Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

diaphragm pacing
A procedure to help patients
with spinal cord injuries to breathe. Their breathing
is helped by setting the respiratory rate by electrical
stimulation (pacing) of the phrenic nerve using
electrodes surgically implanted into the diaphragm
muscle that is innervated by the nerve.
diaphragmatic hernia
Passage of a loop of
bowel through the diaphragm muscle. This type of
hernia occurs as the bowel from the abdomen pro-
trudes (herniates) upward through the diaphragm
into the chest (thoracic) cavity.
diarrhea
A common condition that involves
unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements.
The opposite of constipation. There are many infec-
tious and noninfectious causes of diarrhea.
Persistent diarrhea is both uncomfortable and dan-
gerous to the health because it can indicate an
underlying infection and may mean that the body is
not able to absorb some nutrients due to a problem
in the bowels. Treatment includes drinking plenty of
fluids to prevent dehydration and taking over-the-
counter remedies. People with diarrhea that per-
sists for more than a couple days, particularly small
children or elderly people, should seek medical
attention.
diarrhea, antibiotic-induced
Diarrhea caused
by the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile),
one of the most common causes of infection of the
large bowel (colon). Patients taking antibiotics are
at particular risk of becoming infected with C. diffi-
cile. Antibiotics disrupt the normal bacteria of the
bowel, allowing C. difficile and other bacteria to
become established and overgrow inside the colon.
In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile
causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflamma-
tion of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white
blood cell count, vomiting, and dehydration. In
severely affected patients, the inner lining of the
colon becomes severely inflamed (pseudomembra-
nous colitis). Rarely, the walls of the colon wear
away and holes develop (colon perforation), which
can lead to a life-threatening infection of the
abdomen.