014859
Warts
AN = a non-neoplastic tumor virus infect; coord IM with precoord organ/dis term (IM)
MS = Benign epidermal proliferations or tumors; some are viral in origin.
UI = D014860
Washington
AN = the state; for Washington, D. C. use DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UI = D014861
Wasp Venoms
AN = /antag permitted but consider also ANTIVENINS; /enzymol permitted
MS = Venoms produced by the wasp (Vespid) family of stinging insects, including hornets; the venoms contain enzymes, biogenic amines, histamine releasing factors, kinins, toxic polypeptides, etc., and are similar to bee venoms.
UI = D014862
Wasps
AN = /microbiol /parasitol /virol permitted; wasp stings: coord IM with INSECT BITES AND STINGS (IM)
MS = Any of numerous winged hymenopterous insects of social as well as solitary habits and having formidable stings.
UI = D014863
Waste Disposal, Fluid
MS = The discarding or destroying of liquid waste products or their transformation into something useful or innocuous.
UI = D014865
Waste Management
MS = Disposal, processing, controlling, recycling, and reusing the solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes of plants, animals, humans, and other organisms. It includes control within a closed ecological system to maintain a habitable environment.
UI = D018505
Waste Products
AN = MEDICAL WASTE & DENTAL WASTE are also available
MS = Debris resulting from a process that is of no further use to the system producing it. The concept includes materials discharged from or stored in a system in inert form as a by-product of vital activities. (From Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981)
UI = D014866
Wasting Syndrome
AN = do not confuse with CACHEXIA: do not make diagnoses, use words of text; HIV WASTING SYNDROME is also available
MS = Any disease marked especially by progressive emaciation and weakness. (Dorland, 28th ed, p490)
UI = D019282
Water
AN = note category: D1 as H2O, G3 as environmental; in body or tissue = BODY WATER; /admin: consider also FLUID THERAPY or INFUSIONS, PARENTERAL or REHYDRATION SOLUTIONS; /adv eff: consider also WATER INTOXICATION; /metab must refer to metab of exogenous water: for water content of organs & tissue use BODY WATER /metab or BODY WATER /chem; /stand: consider also WATER SUPPLY; /ther use: try HYDROTHERAPY & related terms; /microbiol = WATER MICROBIOLOGY (IM) + specific microbe (IM), /parasitol permitted: coord IM with specific parasite (IM), /virol = WATER MICROBIOLOGY (IM) + specific virus (IM); atmospheric water = HUMIDITY; heavy water = DEUTERIUM OXIDE; water intake = DRINKING; hardness or softness of water: probably WATER /chem & not also HARDNESS but consider also WATER SOFTENING; water consumption = WATER or WATER SUPPLY if on a wide scale: on a personal level = DRINKING
MS = Water. A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
UI = D014867
Water Deprivation
AN = human & animal; /physiol permitted for physiol & metab eff
MS = The withholding of water in a structured experimental situation.
UI = D014868
Water Intoxication
AN = a water-electrolyte imbalance
MS = The condition induced by the undue retention of water with sodium depletion. It is marked by lethargy, nausea, vomiting, and mild mental aberrations, and in severe cases by convulsions and coma. (Dorland, 27th ed)
UI = D014869
Water Loss, Insensible
AN = through the skin & respir tract
MS = Loss of water by diffusion through the skin and by evaporation from the respiratory tract. It is so called because we do not know that we are actually losing water at the time that it is leaving the body. (Guyton, Textbook of Medical Physiology, 8th ed, p274)
UI = D014870
Water Microbiology
AN = IM; coord with specific bact, virus or fungus (IM); DF: WATER MICROBIOL
MS = The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in water. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms.
UI = D014871
Water Movements
AN = no qualif; for waves, currents, tides; floods = NATURAL DISASTERS
UI = D014872
Water Pollutants
AN = specify pollutant if pertinent (IM or NIM)
MS = Substances which pollute the water or bodies of water. Use for water pollutants in general or for which there is no specific heading.
UI = D014873
Water Pollutants, Chemical
AN = restrict to in situ water in rivers, reservoirs, streams, lakes, sea & the like; specify pollutant if pertinent (IM or NIM)
MS = Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water.
UI = D014874
Water Pollutants, Radioactive
AN = specify radiopollutant if pertinent (IM or NIM)
MS = Pollutants, present in water or bodies of water, which exhibit radioactivity.
UI = D014875
Water Pollution
AN = IM; coord with source of pollution (IM); note X ref THERMAL WATER POLLUTION: coord with HEAT (IM) only if heat is particularly discussed; specify geog if pertinent CATALOG: /geog /form
UI = D014876
Water Pollution, Chemical
AN = IM; coord with specific source of pollution (IM); specify geog if pertinent CATALOG: /geog /form
UI = D014877
Water Pollution, Radioactive
AN = IM; coord with specific source of pollution (IM); specify geog if pertinent CATALOG: /geog /form
UI = D014878
Water Purification
MS = Any of several processes in which undesirable impurities in water are removed or neutralized; for example, chlorination, filtration, primary treatment, ion exchange, and distillation. It includes treatment of waste water to provide potable and hygiene water in a controlled or closed environment as well as provision of public drinking water supplies. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
UI = D018508
Water Softening
UI = D014880
Water Supply
AN = do not use WATER SUPPLY with regard to FLUORIDATION: assume to be of the water supply CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = Source, means, or process of supplying water (as for a community) usually including reservoirs, tunnels, and pipelines and often the watershed from which the water is ultimately drawn. (Webster, 3d ed)
UI = D014881
Water-Electrolyte Balance
MS = The state of the body in relation to the intake and excretion of water and electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium. It exists in a metabolic balance internally with BODY FLUID COMPARTMENTS, total BODY WATER, BLOOD VOLUME, EXTRACELLULAR SPACE, etc., externally through sensible and insensible SWEATING. The hypothalamus controls water balance. (Dorland, 27th ed; Mountcastle, Medical Physiology, 14th ed, 1980, p1152)
UI = D014882
Water-Electrolyte Imbalance
AN = note category
MS = Disturbances in the body's water-electrolyte metabolism.
UI = D014883
Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome
AN = meningococcal meningitis with adrenal hemorrhage
MS = Rapidly fulminating cerebrospinal meningococcal meningitis, characterized by sudden onset, fever, purpura, adrenal hemorrhage, shock, and death. It is seen also with other infections. In a large majority of cases the etiology is meningococcemia. (From Dorland, 27th ed; Magalini, Dictionary of Medical Syndromes, 3d ed)
UI = D014884
Waxes
AN = D25-26 qualif
MS = A plastic substance deposited by insects or obtained from plants. Waxes are esters of various fatty acids with higher, usually monohydric alcohols. The wax of pharmacy is principally yellow wax (beeswax), the material of which honeycomb is made. It consists chiefly of cerotic acid and myricin and is used in making ointments, cerates, etc. (Dorland, 27th ed)
UI = D014885
Weaning
AN = human & animal; no qualif; NIM when merely an aspect of growth (as "in newborn, suckling & weaned")
MS = Permanent deprivation of breast milk and commencement of nourishment with other food. (From Stedman, 25th ed)
UI = D014886
Weather
AN = no qualif; do not confuse X ref FOG with SMOG, a mixture of smoke & fog
UI = D014887
Wechsler Scales
MS = Tests designed to measure intellectual functioning in children and adults.
UI = D014888
Wegener's Granulomatosis
AN = necrotizing granulomas of resp tract & multisystem dis
MS = A multisystem disease chiefly affecting males, characterized by necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis involving the upper and lower respiratory tracts, glomerulonephritis, and variable degrees of systemic, small vessel vasculitis, which is generally considered to represent an aberrant hypersensitivity reaction to an unknown antigen. (Dorland, 27th ed)
UI = D014890
Weibel-Palade Bodies
MS = Rod-shaped intracytoplasmic bundles of microtubules, believed derived from the Golgi complex. They are specific for vascular endothelial cells, serve as the storage organelles for von Willebrand factor, and are used as markers for benign or malignant endothelial cell neoplasms in electron microscopy. (Dorland, 28th ed)
UI = D020302
Weight-Bearing
AN = by machines & humans or animals; for weight-bearing bones or joints, coord NIM with specific bone or joint with /physiol (IM)
MS = The physical state of supporting an applied load. This often refers to the weight-bearing bones or joints that support the body's weight, especially those in the spine, hip, knee, and foot.
UI = D016474
Weight Gain
MS = Increase in body weight over existing weight.
UI = D015430
Weight Lifting
AN = /inj: coord IM with specific inj (IM); /physiol permitted; Manual 30.15+; includes body building if restricted to weight lifting, otherwise index under EXERCISE
MS = A sport in which weights are lifted competitively or as an exercise.
UI = D014891
Weight Loss
MS = Decrease in existing body weight.
UI = D015431
Weight Perception
MS = Recognition and discrimination of the heaviness of a lifted object.
UI = D014892
Weightlessness
AN = natural only: WEIGHTLESSNESS SIMULATION is also available; /adv eff permitted
MS = Condition in which no acceleration, whether due to gravity or any other force, can be detected by an observer within a system. It also means the absence of weight or the absence of the force of gravity acting on a body. Microgravity, gravitational force between 0 and 10 -6 g, is included here. (From NASA Thesaurus, 1988)
UI = D014893
Weightlessness Countermeasures
AN = in actual or simulated space flight; no qualif
MS = Techniques and routines designed to prevent or reverse unwanted effects of weightlessness experienced during actual and simulated space flight, including physiologic changes related to removal of gravitational loading. Specific measures include creation of artificial gravity, exercise, low-level lower body negative pressure, and use of anti-deconditioning devices. (From Nicogossian, Space Physiology and Medicine, 2d ed, pp294-297)
UI = D018544
Weightlessness Simulation
MS = Condition under normal Earth gravity where the force of gravity itself is not actually altered but its influence or effect may be modified and studied. (From ASGSB Bull 1992;5(2):27)
UI = D018474
Weights and Measures
AN = METRIC SYSTEM is available; TN 192: not for "weight" of anything; DF: WEIGHTS
MS = A unit or standard of measurement. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)
UI = D014894
Weil's Disease
AN = a form of leptospirosis
MS = A severe form of LEPTOSPIROSIS caused by Leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagica and transmitted to man by the rat.
UI = D014895
Welding
UI = D014896
Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease
AN = infantile or childhood only: for other, MUSCULAR ATROPHY, SPINAL is available CATALOG: do not use /in inf
MS = A recessively inherited acute infantile form of motor neuropathy with proximal muscle wasting particularly of the upper extremities. The chronic childhood form may be an arrested Werdnig-Hoffmann disorder.
UI = D014897
Werner Syndrome
AN = premature aging in adults; do not confuse with Werner's syndrome, also called "mesomelic dysplasia" (tibial hemimelia, polydactyly of feet, triphalangeal thumbs): index under BONE AND BONES /abnorm (IM) + ABNORMALITIES, MULTIPLE (IM)
MS = A cause of premature aging in adults. It is an autosomal recessive trait characterized principally by sclerodermal skin changes (especially of the extremities), cataracts, subcutaneous calcification, muscular atrophy, a tendency to diabetes mellitus, aged appearance of the face, baldness, and a high incidence of neoplastic disease. (From Dorland, 27th ed)
UI = D014898
Wernicke's Encephalopathy
AN = a manifest of thiamine defic
MS = A neurological disorder characterized by confusion, apathy, drowsiness, ataxia, nystagmus, and ophthalmoplegia. It often results from chronic alcohol abuse and is almost always accompanied or followed by KORSAKOFF'S SYNDROME.
UI = D014899
West Indies
AN = the indentions can be grouped as the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles & the Bahamas: see MeSH definition
MS = Islands lying between southeastern North America and northern South America, enclosing the Caribbean Sea. They comprise the Greater Antilles (CUBA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI, JAMAICA, and PUERTO RICO), the Lesser Antilles (ANTIGUA and the other Leeward Islands, BARBADOS, MARTINIQUE and the other Windward Islands, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES, VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES, and the islands north of Venezuela which include TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO), and the BAHAMAS. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p1330)
UI = D014900
West Nile Fever
AN = caused by a flavivirus
MS = A mild, febrile, sporadic disease produced by infection with West Nile Virus, a FLAVIVIRUS. It is characterized by drowsiness, headache, rash, abdominal pain, nausea and lymphadenopathy, and sometimes leads to encephalitis.
UI = D014901
West Nile Virus
AN = a species of Flavivirus; infection = WEST NILE FEVER
MS = A species of Flavivirus, one of the Japanese encephalitis virus group (ENCEPHALITIS VIRUSES, JAPANESE), which produces encephalitis experimentally when inoculated into some rodents, chicks, birds, or monkeys. In humans, it is seen most frequently in Africa, Asia, and Europe presenting as a silent infection or undifferentiated fever (WEST NILE FEVER). It is transmitted by Culex spp mosquitoes.
UI = D014902
West Virginia
UI = D014903
Western Australia
AN = a state of Australia
MS = A state in western Australia. Its capital is Perth. It was first visited by the Dutch in 1616 but the English took possession in 1791 and permanent colonization began in 1829. It was a penal settlement 1850-1888, became part of the colonial government in 1886, and was granted self government in 1890. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p1329)
UI = D014904
Wetting Agents
AN = D25-26 qualif; also called "hydrating agents" but do not confuse these with intravenous solutions for rehydrating dehydrated subjects
MS = A surfactant that renders a surface wettable by water or enhances the spreading of water over the surface; used in foods and cosmetics; important in contrast media; also with contact lenses, dentures, and some prostheses. Synonyms: humectants; hydrating agents.
UI = D014906
Western World
AN = note category; refers usually to Europe & the Americas; IM; specify Category Z continent or country if relevant
MS = A historical and cultural entity dispersed across the wide geographical area of Europe, as opposed to the East, Asia, and Africa. The term was used by scholars through the late medieval period. Thereafter, with the impact of colonialism and the transmission of cultures, Western World was sometimes expanded to include the Americas. (Dr. James H. Cassedy, NLM History of Medicine Division)
UI = D019366
Wettability
AN = almost never IM
MS = The quality or state of being wettable or the degree to which something can be wet. This is also the ability of any solid surface to be wetted when in contact with a liquid whose surface tension is reduced so that the liquid spreads over the surface of the solid.
UI = D017155
Whales
AN = mammals; IM; qualif permitted; some dolphins are misnamed "whales": note FALSE KILLER WHALES see DOLPHINS, KILLER WHALES see DOLPHINS, MELON-HEADED WHALES see DOLPHINS, PIGMY WHALES see DOLPHINS, PILOT WHALES see DOLPHINS
MS = Large marine mammals of the order Cetacea. In the past, they were commercially valued for whale oil, for their flesh as human food and in animal feed and fertilizer, and for baleen. The sperm whale produces AMBERGRIS, an intestinal secretion used in perfumery. (From Webster, 3d ed)
UI = D014907
Wheat
AN = as plant & food; selected qualif from Cat B6 & Cat J2; wheat germ: index under WHEAT, not WHEAT /embryol; do not confuse WHEAT with BUCKWHEAT nor X ref TRITICUM with the rye-wheat hybrid TRITICALE see CEREALS
MS = The most nutritious of the cereal grasses, Triticum vulgare, grown mostly in the temperate climates. It also includes other triticum species. Several lectins, starch, and medium quality proteins are obtained from the seeds. Triticale is a hybrid between wheat and rye.
UI = D014908
Wheat Germ Agglutinins
AN = lectins
MS = Lectins purified from the germinating seeds of common wheat (Triticum vulgare); these bind to certain carbohydrate moieties on cell surface glycoproteins and are used to identify certain cell populations and inhibit or promote some immunological or physiological activities. There are at least two isoforms of this lectin.
UI = D014909
Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate
AN = used as a molec probe; DF: note short X ref
MS = The lectin wheatgerm agglutinin conjugated to the enzyme HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE. It is widely used for tracing neural pathways.
UI = D018998
Wheelchairs
MS = Chairs mounted on wheels and designed to be propelled by the occupant.
UI = D014910
Whiplash Injuries
MS = Hyperextension injury to the neck, often the result of being struck from behind by a fast-moving vehicle, in an automobile accident. (From Segen, The Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)
UI = D014911
Whipple's Disease
AN = a malabsorption syndrome
MS = A disease marked by diarrhea with fatty stools, arthritis, emaciation, and loss of strength, and attended with deposits of fat in the intestinal lymphatic tissue. Rod-shaped bacteria-like forms are present, presumed to be infectious, although no organism has been consistently isolated from patient specimens. (Dorland, 27th ed; from Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992).
UI = D008061
White Muscle Disease
AN = a form of musc dystrophy usually in calves & lambs; manifest of selenium defic; check tag ANIMAL; coord IM with precoord animal/dis term (IM) + animal (NIM) or with animal (IM) in absence of precoord
MS = A myodegeneration most frequent in calves and lambs whose dams have been fed during gestation or longer on feeds, especially legumes, grown in certain areas where selenium is either deficient or unavailable in the soil. It has been recorded in many countries. It has been produced experimentally in several species of animals on low-selenium intake. A similar myopathy occurs naturally in goats, deer, foals, and dogs but proof of the etiology is lacking. (Merck Veterinary Manual, 5th ed)
UI = D014912
Whites
AN = see note under CAUCASOID RACE; do not index WHITES routinely: only when pertinent as cultural, social, sociol, polit, psychol entity; /genetics = CAUCASOID RACE /genet; Manual 30.8-30.10: policy on ethnic groups; differentiate from CAUCASOID RACE, genetic & physiol entity; specify geog CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = An ethnic group of the Caucasoid Race.
UI = D014913
Whole Blood Coagulation Time
AN = NIM; DF: WHOLE BLOOD COAG TIME
MS = Measurement of the time required by whole blood to produce a visible clot. Factors that could influence the test are all but III, VII, and XIII. Activation may be by contact with the glass tube or exposure to diatomaceous earth. Delay of onset of coagulation may be achieved by use of nonwettable plastic or silicone-coated glass tubes. It is used for monitoring heparin therapy and as a bedside screening test for deficiencies in the intrinsic coagulation pathway. "Activated coagulation time" is sometimes referred to as ACT.
UI = D014914
Whole-Body Counting
MS = Measurement of radioactivity in the entire human body.
UI = D014915
Whole-Body Irradiation
AN = in rad experiments IM when point of article is irrad of entire animal & coord with organ or process /rad eff (IM or NIM); no qualif when NIM; in radiother coord IM with disease /radiother (IM); TN 198: when not to use; DF: WHOLE BODY IRRAD
MS = Irradiation of the whole body with ionizing or non-ionizing radiation. It is applicable to humans or animals but not to microorganisms.
UI = D014916
Whooping Cough
AN = caused by Bordetella pertussis
MS = A respiratory infection caused by BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS and characterized by paroxysmal coughing ending in a prolonged crowing intake of breath.
UI = D014917
Widowhood
AN = woman or man: note X refs; spousal bereavement: coord IM with BEREAVEMENT (IM); coping behavior, coping strategy, coping style: coord IM with ADAPTATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL
MS = The state of having lost a marital partner by death.
UI = D017805
Williams Syndrome
AN = a supravalv aortic stenosis: do not confuse with Williams-Campbell syndrome, congen bronchomalacia causing bronchiectasis
MS = Supravalvular aortic stenosis, mental retardation, elfin facies, and transient hypercalcemia in infancy. It affects both sexes, with onset at birth or early infancy. Its etiology is unknown. The primary disturbance begins in utero. There is a familial tendency but no genetic basis is apparent. It is possibly an abnormality of vitamin D metabolism. Its prognosis depends upon the degree of malformation and surgical correction. (Dorland, 28th ed; Magalini et al., Dictionary of Medical Syndromes, 3d ed, p936)
UI = D018980
Wills
MS = A legal declaration of a person's mind as to the manner in which he would have his property or estate disposed of after his death. (Webster 3d ed.) The application of the concept of a will in bioethics regarding the termination of his life is the heading LIVING WILLS.
UI = D014918
Wind
AN = no qualif; for cyclones, typhoons & hurricanes consider NATURAL DISASTERS
UI = D014919
Wine
MS = Fermented juice of fresh grapes or of other fruit or plant products used as a beverage.
UI = D014920
Wing
AN = for bird, insect or bat
UI = D014921
Wisconsin
UI = D014922
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
MS = A rare, X-linked immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by eczema, thrombocytopenic purpura, and recurrent pyogenic infection. It is seen exclusively in young boys. Typically, IgM levels are low and IgA and IgE levels are elevated. Lymphoreticular malignancies are common.
UI = D014923
Wissler's Syndrome
AN = a form of rheumatic fever
MS = A rheumatic syndrome of possibly allergic origin, usually affecting children and adolescents, and characterized by high fever, exanthema, arthralgia, leukocytosis, and increased sedimentation rate.
UI = D014924
Wit and Humor
AN = IM CATALOG: form qualif /humor is available
MS = The faculty of expressing the amusing, clever, or comical or the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)
UI = D014925
Witchcraft
AN = IM; MAGIC is also available
MS = An act of employing sorcery (the use of power gained from the assistance or control of spirits), especially with malevolent intent, and the exercise of supernatural powers and alleged intercourse with the devil or a familiar. (From Webster, 3d ed)
UI = D018599
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
AN = short PR interval & long QRS interval with delta wave; see PRE-EXCITATION SYNDROMES for other ECG notes
MS = A form of pre-excitation characterized by a short PR interval and a long QRS interval with a delta wave.
UI = D014927
Wolffian Duct
MS = An excretory duct of the embryonic kidney.
UI = D014928
Wolfram Syndrome
AN = X ref = Diabetes Insipidus-Diabetes Mellitus-Optic Atrophy-Deafness CATALOG: do not use /in inf
MS = Hereditary association of diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic atrophy, and neural deafness.
UI = D014929
Wolinella
AN = isolated from gingiva, root canal & bovine rumen; infection: coord IM with BACTEROIDACEAE INFECTIONS (IM)
MS = A genus of gram-negative, anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria isolated from the bovine rumen, the human gingival sulcus, and dental root canal infections.
UI = D016968
Wolman Disease
AN = a lysosomal storage dis; do not use /congen & do not coord with INFANT, NEWBORN, DISEASES CATALOG: do not use /in inf
MS = The severe infantile form of inherited lysosomal lipid storage diseases, due to deficiency of acid lipase. It results in accumulation of neutral lipids, particularly cholesterol esters, within cells (particularly leukocytes, fibroblasts, and liver cells). An allelic variant of CHOLESTEROL ESTER STORAGE DISEASE, it is also known as Wolman's xanthomatosis.
UI = D015223
Wolves
AN = IM; qualif permitted
MS = Any of several large carnivorous mammals of the family Canidae usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)
UI = D019596
Women
AN = for women only as a cultural, social, sociol, polit, economic force; do not confuse with FEMALE for disease, organs, physiol, genetics, etc.; check tags HUMAN & FEMALE; Manual 18.9.6, 34.12
MS = Human adult females as cultural, psychological, sociological, political, and economic entities.
UI = D014930
Women, Working
MS = Women who are engaged in gainful activities usually outside the home.
UI = D014931
Women's Health
AN = no qualif; specify geog if pertinent CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = The concept covering the physical and mental conditions of women.
UI = D016387
Women's Health Services
AN = does not include maternal care services: index under MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES; check also tags HUMAN and FEMALE; DF: WOMENS HEALTH SERV
MS = Organized services to provide health care to women. It excludes maternal care services for which MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES is available.
UI = D014932
Women's Rights
AN = specify geog CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = The rights of women to equal status pertaining to social, economic, and educational opportunities afforded by society.
UI = D014933
Wood
AN = no qualif
UI = D014934
Wool
AN = as animal hair & as textile; use qualif cautiously
UI = D014935
Word Association Tests
AN = DF: WORD ASSOC TESTS
MS = Lists of words to which individuals are asked to respond ascertaining the conceptual meaning held by the individual.
UI = D014936
Word Processing
MS = Automated production of typewritten documents with text editing and storage functions using computer software.
UI = D015443
Work
AN = purposeful activity: differentiate from EXERTION (physiol effort), EMPLOYMENT (for pay), ENERGY EXPENDITURE (metab); /physiol permitted; BURNOUT, PROFESSIONAL is available
MS = Productive or purposeful activities.
UI = D014937
Work Capacity Evaluation
AN = no qualif; DF: WORK CAPAC EVALUATION
MS = Assessment of physiological capacities in relation to job requirements. It is usually done by measuring certain physiological (e.g., circulatory and respiratory) variables during a gradually increasing workload until specific limitations occur with respect to those variables.
UI = D014938
Work of Breathing
AN = a resp funct test
MS = Respiratory muscle contraction during inspiration. The work is accomplished in three phases: that required to expand the lungs against its elastic forces (LUNG COMPLIANCE work), that required to overcome the viscosity of the lung and chest wall structures (tissue resistance work), and that required to overcome airway resistance during the movement of air into the lungs (AIRWAY RESISTANCE work). Work of breaking does not refer to expiration, which is entirely a passive process caused by elastic recoil of the lung and chest cage. (Guyton, Textbook of Medical Physiology, 8th ed, p406)
UI = D014939
Work Schedule Tolerance
AN = /physiol /psychol permitted
MS = Physiological or psychological effects of periods of work which may be fixed or flexible such as flexitime, work shifts, and rotating shifts.
UI = D014940
Work Simplification
AN = no qualif
MS = The construction or arrangement of a task so that it may be done with the greatest possible efficiency.
UI = D014941
Workers' Compensation
AN = specify country or state CATALOG: /geog /form
MS = Insurance coverage providing compensation and medical benefits to individuals because of work-connected injuries or disease.
UI = D014942
Workload
MS = The total amount of work to be performed by an individual, a department, or other group of workers in a period of time.
UI = D016526
Workplace
AN = NIM; coord with specific industry or occupation (IM) or specific milieu (as clinic, laboratory, hosp, school, etc.) (IM)
MS = Place or physical location of work or employment.
UI = D017132
World Health
AN = no qualif
MS = The concept pertaining to the health status of inhabitants of the world.
UI = D014943
World Health Organization
AN = DF: WHO CATALOG: use NAF entry
MS = A specialized agency of the United Nations designed as a coordinating authority on international health work; its aim is to promote the attainment of the highest possible level of health by all peoples.
UI = D014944
Wound Healing
AN = also available is FRACTURE HEALING
MS = Restoration of integrity to traumatized tissue.
UI = D014945
Wound Infection
AN = IM; do not coord with BACTERIAL INFECTIONS unless particularly discussed but coord IM with specific bact infect (IM)
MS = Invasion of the site of trauma by pathogenic microorganisms.
UI = D014946
Wounds and Injuries
AN = GEN or unspecified; prefer /inj with organs (Manual 19.7+, 19.8.38) or specific organ /inj precoords; policy: Manual 23.23+; types of wounds are also available, as WOUNDS, PENETRATING, etc.; MULTIPLE TRAUMA is available; wound suction: coord wd & inj concept with DRAINAGE; DF: WOUNDS CATALOG: form qualif permitted
MS = Damage inflicted on the body as the direct or indirect result of an external force, with or without disruption of structural continuity.
UI = D014947
Wounds, Gunshot
AN = IM; coord with organ /inj or precoord inj term (IM); ballistics in gunshot wds goes here & under FORENSIC MEDICINE if pertinent
MS = Disruption of structural continuity of the body as a result of the discharge of firearms.
UI = D014948
Wounds, Nonpenetrating
AN = IM; coord with organ /inj or precoord inj term (IM)
MS = Injuries caused by impact with a blunt object where there is no penetration of the skin.
UI = D014949
Wounds, Penetrating
AN = note WOUNDS, GUNSHOT & WOUNDS, STAB; IM; coord with organ /inj or precoord inj term (IM)
MS = Wounds caused by objects penetrating the skin.
UI = D014950
Wounds, Stab
AN = IM; coord with organ /inj or precoord inj term (IM)
MS = Penetrating wounds caused by a pointed object.
UI = D014951
Wrestling
AN = /inj: coord IM with specific inj (IM); /physiol permitted
MS = A sport consisting of hand-to-hand combat between two unarmed contestants seeking to pin or press each other's shoulders to the ground.
UI = D014952
Wrist
AN = primates only; wrist ganglion is indexed under WRIST (IM) + SYNOVIAL CYST (IM); TN 238: differentiation from WRIST JOINT & indexing instructions; use CARPUS, ANIMAL for non-primate vertebrates: TN 117: other animal joints; wrist bone = CARPAL BONES
UI = D014953
Wrist Injuries
AN = consider also CARPAL BONES /inj
MS = Injuries to the wrist or the wrist joint.
UI = D014954
Wrist Joint
AN = primates only; wrist ganglion is indexed under WRIST (IM) + SYNOVIAL CYST (IM); TN 238: differentiation from WRIST & indexing instructions; use CARPUS, ANIMAL for non-primate vertebrates; TN 117: other animal joints
UI = D014955
Writing
AN = the act or profession of writing or its product, i.e., being a writer or creating text for books, articles, speeches, etc.: do not confuse with PUBLISHING (the industry & dissemination of knowledge & research) or LITERATURE (literary production) or AUTHORSHIP (identity as author) or JOURNALISM (writing for publication in the media); "medical writing" can go here but consider JOURNALISM; style of writing goes here; editing for publication goes under PUBLISHING; writing for periodicals goes under PERIODICALS; HANDWRITING is also available; includes typewriting; letters & correspondence of biographees & famous persons are indexed as CORRESPONDENCE (IM) + required biog terms & hist tags
MS = The act or practice of literary composition, the occupation of writer, or producing or engaging in literary work as a profession.
UI = D014956
Wrongful Life
AN = legal action alleging "that a defendant has wrongfully caused a child to be born"
MS = In civil law a cause of action which alleges that a defendant has wrongfully caused a child to be born.
UI = D015974
Wuchereria
AN = infection: coord IM with FILARIASIS (IM); coord with specific helminth term (ANTIGENS, HELMINTH, etc) if pertinent; /drug eff: consider FILARICIDES
MS = A genus of filarial nematodes.
UI = D014957
Wuchereria bancrofti
AN = infection: coord IM with probably ELEPHANTIASIS, FILARIAL (IM) but if elephantiasis is not present, coord with FILARIASIS (IM) instead; coord with specific helminth term (ANTIGENS, HELMINTH, etc) if pertinent; /drug eff: consider FILARICIDES
MS = A white threadlike worm which causes elephantiasis, lymphangitis, and chyluria by interfering with the lymphatic circulation. The microfilaria are found in the circulating blood and are carried by mosquitoes.
UI = D014958
Wyoming
UI = D014959