An infection arising during the course of another infection and caused by a different microorganism, which is usually resistant to the drugs used to treat the primary infection. The infective agent may be a normally harmless inhabitant of the body that becomes pathogenic when other harmless types are removed by the drugs or it may be a resistant variety of the primary infective agent.
superinfection
suppository
Medicine in a solid preparation administered via the rectum, the last part of the large intestine.
suprapubic catheter
A urinary catheter or tube used to drain urine from the bladder after being inserted via an incision in the abdominal wall.
supraventricular tachycardia
A heart rhythm disorder involving runs of abnormally fast heartbeats that develop in the atria, the upper chambers of the heart
SVT
supraventricular tachycardia
swab
Absorbent material used to mop up bodily fluids, such as blood, for instance during an operation, or to take a sample for laboratory analysis. The term may also be used as a verb to mean the action of taking a swab
sweat chloride test
A test used to diagnose cystic fibrosis.
sweat test
Analysis of a chemical (chloride) in sweat on the skin, to help diagnose cystic fibrosis
sycosis barbae
inflammation of the beard area due to infection of the hair follicles, usually with bacteria contracted from infected razors or towels.
symphisis pubis dysfunction
A complication of pregnancy where the pelvic joints become unstable causing pain and difficulty in walking.
synovial fluid
A fluid material that is found in many of the joints of the body and that acts as a lubricator.
synovitis
Inflammation of the membrane that lines a joint capsule.
syphilis
A sexually-transmitted disease caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum
syphilitic aortitis
Inflammation of the aorta occuring in tertiary, or third stage, syphilis.
syringobulbia
A neurological disease in which fluid-filled cavities form in the brainstem.
syringomyelia
A disorder in which a fluid-filled cavity or cyst forms in the spinal cord.
system sclerosis
A systemic autoimmune disease.
systemic
Affecting the whole body.
systemic lupus erythematosus
A chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of connective tissue.
systemic mastocytosis
An uncommon condition involving the mast cells of the body,which are located in connective tissue.
T-cell
A kind of lymphocyte, a type of white blood cell that fights infection.
tabes dorsalis
A rare complication of untreated syphilis.
tachycardia
An abnormally fast heart rate of over 100 beats per minute
tactile
Relating to the sense of touch.