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Glossary

Showing 271-280 out of 1184 Terms

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  • Contraindication

    (KON-truh-IN-dih-KAY-shun)

    A symptom or medical condition that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable because a person is likely to have a bad reaction. For example, having a bleeding disorder is a contraindication for taking aspirin because treatment with aspirin may cause excess bleeding.

  • Contralateral

    (KON-truh-LA-teh-rul)

    Having to do with the opposite side of the body.

  • Contrast material

    (KON-trast muh-TEER-ee-ul)

    A dye or other substance that helps show abnormal areas inside the body. It is given by injection into a vein, by enema, or by mouth. Contrast material may be used with x-rays, CT scans, MRI, or other imaging tests.

  • Control group

    (kun-TROLE groop)

    In a clinical trial, the group that does not receive the new treatment being studied. This group is compared to the group that receives the new treatment, to see if the new treatment works.

  • Controlled clinical trial

    (kun-TROLD KLIH-nih-kul TRY-ul)

    A clinical study that includes a comparison (control) group. The comparison group receives a placebo, another treatment, or no treatment at all.

  • Controlled study

    (kun-TROLD STUH-dee)

    An experiment or clinical trial that includes a comparison (control) group.

  • Controlled substance

    (kun-TROLD SUB-stunts)

    A drug or other substance that is tightly controlled by the government because it may be abused or cause addiction. The control applies to the way the substance is made, used, handled, stored, and distributed. Controlled substances include opioids, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids. Controlled substances with known medical use, such as morphine, Valium, and Ritalin, are available only by prescription from a licensed medical professional. Other controlled substances, such as heroin and LSD, have no known medical use and are illegal in the United States.

  • Conventional medicine

    (kun-VEN-shuh-nul MEH-dih-sin)

    A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and Western medicine.

  • Conventional therapy

    (kun-VEN-shuh-nul THAYR-uh-pee)

    Treatment that is widely accepted and used by most healthcare professionals. It is different from alternative or complementary therapies, which are not as widely used. Examples of conventional therapy for cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Also called conventional treatment.

  • Convulsion

    (kun-VUL-zhun)

    A condition in which muscles contract and relax quickly and cause uncontrolled shaking of the body. Head injuries, high fevers, some medical disorders, and certain drugs can cause convulsions. They may also occur during seizures caused by epilepsy.