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pressure
(redirected from hand pressure)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.28 sec.
pressure /pres·sure/ (P ) (presh´er) force per unit area.
arterial pressure  blood p. (2).
blood pressure 
1. the pressure of blood against the walls of any blood vessel.
2. the pressure of blood on the walls of the arteries, dependent on the energy of the heart action, elasticity of the arterial walls, and volume and viscosity of the blood; the maximum or systolic pressure occurs near the end of the stroke output of the left ventricle, and the minimum or diastolic late in ventricular diastole.
central venous pressure  (CVP) the venous pressure as measured at the right atrium, done by means of a catheter introduced through the median cubital vein to the superior vena cava.
cerebrospinal pressure  the pressure or tension of the cerebrospinal fluid, normally 100–150 mm. as measured by the manometer.
detrusor pressure  the pressure exerted inwards by the detrusor urinae muscles of the bladder wall.
diastolic pressure , diastolic blood pressure see blood p.
end-diastolic pressure  the pressure in the ventricles at the end of diastole, usually measured in the left ventricle as an approximation of the end-diastolic volume, or preload.
intracranial pressure  (ICP) pressure of the subarachnoidal fluid.
intraocular pressure  the pressure exerted against the outer coats by the contents of the eyeball.
intravesical pressure  the pressure exerted on the contents of the urinary bladder; the sum of the intra-abdominal pressure from outside the bladder and the detrusor pressure.
maximum expiratory pressure  (MEP) a measure of the strength of respiratory muscles, obtained by having the patient exhale as strongly as possible against a mouthpiece; the maximum value is near total lung capacity.
maximum inspiratory pressure  (MIP) a measure of the strength of respiratory muscles, obtained by having the patient inhale as strongly as possible with the mouth against a mouthpiece; the maximum value is near the residual volume.
mean arterial pressure  (MAP) the average pressure within an artery over a complete cycle of one heartbeat.
mean circulatory filling pressure  a measure of the average (arterial and venous) pressure necessary to cause filling of the circulation with blood; it varies with blood volume and is directly proportional to the rate of venous return and thus to cardiac output.
negative pressure  pressure less than that of the atmosphere.
oncotic pressure  the osmotic pressure due to the presence of colloids in solution.
osmotic pressure  the pressure required to prevent osmosis through a semipermeable membrane between a solution and pure solvent; it is proportional to the osmolality of the solution. Symbol p.
partial pressure  the pressure exerted by each of the constituents of a mixture of gases.
positive pressure  pressure greater than that of the atmosphere.
positive end-expiratory pressure  (PEEP) a method of mechanical ventilation in which pressure is maintained to increase the volume of gas left in the lungs at the end of exhalation, reducing shunting of blood through the lungs and improving gas exchange.
pulmonary artery wedge pressure  (PAWP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) intravascular pressure as measured by a catheter wedged into the distal pulmonary artery ; used to measure indirectly the mean left atrial pressure.
pulse pressure  the difference between systolic and diastolic pressures.
systolic pressure , systolic blood pressure see blood p.
Valsalva leak point pressure  the amount of pressure on the bladder by a Valsalva maneuver at which leakage of urine occurs; a measure of strength of the urethral sphincters.
venous pressure  the pressure of blood in the veins.
wedge pressure  blood pressure measured by a small catheter wedged into a vessel, occluding it, e.g., pulmonary capillary wedge p.
wedged hepatic vein pressure  the venous pressure measured with a catheter wedged into the hepatic vein; used to locate the site of obstruction in portal hypertension.

pres·sure (prshr)
n.
1. The act of pressing or condition of being pressed.
2. A stress or force acting in any direction against resistance.
3. Force applied uniformly over a surface, measured as force per unit of area.

pressure,
n a stress or strain that may occur by compression, pull, or thrust; an applied force.
pressure area,
pressure atrophy,
pressure, biting,
n the actual or potential power used in bringing the teeth into contact. See also pressure, occlusal.
pressure, blood,
pressure, deeper,
n a pressure to the body–in excess of that which stimulates Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel's disks, or the hair receptors of light touch–that stimulates the deeper receptors such as Pacini's corpuscles. These latter deep-pressure perception organs lie in the inner layers of the dermis and in the muscle and tendon groups.
pressure, equalization of,
n the act of distributing pressure evenly.
pressure, hand,
n force applied by an instrument held in the hand.
pressure, hydraulic,
n pressure transmitted by a liquid trapped between the tooth and a restoration being cemented.
pressure, hydrostatic,
n the pressure in the circulatory system exerted by the volume of blood when it is confined in a blood vessel. The hydrostatic pressure, coupled with the osmotic pressure within a capillary is opposed by the hydrostatic and osmotic pressure of the surrounding tissues. Fluids flow from the higher pressure areas to the lower pressure areas.
pressure, intrapleural,
n pressure within the pleura.
pressure, occlusal,
n any force exerted on the occlusal surfaces of teeth. See also force, occlusal and load, occlusal.
pressure, osmotic,
n the stress that develops when solutions containing different concentrations of solute in a common solvent are separated by a membrane that is permeable to the solvent but not the solute.
pressure, partial,
n the pressure exerted by each of the constituents of a mixture of gases.
pressure, pulse,
n the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure.
pressure sensibility,
n the ability to detect light touch and deep pressure. See also corpuscle, Meissner's; corpuscle, Merkel's; and corpuscle, Pacini's.
pressure sore,
n a decubitus ulcer caused when the bony protuberances of the body are subjected to chronic pressure from the weight of the body without breaks.

pressure
stress or strain, by compression, expansion, pull, thrust or shear.

arterial pressure
the blood pressure in the arteries.
atmospheric pressure
the pressure exerted by the atmosphere, about 15 lb per square inch (2.17 kPa) at sea level.
capillary pressure
the blood pressure in the capillaries.
central venous pressure (CVP)
see central venous pressure.
cerebrospinal pressure
the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid, normally 100 to 150 mmHg.
diastolic pressure
the lowest pressure recorded in the arterial blood pressure cycle. Represents the minimal pressure in the left ventricle which can maintain its ejection phase. See also blood pressure.
pressure gauge
a device attached to the outlet of gas tanks to measure internal pressure which indicates the quantity of gas remaining.
pressure gradient
the rate of increase (or decrease) in the magnitude of the pressure being measured.
intracranial pressure (ICP)
see intracranial pressure.
intraocular pressure (IOP)
the pressure exerted against the outer coats by the contents of the eyeball.
pressure load
mean circulatory filling pressure
a measure of the average (arterial and venous) pressure necessary to cause filling of the circulation with blood; it varies with blood volume and is directly proportional to the rate of venous return and thus to cardiac output.
pressure natriuresis
thought to participate in regulating the volume of extracellular fluid levels when the normal neurohumoral mediators are impaired; the increase in water and sodium ion excretions which occur when blood pressure is elevated because of an increase in the circulating blood volume.
pressure necrosis
necrosis of tissue caused by exclusion of circulation by external compression, e.g. in prolonged recumbency, or due to too-tight bandage, collar, harness.
negative pressure
pressure less than that of the atmosphere.
oncotic pressure
the osmotic pressure of a colloid in solution.
osmotic pressure
the potential pressure of a solution directly related to its solute osmolar concentration; it is the maximum pressure developed by osmosis in a solution separated from another by a semipermeable membrane, i.e. the pressure that will just prevent osmosis between two such solutions.
pressure point granuloma
see pressure points (below).
pressure point pyoderma
see pressure points (below).
pressure points
parts of the body subject to pressure when the animal is recumbent, wearing harness or saddlery, or during restraint. Usually bony prominences such as the point of the hock, hip, shoulder, elbow and lateral aspects of limbs. These are predisposed to callus formation, infection pyoderma and granulomas.
positive pressure
pressure greater than that of the atmosphere.
pulse pressure
difference between systolic and diastolic pressures in arteries.
pressure receptors
e.g. the blood pressure receptors in the aortic arch and the carotid sinus.
pressure sore
decubitus ulcer.
systolic pressure
the highest reading in the arterial blood pressure cycle. A reflection of the ejection pressure of left ventricular systole, and the elasticity of the arterial system.
venous pressure
the blood pressure in the veins. See also central venous pressure.
wedge pressure
intravascular pressure as measured by a swan-ganz catheter introduced into the pulmonary artery; it permits indirect measurement of the mean left atrial pressure.
pressure wrap
bandages which apply pressure to underlying tissues; used after trauma to limit the development of edema, and in the management of lymphedema.

pressure Vox populi A force or stress applied to a suface by a fluid or object, and measured in units of mass per unit area. See Blood pressure, Continuous positive airway pressure, Coronary perfusion pressure, End-diastolic pressure, End-systolic pressure, Intracranial pressure, Intraocular pressure, Intrauterine pressure, Negative pressure, Negative end-expiratory pressure, Oncotic pressure, Osmotic pressure, PEEP, Pulmonary-capillary pressure, Transpulmonary pressure, Wedge pressure.


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