Type and Cross Match. As in type and cross match blood to possibly be used for a blood transfusion. Refers to the evaluation of a unit of donated blood for its “blood type” and whether it contains abnormal antibodies that might cause an adverse reaction if used in a transfusion.
Glossary
WP Glossary
URI
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
URIs
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
UTI
Urinary Tract Infection
UTIs
Urinary Tract Infections
V-Pl
Ventriculo-pleural – as in ventricular-pleural shunt, a type of hydrocephalic shunt whose distal end drains into the pleural cavity of the chest.
VA
Ventriculo-atrial – as in ventriculo-atrial shunt, a type of hydrocephalic shunt whose distal end drains into the right atrium of the heart.
VAC
Vacuum-assisted wound closure – AKA negative-pressure wound therapy or NPWT. A sealed wound dressing connected to a vacuum pump creates a negative pressure environment for the wound which promotes healing. To date it has been proven efficacous for diabetic ulcers and studies suggest possible benefit in other types of wounds.
Vascular steal
Refers to the diversion of blood flow from one area to another, typically due to a differential in resistance to flow. The area the blood is diverted from suffers ischemia due to the diminution in blood perfusion.
vasculogenesis
The process of blood vessel formation from progenitor cells (as opposed to angiogenesis, which is the process of blood vessel formation from existing blood vessels).