KUB film
An abdominal X-ray that shows the kidney, ureter, and bladder.
Read Also:
- Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth
Denial — Often denial is the first stage. “I can’t be dying. Not me.” Anger — As the disease worsens and denial becomes less possible, there may be anger. “Why me?” Bargaining — “If I do such and such, can I put off death for a while?” Depression — When the bargaining doesn’t work, depression […]
- Kussmaul breathing
Air hunger, or the rapid, deep, and labored breathing characteristic of patients with acidosis (excess acidity of tissues). For example, Kussmaul breathing is seen with the acidosis of diabetes mellitus that is seriously out of control. Treatment is directed toward controlling the underlying disease.
- Kuru
A slowly progressive fatal disease of the brain that is due to an infectious agent transmitted among people in Papua New Guinea by ritual cannibalism. Kuru is an infectious form of subacute spongiform encephalopathy and is caused by a tiny infectious particle called a prion. It appears to be similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (‘mad […]
- Kveim test
A skin test for detecting sarcoidosis, a disease of unknown origin that causes inflammation of body tissues, especially the lungs and skin. The Kveim test involves injecting a preparation derived from sarcoid tissue into the skin. A lump developing at the point of injection is a positive result. The test is named for Morten A. […]
- Kwashiorkor
A childhood disease that is caused by protein deprivation. Early signs include apathy, drowsiness, and irritability. More advanced signs are poor growth, lack of stamina, loss of muscle mass, swelling, abnormal hair (sparse, thin, often streaky red or gray hair in dark-skinned children), and abnormal skin that darkens in irritated but not sun-exposed areas. An […]