acute phase response

response /re·sponse/ (re-spons´) any action or change of condition evoked by a stimulus.respon´sive

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acute phase response  a group of physiological processes occurring soon after the onset of infection, trauma, inflammatory processes, and some malignant conditions; it includes increase in acute phase proteins in serum, fever, increased vascular permeability, and metabolic and pathologic changes.

anamnestic response  secondary immune r.

autoimmune response  the immune response against an autoantigen.

conditioned response  a response evoked by a conditioned stimulus; a response to a stimulus that was incapable of evoking it before conditioning.

galvanic skin response  the alteration in the electrical resistance of the skin associated with sympathetic nerve discharge.

immune response  any response of the immune system to an antigenic stimulus, including antibody production, cell-mediated immunity, and immunological tolerance.

primary immune response  the immune response occurring on the first exposure to an antigen, with specific antibodies appearing in the blood after a multiple day latent period.

relaxation response  a group of physiologic changes that cause decreased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and consequent relaxation after stimulation of certain regions of the hypothalamus. They may be self-induced through techniques such as meditation and biofeedback.

secondary immune response  the immune response occurring on second and subsequent exposures to an antigen, with a stronger response to a lesser amount of antigen, and a shorter lag time compared to the primary immune response.

triple response (of Lewis)  a triphasic skin reaction to being stroked with a blunt instrument: first a red line develops at the site due to histamine release, then a flare develops around the red line, and lastly a wheal is formed as a result of local edema.

unconditioned response  an unlearned response, i.e., one that occurs naturally to an unconditioned stimulus.

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acute phase response

n.

A group of physiologic changes that occur shortly after the onset of an infection or other inflammatory process and include an increase in the blood level of various proteins, especially C-reactive protein, fever, and other metabolic changes.

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response [re-spons´]

any action or change of condition evoked by a stimulus.

acute phase response a group of physiologic processes occurring soon after the onset of infection, trauma, inflammatory processes, and some malignant conditions. The most prominent change is a dramatic increase of acute phase proteins in the serum, especially C-reactive protein. Also seen are fever, increased vascular permeability, and a variety of metabolic and pathologic changes.

anamnestic response the rapid reappearance of antibody in the blood following introduction of an antigen to which the subject had previously developed a primary immune response.

auditory brainstem response ABR; a special hearing test that tracks the nerve signals arising in the inner ear as they travel along the auditory nerve to the brain region responsible for hearing. A small speaker placed near the ear makes a clicking sound, and special electrodes record the nerve signal as it travels. The test can determine where along the nerve there is a lesion responsible for sensorineural hearing loss. It is often used for individuals with such loss in just one ear; this is often caused by a benign tumor along the auditory nerve, but if the ABR reading is normal in a given region, the chances of there being a tumor there are small. This test can also be used on infants since it requires no conscious response from the person being tested.

autoimmune response the immune response in which antibodies or immune lymphoid cells are produced against the body's own tissues. See also autoimmune disease.

conditioned response see conditioned response.

dysfunctional ventilatory weaning response a nursing diagnosis adopted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, defined as inability of a patient to adjust to lowered levels of mechanical ventilator support, which interrupts and prolongs the process of weaning. See also mechanical ventilatory weaning.

galvanic skin response the alteration in the electrical resistance of the skin associated with sympathetic nerve discharge.

immune response see immune response.

inflammatory response the various changes that tissue undergoes when it becomes inflamed; see inflammation.

post-trauma response former name for the nursing diagnosis post-trauma syndrome.

reticulocyte response increase in the formation of reticulocytes in response to a bone marrow stimulus.

triple response (of Lewis) a physiologic reaction of the skin to stroking with a blunt instrument: first a red line develops at the site of stroking, owing to the release of histamine or a histamine-like substance, then a flare develops around the red line, and lastly a wheal is formed as a result of local edema.

unconditioned response an unlearned response, i.e., one that occurs naturally, in contrast to a conditioned response.

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acute

1. brief.

2. common usage is 'having severe signs and a short course of 12 to 24 hours'. See also under organ (e.g. pancreatitis), system (e.g. respiratory), causative agent (e.g. arsenic) or lesion (e.g. myonecrosis).

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acute bovine pulmonary emphysema-edema

see atypical interstitial pneumonia.

acute care

see secondary health care.

acute death syndrome of chickens

sudden death, for no apparent reason, in 2 to 3 week old broiler chicks; clinical signs of falling, wing flapping and convulsions may occur for about a minute before death.

acute phase response

the rapid change in composition of certain plasma proteins, largely due to alteration in hepatic synthesis, in response to infection or inflammation. Although the purpose is not well understood, these changes are believed to assist in immune response. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a laboratory indicator of the acute phase response. See also c-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor.

acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE)

see apache system.

acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

see acute respiratory distress syndrome.

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acute phase response

A constellation of nonspecific host responses to cytokines released in response to tissue injury, infection, inflammation and rarely malignancy–eg, Hodgkin's disease, renal cell CA, and causes functional liver changes–↑ synthesis of acute phase proteins, endocrine system–abnormal glucose tolerance, ↑ gluconeogenesis, thyroid dysfunction, altered lipid metabolism, immune system–left shift leukocytosis, hypergammaglobulinemia, metabolic system–↓ albumin synthesis, energy consumption, ↑ ceruloplasmin, ↓ iron and zinc levels, and CNS–lethargy; the most measured molecule in the response is the highly nonspecific CRP, which may ↑ 10- to 1000-fold within hrs from a normal of 100 µg/L