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Glossary of Medical Malpractice Law Terms
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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. |
