Bubbles
Bubbles (medicine)
Bubbles (pronunciation: /ˈbʌb(ə)lz/) in the medical context, often refer to gas-filled cavities within the body, which can be seen in various medical imaging techniques.
Etymology
The term "bubble" originates from the Middle English word "bobel", which is likely of imitative origin.
Medical Context
In medicine, bubbles can be seen in a variety of conditions and diagnostic procedures. They can be naturally occurring or artificially induced for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.
Naturally Occurring Bubbles
Naturally occurring bubbles can be seen in conditions such as Emphysema, where air-filled sacs or "bubbles" form in the lungs, or Decompression sickness, also known as "the bends", where bubbles of inert gases form in the blood and tissues due to rapid decompression.
Artificially Induced Bubbles
Artificially induced bubbles are used in procedures such as Echocardiography, where microbubbles are injected into the bloodstream to enhance the ultrasound images, or in Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where high pressure oxygen is used to reduce the size of air bubbles in the body.
Related Terms
- Emphysema: A lung condition that causes shortness of breath due to over-inflation of the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs.
- Decompression sickness: A condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body due to rapid decompression.
- Echocardiography: A diagnostic test that uses ultrasound waves to produce images of the heart.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A treatment in which the patient breathes 100% oxygen while inside a treatment chamber at a pressure higher than sea level pressure.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Bubbles
- Wikipedia's article - Bubbles
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