Birth rate
Birth rate: The birth rate is usually given as the number of live births divided by the average population (or the population at midyear). This is termed the crude birth rate. In 1995, for example, the crude birth rate per 1,000 population was 14 in the United States, 16.9 in Australia, etc.
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- Birthmark
A persistent visible mark on the skin that is evident at birth or shortly thereafter. A birthmark is often due to a nevus (a mole) or an hemangioma (a localized collection of small blood vessels). Birthmarks that are pink or red are commonly capillary hemangiomas — collections of tiny blood vessels — that are most […]
- bis in die (on prescription)
bis in die (on prescription): Seen on a prescription, bid means twice (two times) a day. It is an abbreviation for “bis in die” which in Latin means twice a day. The abbreviation bid is sometimes written without a period either in lower-case letters as “bid” or in capital letters as “BID” or with periods […]
- Bisexual suicide risk
Bisexual suicide risk: High rates of suicide have consistently been reported among homosexuals, particularly among adolescents and young adults. A 1989 report concluded that “gay youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. They may comprise up to 30% of completed youth suicides annually.” In 1999 it was […]
- Bisphosphonate
Bisphosphonate: A class of drugs used to strengthen bone. Bisphosphonates are used to treat osteoporosis and the bone pain from diseases such as metastatic breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and Paget’s disease. Bone is in a constant state of remodeling, whereby new bone is laid down by cells called osteoblasts, while old bone is removed by […]
- Biventricular assist device
Biventricular assist device: A ventricular assist device that helps both ventricles of the heart. It helps the right ventricle of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and the left ventricle to pump blood to the body. The Berlin Heart is an example of a biventricular assist device.