If you ask the general population, many won’t know or have even heard of it, yet according to the UK Sepsis Trust, it’s one of the most common causes of death in the UK, responsible for killing up to 44,000 people a year. It’s...
This medical term glossary provides explanations in plain English of a number of technical terms you may encounter in the process of pursuing a clinical negligence claim.
Labial - Of or relating to either the lips of the mouth or vulva.
Labioplasty - Surgical repair of the labia.
Laceration - Cut in tissue.
Lachrymal - Tear production.
Lag screw - A fracture fixation device.
Laminectomy - Spinal surgery to reach the discs, nerve roots or spinal cord.
Laparoscopy - Technique used for visual inspection of pelvic organs by inflating the cavity.
Laparotomy - Cut in the abdomen to investigate or treat disease.
Laryngectomy - Surgical removal of part of the larynx or ‘voice box’.
Lateral - Away from the midline.
Left homonymous hemianopia - Left side of vision disabled.
Lesion - Damage.
Leucocyte - White blood cells.
Leucocytosis - Increased concentration of white blood cells, commonly associated with infection.
Leukaemia - Disease causing abnormal creation of white blood cells, potentially fatal.
Ligament - Fibrous tissue linking bones.
Lobe - A section of the brain.
Lordosis - Normal curvature of the spine.
Lumbago - The lower part of the back.
Lumbar - Of or relating to the lower back.
Lumbosacral spine - Lower back spine.
Lumen - Cavity within structures such as the intestines.
Lunate bone - A bone of the wrist.
Lymph gland - A structure in the system of lymphatic vessels which transfer the fluid that fills the space between organs.
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