STAT means now. Everything else means consult a specialist.
The medical term for tissue wasting, whether from genetic bad luck or nutritional deficiencyābasically your body consuming itself when things go very wrong. Most famously associated with muscular dystrophy, the umbrella term for genetic disorders that progressively weaken muscles. It's what happens when cellular maintenance crews go on permanent strike.
The skin's middle management layer sitting right below the surface epidermis, packed with all the important infrastructure like blood vessels, nerves, and hair follicles. It's where your skin actually does its heavy lifting, producing collagen and elastin while the epidermis gets all the glory. Think of it as the foundation of a houseānobody sees it, but everything falls apart without it.
The medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to promote healing of remaining healthy tissue. Essentially spring cleaning for wounds, but with scalpels.
Acute confusion and altered mental status, when the brain temporarily goes offline and reality becomes negotiable. It's particularly common in hospitalized elderly patients and makes for very interesting nursing notes.
The controlled electrocution of someone's heart to reset its rhythm when it's freaking out and beating chaotically. It's shocking a fibrillating heart back to normal function, preferably before brain damage sets in from lack of oxygen. Basically, it's turning your heart off and on again, except the stakes are slightly higher than rebooting your computer.
The medical establishment's polite way of saying something in your body or brain isn't functioning according to factory specifications. It's a physical or mental malfunction that ranges from mildly annoying to life-threatening, often requiring professional intervention and a prescription pad. Basically, it's when your biological software has bugs that WebMD will convince you are definitely cancer.
In mental health, a serious clinical condition involving prolonged lowered mood and loss of life enjoymentādistinct from everyday sadness, requiring professional support and patience with yourself.
A serious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae that inflames the mucous membranes of your upper respiratory tract, essentially turning your throat into a hostile environment. Thanks to vaccines, it's now mainly something parents use to scare anti-vaxxers back to reality. Before immunization, this disease was a legitimate childhood nightmare that actually warranted the fear.
Abnormal cell growth that's not cancer (yet) but looks suspicious enough to make pathologists concernedābasically cancer's suspicious cousin.
In clinical settings, someone experiencing depressionāa serious medical condition that's much more than just feeling sad. Not to be confused with pessimistic people at parties, though the end result might look similar.
When a patient's body gives up maintaining balance and starts failingābasically medical surrender in real-time.
The medical term for 'skin-related' that instantly adds 20 IQ points to any conversation about rashes. Any cutaneous condition becomes instantly more scientific when you add this prefix.
A life-threatening emergency where uncontrolled diabetes causes blood to become dangerously acidic. Your blood pH drops, your breathing gets weird, and without emergency treatment, you're done.
A metabolic disorder where your body can't regulate blood sugarāwhether from lack of insulin production or resistance to the stuff. It's basically your pancreas throwing up its hands in surrender.