Letter: a

From oneself.

Acting or occurring involuntarily (autonomic reflexes); relating to, affecting, or controlled by the autonomic nervous system (autonomic ganglia; autonomic dysfunction); having an effect upon tissue supplied by the autonomic nervous system resulting from internal stimuli; spontaneous.

No or under ventilation of any part of the lung or even a whole lung. Can usually be corrected with mechanical ventilation. Open suctioning is a significant risk factor for atelectasis.

The part of the nervous system that is concerned with control of involuntary body functions, such as glandular secretions, heart beat, bowel function, bronchodilation, bronchoconstriction, vasodilation, and vasoconstriction. Also called the visceral nervous system, as opposed to the somatic nervous system. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Narrowing and obstruction of circulatory vessels; most common cause of ischemia.

Alveolar Ventilation

A hereditary tendency to develop IgE-mediated states of hypersensitivity, such as hay fever.

Flu primarily caused by viruses that normally infect only birds (e.g. H5N1 virus). Transmission is from bird to bird, but occasionally transmitted from bird to human. Fear of global pandemic would occur if the virus were to become capable of spreading from person to person as the human immune system would not recognize the virus and would require time to mount a defense. Unfortunately, the virus may be very virulent and kill the individual before the defense is capable of mounting. Death rates could be extremely high.

Adenosine Triphosphate

The axial nerve or circumflex nerve is a nerve that comes off the brachial plexus at the level of the axilla (armpit) and carries nerve fibers from C5 and C6. The nerve supplies the deltoid (shoulder muscle) teres minor (one of the rotator cuff muscles) and an elbow extensor muscle.