Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

particular population at a given time, whereas inci-
dence refers to the number of new cases that
develop in a given period of time.
preventive medicine
Medical practices that are
designed to avert and avoid disease. For example,
screening for hypertension and treating it before it
causes disease is good preventive medicine.
Preventive medicine takes a proactive approach to
patient care.
priapism
Abnormally persistent erection of the
penis in the absence of desire. Treatments include
medications, anesthesia, and drainage of blood
from the penis.
primary amenorrhea
See 
amenorrhea.
primary biliary cirrhosis
See 
cirrhosis, pri-
mary biliary.
primary care
A patient’s main source for regular
medical care, ideally providing continuity and inte-
gration of health care services. All family physicians,
and many pediatricians and internists, practice pri-
mary care. The aims of primary care are to provide
the patient with a broad spectrum of preventive and
curative care over a period of time and to coordi-
nate all the care that the patient receives.
347
primary care
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primary care provider
In insurance parlance, a
physician who is chosen by or assigned to a patient
and both provides primary care and acts as a gate-
keeper to control access to other medical services.
primary dentition
See 
primary teeth.
primary HIV infection
See 
HIV infection,
primary.
primary sclerosing cholangitis
A chronic dis-
order of the liver of uncertain cause in which the
bile ducts within and outside of the liver become
inflamed, thickened, scarred (sclerotic), and
obstructed. This progressive process can in time
destroy the bile ducts and lead to cirrhosis.
Abbreviated PSC. PSC can occur by itself or in asso-
ciation with other diseases, including inflammatory
bowel disease. PSC often triggers jaundice (yellow-
ing), pruritus (generalized itching all over the
body), upper abdominal pain, and infection. Later
on, PSC progresses to cirrhosis of the liver and liver
failure, creating a need for liver transplantation.
Diagnosis is made via clinical observation and rou-
tine laboratory tests and is confirmed through
demonstration of thickened bile ducts, using special
radiologic tests called cholangiography. Treatment
includes cholestyramine to diminish itching, antibi-
otics for infection, vitamin D and calcium to prevent
bone loss (osteoporosis), sometimes balloon
dilatation or surgery for obstructed ducts, and liver
transplantation when necessary and possible. The
prognosis depends on the age of the person, the
degree of jaundice, the stage of PSC found via liver
biopsy, and the size of the spleen. Most patients die
within 10 years of diagnosis unless a liver transplant
is performed. Also known as idiopathic sclerosing
cholangitis.
primary teeth
The first 20 teeth, which are shed
and replaced by permanent teeth. The first primary
tooth comes in (erupts) at about 6 months of age,
and the last erupts at around 2
1
⁄
2
years. Replacement
with permanent teeth usually begins at about age 6.
Also known as baby teeth, milk teeth, primary den-
tition, temporary teeth, and deciduous teeth.