| respiratory syncytial virus | a paramyxovirus that forms syncytia in tissue culture and that is responsible for severe respiratory diseases such as bronchiolitis and bronchial pneumonia (especially in children) |
pressurized water reactor
PWR | a nuclear reactor that uses water as a coolant and moderator, the steam produced can drive a steam turbine |
lower respiratory tract smear
bronchoscopic smear
sputum smear | any of several cytologic smears obtained from different parts of the lower respiratory tract, used for cytologic study of cancer and other diseases of the lungs |
respiratory system
systema respiratorium | the system for taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide, in terrestrial animals this is accomplished by breathing |
respiratory tract
airway | the passages through which air enters and leaves the body |
| lower respiratory tract | the bronchi and lungs |
| upper respiratory tract | the nose and throat and trachea |
| respiratory organ | any organ involved in the process of respiration |
| respiratory center | the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles |
| respiratory quotient | the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide expired to the volume of oxygen consumed by an organism or cell in a given period of time |
respiratory acidosis
carbon dioxide acidosis | acidosis resulting from reduced gas exchange in the lungs (as in emphysema or pneumonia), excess carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acid which increases the acidity of the blood |
| respiratory alkalosis | alkalosis resulting from increased gas exchange in the lungs (as in hyperventilation associated with extreme anxiety or aspirin intoxication or metabolic acidosis) |
adult respiratory distress syndrome
ARDS
wet lung
white lung | acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales, inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen, occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc. |
respiratory disease
respiratory illness
respiratory disorder | a disease affecting the respiratory system |
respiratory distress syndrome
respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn
hyaline membrane disease | an acute lung disease of the newborn (especially the premature newborn), lungs cannot expand because of a wetting agent is lacking, characterized by rapid shallow breathing and cyanosis and the formation of a glassy hyaline membrane over the alveoli |
respiratory tract infection
respiratory infection | any infection of the respiratory tract |
| lower respiratory infection | infection of the lower respiratory tract |
severe acute respiratory syndrome
SARS | a respiratory disease of unknown etiology that apparently originated in mainland China in , characterized by fever and coughing or difficulty breathing or hypoxia, can be fatal |
| upper respiratory infection | infection of the upper respiratory tract |
respiratory rate
rate of respiration | the rate at which a person inhales and exhales, usually measured to obtain a quick evaluation of a person's health |
| respiratory | pertaining to respiration, respiratory assistance |