Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

ileus, paralytic
See 
ileus.
iliac
Pertaining to the ilium.
iliac horns
A horn-like malformation on the
crest of each of the iliac bones of the pelvis, a char-
acteristic finding in nail-patella syndrome. See also
nail-patella syndrome.
ilium
The upper part of the pelvic bone, which
forms the receptacle of the hip.
illness, acute
An illness with an abrupt onset
and usually a short course.
illness, altitude
See 
altitude sickness.
illness, chronic
An illness that has persisted for
a long period of time. Chronic illness is a continu-
ing disease process.
IM
Intramuscular.
imagery
1
A mental process that involves
thoughts representing sensory qualities.
2
A wide
variety of procedures used in therapy to encourage
changes in attitudes, behavior, or physiological
reactions. Imagery includes all the senses, including
visual, aural, tactile, olfactory, proprioceptive, and
kinesthetic. Imagery has been used as a strategy for
facilitating weight gain and alleviating the nausea
and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in can-
cer patients, for relieving stress, for pain control, as
adjunctive therapy for several diseases, and to
enhance immunity in geriatric patients.
immune
Protected against infection, usually by
the presence of antibodies.
immune response
Any reaction by the immune
system. For example, poison ivy can cause an
immune response in the skin characterized by
inflammation with tiny blisters, and itching. Also, a
flu shot is designed to produce an immune response
idiopathic sclerosing cholangitis
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by stimulating the production of antibodies against
the flu virus.
immune system
A complex system that is
responsible for distinguishing a person from every-
thing foreign to him or her and for protecting his or
her body against infections and foreign substances.
immunity
The condition of being immune.
Immunity can be innate—for example, humans are
innately immune to canine distemper—or con-
ferred by a previous infection or immunization.
immunization
A vaccination that works by stim-
ulating the immune system of the body to fight dis-
ease. A healthy immune system is able to recognize
invading bacteria and viruses, and it produces anti-
bodies to destroy or disable them. Immunizations
prepare the immune system to ward off a disease.
To immunize against viral diseases, the virus used in
the vaccine has been weakened or killed. To immu-
nize against bacterial diseases, it is generally possi-
ble to use only a small portion of the dead bacteria
to stimulate antibodies against the whole bacteria.
The effectiveness of immunizations can be improved
by periodic repeat injections, called boosters. For
information about specific immunizations, see the
name of the disease (for examples, DTP immuniza-
tion, hepatitis B immunization, polio immunization).