Anesthesia Terms - A Glossary of Anesthesia Terms and Other Related Medical Terms

Anesthesia Terms Starting With "H"

Hapten

A hapten is a small molecule which can elicit an immune response only when attached to a large carrier such as a protein; the... more

Henry's Law

The amount of oxygen dissolved in blood can be derived from Henry's law, which states that the concentration of any gas in solution... more

Hepatic Clearance

The rate of elimination of a drug as a result of liver biotransformation. More specifically, clearance is the volume of plasma... more

Huber Tip

The curved tip on the most standard version of the epidural needle, the tuohy needle. Some clinicians recommend the huber tip... more

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a form of cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. The thickening... more

Hypothermia

A body temperature less than 36 degrees celsius. Occurs frequently during anesthesia and surgery. Because it reduces metabolic... more

Hypoxic Drive

The ventilatory response to arterial hypoxia that is mediated by peripheral chemoreceptors in the carotid bodies. more

Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction

The phenomenon when pulmonary arterioles vasoconstrict in the presence of hypoxia (low oxygen levels) without hypercapnia (high... more