Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

AIDS dementia complex
A brain disorder in
people with severe AIDS, causing loss of thinking
capacity and affecting the ability to function. AIDS
dementia complex is considered an AIDS-defining
illness—that is, one of the serious illnesses that
occurs in HIV-positive individuals warranting an
AIDS diagnosis, according to the definition of AIDS
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
AIDS-related complex
A term used in the early
years of the AIDS epidemic to describe people with
HIV infection who had only mild symptoms of illness,
such as swollen lymph glands. It is rarely used today.
Abbreviated ARC.
airway
The path that air follows to get into and
out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are the nor-
mal entry and exit ports for the airway. Entering air
then passes through the back of the throat (phar-
ynx) and continues through the voice box (larynx),
down the trachea, to finally pass through the
bronchi.
airway obstruction
Partial or complete block-
age of the breathing passages to the lungs. Causes
include the presence of foreign matter, allergic
reactions, infections, anatomical abnormalities, and
trauma. Associated respiratory distress may be sud-
den, with only a cough for a warning. There is often
agitation in the early stages. Other signs include
labored, ineffective breathing, until the person is no
longer breathing (apneic). Loss of consciousness
occurs if the obstruction is not relieved. Treatment
of airway obstruction due to a foreign body includes
the Heimlich maneuver for adults, a series of five
abdominal thrusts for children over 1 year of age,
and a combination of five back blows with the flat of
the hand and five abdominal thrusts with two fingers
on the upper abdomen for infants.
AKA
Above-the-knee amputation, generally per-
formed when the leg is not medically viable or to
prevent the spread of disease to the tissues above
the knee from below.
akathisia
A movement disorder characterized by
a feeling of inner restlessness and a compelling
need to be in constant motion, as well as by actions
such as rocking while standing or sitting, lifting the
feet as if marching on the spot, and crossing and
uncrossing the legs while sitting. People with
akathisia are unable to sit or keep still, complain of
restlessness, fidget, rock from foot to foot, and
pace.