Anion gap
Anion gap: A measurement of the interval between the sum of “routinely measured” cations minus the sum of the “routinely measured” anions in the blood. The anion gap = (Na+ + K+) – (Cl- + HCO3-) where Na- is sodium, K+ is potassium, Cl- is chloride, and HCO3- is bicarbonate.
The anion gap can be normal, high, or low. A high anion gap indicated metabolic acidosis, the increased acidity of the blood due to metabolic processes. A low anion gap is relatively rare but may occur from the presence of abnormal positively charged proteins, as in multiple myeloma.
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Aniso-: Unequal, unlike, or dissimilar. As in anisocoria, anisocytosis, and anisometropia. From the Greek anisos meaning unequal, from an-, not, + isos, equal. The opposite of aniso- is iso-.
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Anisocytosis: Excessive inequality in the size of the red blood cells. Anisocytosis is apparent on a blood smear examined under a microscope.
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Anisometropia: The condition in which the two eyes have unequal refractive power. One eye may be myopic (nearsighted) and the other hyperopic (farsighted) or one eye may be markedly stronger than the other. Anisometropia is a serious concern in newborns and young children because it can lead to amblyopia (impaired vision in one eye). With […]
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