Urinary Tract Infections

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carbon dioxide: an odorless, colorless gas produced as a waste product by the metabolism of oxygen in the body’s cells; returned to the lungs through the venous blood system and then exhaled

carbon monoxide: a highly poisonous, odorless, colorless gas that’s a product of incomplete combustion (Carbon monoxide is toxic when inhaled because it competes with oxygen in binding to hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in diminished availability of oxygen for the body’s tissues.)

cardiac arrest: a sudden though sometimes temporary cessation of the heart’s function; also known as cardiopulmonary arrest; see also heart attack (It results in immediate cessation of the heartbeat, blood circulation and, unless reversed, breathing and consciousness. Cardiac arrest, which is different from a heart attack, is often caused by a disturbance in the heart’s electrical system.)

conjunctival suffusion: redness of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that covers the eye; often caused by infection with bacteria of the Leptospira genus

coronary thrombosis: a blockage in the flow of blood to the heart due to a blood clot in one of the coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood; see also heart attack

cyanosis: a bluish discoloration of the skin and the body’s mucous membranes due to inadequate oxygenation of the blood

decompression illness (DCI): a broad term that encompasses both decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE); commonly used to describe any systemic disease caused by a reduction in ambient pressure (The signs and symptoms of DCS and AGE can be similar, and recompression is the treatment for both.)

decompression sickness (DCS): a syndrome caused by inert gases coming out of solution in the body and forming bubbles in the tissues and the bloodstream during or after a sudden ascent from a compressed-gas dive; also referred to as “the bends” (Symptoms may include itching, rash, joint pain, muscle aches or sensory changes such as numbness and tingling. More serious symptoms include muscle