meconium aspiration

aspiration /as·pi·ra·tion/ (as″pĭ-ra´shun)

1. the drawing of a foreign substance, such as the gastric contents, into the respiratory tract during inhalation.

2. removal by suction, as the removal of fluid or gas from a body cavity or the procurement of biopsy specimens.

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meconium aspiration  aspiration of meconium by the fetus or newborn, which may result in atelectasis, emphysema, pneumothorax, or pneumonia.

microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration  (MESA) retrieval of sperm from the epididymis using microsurgical techniques, done in men with obstructive azoospermia.

vacuum aspiration  removal of the uterine contents by application of a vacuum through a hollow curet or a cannula introduced into the uterus.

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meconium aspiration

n.

Aspiration of amniotic fluid contaminated with meconium by a fetus in hypoxic distress.

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meconium aspiration,

the inhalation of meconium by a fetus or newborn. It can block the air passages and cause failure of the lungs to expand or other pulmonary dysfunction, such as pneumonia or emphysema.

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meconium

yellow-orange mucilaginous material in the intestine of the full-term fetus; it constitutes the first stools passed by the newborn.

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meconium aspiration

aspiration of fragments of meconium into the pulmonary airways occurs in the fetus in the terminal stages of many infections.

meconium ileus

intestinal obstruction in the newborn due to the blocking of the bowels with thick meconium. This is an important disease of newborn colt foals. The syndrome is usually one of subacute abdominal pain, restlessness and straining, and a positive finding on rectal examination. Occasional cases show severe pain and tympany of the large intestine. Called also meconium retention.

meconium retention

see meconium ileus (above). See also impaction colic.