Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

cannula
A hollow tube with a sharp, retractable
inner core that can be inserted into a vein, an artery,
or another body cavity.
cancer, skin
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capillary
A tiny blood vessel that connects an
arteriole (the smallest division of an artery) with a
venule (the smallest division of a vein). Although
tiny, the capillary plays an imortant role in the cir-
culatory system. The walls of capillaries act as semi-
permeable membranes that permit the exchange of
various substances, including fluids and the gases
oxygen and carbon dioxide, between the blood
stream and the tissues of the body.
capillary hemangioma
See 
hemangioma, cap-
illary.
capitation
In US health services, a fixed “per
capita” amount that is paid to a hospital, clinic, or
physician for each person served. If that person
uses few services, the excess amount paid is poten-
tial profit for the payee. If the person uses many
services, the payee may lose money.
caps
Abbreviation for capsules.
carbohydrate
One of the three nutrient com-
pounds, along with fat and protein, used as energy
sources (calories) by the body. Carbohydrates take
the form of simple sugars or of more complex
forms, such as starches and fiber. Complex carbo-
hydrates come naturally from plants. Intake of com-
plex carbohydrates, when they are substituted for
saturated fat, can lower blood cholesterol.
Carbohydrates produce 4 calories of energy per
gram. When eaten, all carbohydrates are broken
down into the sugar glucose.
carbon monoxide poisoning
A potentially
deadly condition caused by breathing carbon
monoxide gas, which prevents oxygenation of the
blood. Common causes of carbon monoxide poison-
ing include malfunctioning furnaces and the use of
kerosene heaters or similar devices in unventilated
indoor spaces. Carbon monoxide is also emitted by
automobile and other engines, so these should not
be run in unventilated spaces, such as closed
garages. Inexpensive alarms are available that can
detect dangerous buildups of carbon monoxide. The
treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning is imme-
diate reoxygenation of the blood in a hospital.