Glossary of Medical Malpractice Law Terms
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Legal
Glossaries Index
Acetaminophen:
A medication effective for relieving mild pain and fever. It is also
used as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.
Accolate: Medicine
prescribed for prophylaxis and treatment of chronic asthma in
patients 12 years and older. Has shown to cause liver dysfunction,
particularly in females.
Accutane: A brand of
prescription medicine used to treat severe nodular acne that has not
responded to other treatments such as antibiotics. Accutane may
cause serious side effects, including birth defects and mental
disorders.
Addiction: A physiological
and psychological compulsion for a habit-forming substance. In
extreme cases, an addiction may become an overwhelming obsession.
Adjudicate: To decide a
legal case.
Affidavit: A voluntary
statement or declaration of facts that has been written down and
confirmed under oath.
Agonist Opioid: A powerful
type of narcotic that works by blocking signals to pain receptors in
the brain. This process also raises the level of dopamine in the
brain, creating a feeling of euphoria.
Allegation: A statement made
in a pleading by one of the parties to the action and tells what
that party intends to prove.
Analgesic: Generic term for
medications that relieve pain. Some analgesics like aspirin have a
low pain-relieving threshold, whereas others like Oxycodone have a
much higher ceiling.
Anesthesia Injury: An injury
sustained from incorrectly administered anesthetics.
Answer: Written response in
which the defendant admits or denies the allegations contained in
the complaint.
Antidepressants: A type of
drug used to control or reduce depression. Some antidepressants have
been found to have serious side effects.
Apgar Score: When a child is
born, a physician will take note of his or her activity - muscle
tone, pulse, grimace, reflex irritability, appearance, skin color,
and respiration. These observations are made once immediately
following birth and once five minutes later. A score of zero to ten
is then calculated. A low score alerts a doctor that resuscitation
may be necessary and a high score reassures a doctor that the baby
is healthy.
Arava: An oral medicine
prescribed to slow the progress of rheumatoid arthritis. Aravaź may
cause liver dysfunction and birth defects.
Arbitration: A process for
deciding a legal dispute without having to go to court.
Assumption of risk: A
defendant's allegation that the injured plaintiff recognized the
danger of the plaintiff's course of action but, nonetheless,
willingly chose to risk such danger.
Asbestos: A fibrous silicate
mineral that was once commonly used in construction. People who have
been exposed to asbestos over a period of time may develop
asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
Asbestosis: A disease that
afflicts people who have been exposed asbestos fibers. Scar tissue
builds up in the lungs, causing breathing difficulty and an
increased risk of infection. Ataxia: Jerky, uncoordinated movements.
Athetosis: Involuntary
movements - uncontrolled/unwanted movements. |
