shift to the left

shift (shift) a change or deviation.

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chloride shift  the exchange of chloride (Cl−) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) between plasma and the erythrocytes occurring whenever HCO3− is generated or decomposed within the erythrocytes.

Doppler shift  the magnitude of frequency change due to the Doppler effect.

shift to the left  an increase in the percentage of neutrophils having only one or a few lobes.

shift to the right  an increase in the percentage of multilobed neutrophils.

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shift to the left,

(in hematology) a predominance of immature leukocytes noted in a differential white blood cell count. It is usually indicative of an infection or inflammation. The term derives from a graph of blood components in which immature cell frequencies appear on the left side of the graph.

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shift [shift]

a change or deviation.

antigenic shift a sudden, major change in the antigenicity of a virus, seen especially in influenza viruses, resulting from the recombination of the genomes of two different strains; it is associated with pandemics because hosts do not have immunity to the new strain. See also antigenic drift.

chloride shift the exchange of chloride and carbonate between the plasma and the erythrocytes that takes place when the blood gives up oxygen and receives carbon dioxide. It serves to maintain ionic equilibrium between the cell and surrounding fluid.

mediastinal shift a shifting to one side of the tissues and organs of the mediastinum; see also mediastinal shift.

shift to the left

1. a change in the blood picture, with a preponderance of young neutrophils.

2. an increased oxygen affinity of hemoglobin.

shift to the right

1. a preponderance of older neutrophils in the blood picture.

2. a decreased oxygen affinity of hemoglobin.

weight shift

1. the frequent movement of a paralyzed or partially paralyzed patient to redistribute the patient's weight and prevent impairment of circulation, which leads to pressure sores. One variation is the wheelchair pressure release.

2. relocation of a patient's center of mass in order to allow movement; see also gait.

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shift

a change or deviation.

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antigenic shift

see antigenic shift.

chloride shift

see chloride shift.

shift to the left

an alteration in the distribution of leukocytes in the peripheral blood in which there is an increase in the numbers of immature neutrophils, primarily band forms but metamyelocytes or more immature cells may also be present; usually in response to an infection.

Canine blood smear showing a shift to the left with a segmented neutrophil (left) with toxic vacuolation and a metamyelocyte (right) with two Döhle bodies. By permission from Willard MD, Tvedten H, Small Animal Clinical Diagnosis by Laboratory Methods, Saunders, 2003

shift red cell

see macroreticulocyte.

shift to the right

an alteration in the distribution of leukocytes in the peripheral blood in which there is an increased number of mature neutrophils but no immature cells are present.