A simple explanation of various medical terms and what they mean.

Where we've told you how we can help with medical law, we've inevitably had to use some medical terminology and technical terms.  Some you'll already know and some are explained on the relevant website page.  For those terms that aren't familiar, here's a quick glossary and some more information:

Caesarean section: (also known as a C-section) an operation to deliver a baby by making a cut first in the front wall of the abdomen (tummy) and then into the womb.  It's performed when there is a medical need to deliver baby quickly or for some other reason to avoid a normal (vaginal) delivery. Some mother's decide they want a caesarean for personal reasons or because they do not want to run the risks of vaginal delivery (elective operation).  A medical need to deliver by c-section might be due to your baby being in the breech (feet first) position for example, or mother is in danger from eclampsia or because baby is becoming distressed in the womb and needs delivering straight away (emergency C-section). 

Cauda equina syndrome: problems caused by compression of the nerves in the lumbar (lower) spine which resemble a horses' tail (hence the 'equina' bit in the name). This pressure on the spinal nerves can have several underlying causes including a slipped lumbar disc and inflammation or infections of the spine.  If patients with cauda equina syndrome do not get treatment quickly adverse results can include permanent paralysis, loss of sexual, bladder and bowel function.

Cerebral palsy: a condition in which there may be abnormal brain development or injury to the brain as it develops.  This can happen before, during or after birth or in early childhood. Children with cerebral palsy have difficulty in controlling their muscles and movement as they grow and develop and may also have problems with vision, hearing, learning and behaviour. Cerebral palsy is not progressive.  The actual injury or impairment remains the same, however, the effects of that original brain injury on the daily living can become more pronounced over time.

CAT scan: also known as Computed Tomography, Computer Axial Tomography or CT scan.  It is a medical scanning method that employs tight, short beams of X-rays and some clever computer software to build up a 3D image of an organ or any location in the body by putting together dozens of 2D X-ray image 'slices' of the body taken from many different angles. CT scanners resemble a doughnut shape.

CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation): the use of chest compressions and artificial ventilation to maintain circulation flow and oxygenation during a cardiac arrest (the heart has stopped).  Compression-only CPR (COCPR) consists solely of chest compressions.  Contrary to what you see on TV when the paddles are pulled out and the doctor shouts 'clear', a defibrillator is used only to correct a heart's abnormal rhythm.  A defibrillator can't 're-start' a heart that's stopped beating.  In this situation, the treatment to 'bring the patient back' is CPR, full life-support and heart muscle drugs (inotropes).

Episiotomy: a surgical cut made in the area between the vagina and the anus (called the perineum) just before the baby is born to enlarge the vaginal opening. Episiotomies were routinely done to speed delivery and prevent the vagina from tearing.  The accepted wisdom was that a 'clean cut' would heal more easily than a tear and would help prevent later complications such as incontinence.  Some studies and pressure groups however suggest there is no good evidence that episiotomy has those advantages and may actually cause problems.  Episiotomies are still recommended in situations where you are having a breech birth (the baby comes out feet first) and is well down the birth canal so a cesarean section is not possible, or you have been unsuccessfully trying to give birth for several hours and are exhausted so a rapid delivery is called for.  Episiotomies are also performed if there is a need to use forceps or other devices to assist in delivery or if you have a serious health condition, such as heart disease, in order to make labour as quick as possible to minimise further health risk to you or the baby.

Group B Streptococcus infections: (also known as Streptococcus agalactiae) Streptoccocus is the name for a family of bacteria.  This particular one normally lives harmlessly in the vaginal and gastrointestinal tracts of healthy women and may be passed on to a baby either while still in the womb or during delivery.  About half the babies born to mothers carrying group B streptococcus pick up the bug,  but only about 2% then go on to develop severe group B streptococcal infection. Many people have bacteria sometimes in or on their bodies. Mostly they cause no harm at all. Sometimes they get into the blood through wounds or the mouth and take hold.  For this reason some "at risk" patients are screened before having surgery in case bacteria from their own bodies infect the operation wound. Equally we should be careful not to pass our own bacteria on to who, through illness or deliberate immunosuppression, are not able to fight off infections.

Hydrocephalus: literally 'water on the brain', hydrocephalus is having an excessive amount of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord which can lead to severe neurological damage.  In small babies, the head may enlarge as the sutures (joins between the skull bones) separate and the fontanelle (the soft spot on top of a baby's head) bulges.  There may also be vomiting, muscle spasm and increasingly irritability. It can also lead to delayed development and growth, learning disabilities, decreased movement, poor feeding and sleepiness.  Hydrocephalus can also occur in adults where these symptoms may also arise as a complication of a blocked CSF shunt.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a type of scan that can produce very detailed images of the inside of the body using powerful magnetic fields and radio waves.  The advantage of an MRI scan is that it doesn't expose the body to any X-ray radiation (unlike CT scans) and is not considered dangerous for mothers and babies or young children in particular. The patient must keep completely still while the scan is taken which means for some people sedation or anaesthetic.  An MRI scanner involves putting the patient in a long tube. 

Multiple sclerosis: (also known as MS) is a neurological condition that damages the nerves and leads to symptoms ranging from tiredness and weakness to visual problems and loss of coordination.  Some people affected may only experience mild attacks and no permanent disability while roughly 15% of MS sufferers have a progressive disease that gets steadily worse.  The cause is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors and as there's no cure, medical treatment concentrates on symptom relief and preventing relapses.

MND (motor neurone disease): a condition that occurs when specialised nerve cells called motor neurones are damaged, causing the muscles to waste away.  The motor neurones control the muscle activity involved in basic functions like walking, speaking, breathing and swallowing.  As the damage progresses, the symptoms become progressively worse.  In the final stages, a person with MND will be unable to move their body at all and may have difficulty breathing.

Meningitis: infection and inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord and usually caused by either a bacteria or virus. Viral meningitis tends to appear in the summer months and is usually not as severe as bacterial meningitis, which can have a serious risk of fatal complications. Both require urgent treatment. Generally the worse the patient's condition on arrival at hospital the worse the eventual outcome.  Neck stiffness, non blanching rash and photophobia (an aversion to light) are all possible symptoms. The problem though is that they are not always present and in the early stages the symptoms of meningitis are may be non specific and look like common minor ailments.

Necrotising fasciitis: (or Necrotizing fasciitis) more commonly known as the flesh-eating disease.  A rare bacterial infection that can begin at the site of a wound such as in surgery. If untreated the skin may appear red and swollen and get hot very quickly. Blisters may form with subsequent necrosis (death) of the underlying tissue.  Necrotizing fasciitis is a very serious infection and is usually treated with high doses of intravenous antibiotics.

Norovirus: better known as the winter vomiting bug, it's the most common stomach bug in the UK.  The virus is highly contagious, causing vomiting and diarrhoea.  There is no specific cure, so you have to let it run its course but it rarely lasts more than a couple of days.
Neuro-radiologist: a specialist with expertise in the use of radioactive substances, x-rays and scanning devices for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.

Neonatologist: doctors who specialise in the treatment and care of newborn babies, especially in complex or high risk situations where the skills and knowledge of a pediatrician alone may need to be supported by experts.

Obstetrician: a doctor who specialises in the management of pregnancy, labour and care in the period immediately following child birth.  A gynecologist specialises in the health of the female reproductive system but these roles tend to overlap so an obstetrician/gynecologist (sometimes shortened to OB/GYN) provides medical and surgical care to women and has particular expertise in pregnancy, childbirth and disorders of the reproductive system.

Paediatric neurologist: doctors who diagnose and treat neurological problems such as epilepsy and other neurological diseases in children less than eighteen years of age.

Septicaemia or 'blood poisoning': is a specific bacterial infection of the blood.   Strictly speaking, it's a type of sepsis.  Sepsis is a life-threatening illness caused when the body's immune system over reacts to an infection that can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death if left untreated.

Shunts (Cerebral shunts): are commonly used to treat hydrocephalus, the swelling of the brain due to excess build up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), sometimes referred to as 'water on the brain.'  Shunts are really nothing more than a pump and a catheter or tube designed to reduce pressure by draining off the excess CSF.  They are surgically inserted and left in place and there can be a number of complications associated with their use.  Infection is common in very young patients because they have not yet built up their immune system.  Another common cause of shunt failure is obstruction or blockage caused by a build up of protein in the CSF. Over drainage can also lead to a number of different complications.
 
Thrombosis: the medical term that refers to an obstruction of a blood vessel caused by a blood clot (a thrombus) that can form in a vein or an artery.  Types of thrombosis are usually named after where they are located: in a vein it's called venous thrombosis, in an artery it's known as arterial thrombosis and if in a vein of the brain it would be a cerebral venous thrombosis.  Thrombosis can be very serious, especially if the obstruction occurs in one of the two main arteries of the heart (coronary thrombosis) and can lead to a heart attack or stroke

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We can't promise you a detailed explanation of any other medical terms, but if you want your legal options explained in language you can understand, call our helpline on 03700 86 86 86 or contact us online.  Calls cost no more than a national rate 01 or 02 number and the helpline is available seven days a week:  Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Our legal helpline advisers can put you in touch directly with senior specialists who can advise you of the merits of your case following a free consultation.