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Human health and medicine

25,729 articles

Destination therapy

Destination therapy: permanent use of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as long-term support for advanced heart failure patients permanently ineligible for heart transplant; IMACS survival ~80% at 1 year, HeartMate 3 FDA-approved for DT in 2018.

Desvenlafaxine

Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) is an SNRI antidepressant, the active metabolite of venlafaxine, FDA-approved in 2008 for adult major depressive disorder at 50 mg once daily, with renal dose adjustments and a suicidality boxed warning.

Detoxification

Detoxification, also called biotransformation, is the set of metabolic reactions by which the body chemically alters foreign compounds such as drugs, reducing toxicity and easing excretion.

Detoxification foot baths

Detoxification foot baths, also called ionic foot baths or foot detox, are pseudoscientific devices claimed to pull toxins through the feet; studies, including a 2012 IonCleanse trial, find no detox effect, and water color change comes from electrode corrosion.

Detransition

Detransition: stopping or reversing a gender transition, medical or social. Reported rates range from about 1% surgical regret to 0-9.8% after hormones; definitions and measurement vary widely.

Detumomab

Detumomab (Specifid, formerly FavId) is a mouse monoclonal antibody against human B-cell lymphoma cells, an investigational Favrille candidate for follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that reached Phase 3 but was never approved.

Deuremidevir hydrobromide

Deuremidevir hydrobromide (VV116, JT001; 民得维, Mindvy) is an oral nucleoside analog RdRp inhibitor, a remdesivir/GS-441524 derivative, approved in China and Uzbekistan for mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Deutenzalutamide soft capsules

Deutenzalutamide soft capsules (氘恩扎鲁胺软胶囊, Haina'an, HC-1119) are Hinova Pharmaceuticals' deuterated enzalutamide analog, an androgen receptor inhibitor approved in China in May 2025 for mCRPC after abiraterone and chemotherapy, dosed 80 mg daily.

Deuterium metabolic imaging

Deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI) is a magnetic resonance technique that maps metabolism in living tissue by administering deuterium-labeled glucose and imaging its conversion into products like lactate.

Devadarvadi kvatha curna

Devadarvadi kvatha curna (Devadārvādi kvātha cūrṇa), AFI formulation AFI000561, is a 21-ingredient Ayurvedic coarse-powder decoction formula led by Cedrus deodara, dosed at 48 g in divided doses per the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.

Devadarvarista

Devadarvarista (Devadārvāriṣṭa, AFI000326) is a classical Ayurvedic fermented arishta around Cedrus deodara wood, from Bhaishajya Ratnavali, dosed 12–24 ml, mainly indicated for prameha (diabetes).

Devascularization (surgery)

Devascularization is a surgical technique that deliberately cuts or removes the blood supply to an organ or tissue, most often to stop bleeding from gastroesophageal varices or postpartum hemorrhage.

Development of the human spinal cord

The human spinal cord develops from the neural tube in the fourth week of embryonic life, then ascends within the vertebral canal to end near L1 in adults.

Development of the nervous system in humans

Development of the human nervous system (neurulation): neural tube and neural crest form from ectoderm 2–3 weeks after conception; tube becomes CNS, crest builds PNS; synapses peak at ~150% adult levels in infancy.

Development of the reproductive system

Development of the reproductive system: embryology of gonads, genital ducts, external genitalia, and gonadal descent from intermediate mesoderm. Indifferent stage until week 7; SRY, testosterone, and AMH drive male differentiation; female pathway is hormone-independent.

Development of the thymus

Development of the thymus describes how the thymus arises from the third pharyngeal pouch, descends to the chest, is colonized by T cell precursors, and undergoes fat replacement after puberty.

Development of the urinary system

Development of the urinary system: embryonic formation of kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra via pronephros, mesonephros, and metanephros stages, ureteric bud branching morphogenesis, nephron induction, and CAKUT malformations.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with spike-wave activation in sleep

DEE-SWAS, also called EE-SWAS and formerly ESES or CSWS, is a rare childhood epilepsy syndrome with regression of cognition, language, behavior, or motor skills tied to marked sleep-activated 1.5–2 Hz spike-and-wave EEG activity, onset at 2–12 years.

Developmental coordination disorder

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD, dyspraxia) is a neurodevelopmental motor disorder affecting about 5% of children, diagnosed by DSM-5 criteria, assessed with MABC-2/BOT-2, treated with task-oriented interventions, and lifelong in course.

Developmental delay-ataxia-hypotonia-facial dysmorphism syndrome

Developmental delay-ataxia-hypotonia-facial dysmorphism syndrome, better known as HADDS or EBF3 neurodevelopmental disorder, is a rare autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by EBF3 gene variants, marked by low muscle tone, ataxia, and speech delay.

Developmental delay-cervical spine anomalies-facial dysmorphism-intellectual disability syndrome

Developmental delay-cervical spine anomalies-facial dysmorphism-intellectual disability syndrome, or Al Kaissi syndrome (OMIM 617694), is a rare autosomal recessive CDK10 disorder with growth retardation, cervical vertebral segmentation defects, and intellectual disability.

Developmental disability

Developmental disability: group of conditions impairing physical, learning, language, or behavior areas beginning in childhood; also called developmental disorders. About 1 in 6 US children affected; includes ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy; shaped by DD Act, IDEA, ADA.

Developmental dysplasia of hip

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), formerly congenital dislocation of the hip, is a spectrum of infant hip abnormalities from instability to dislocation; screened by Ortolani and Barlow maneuvers and ultrasound, treated early with the Pavlik harness.

Developmental glaucoma

Developmental glaucoma, chiefly primary congenital glaucoma (PCG), is childhood glaucoma from abnormal trabecular meshwork and angle development causing elevated IOP; genes CYP1B1, LTBP2, TEK; treated surgically.

Developmental odontogenic cysts

Developmental odontogenic cysts (ICD-11 DA05.0) are epithelium-lined jaw cysts arising from tooth-forming tissue remnants, including dentigerous cyst, odontogenic keratocyst, calcifying and glandular odontogenic cysts, lateral periodontal and gingival cysts, classified by the WHO 2022 edition.

Developmental speech or language disorders

Developmental speech or language disorders (ICD-11 6A01) are neurodevelopmental conditions with subtypes for speech sound, speech fluency, and language disorder (DLD), affecting roughly 1 in 14 kindergartners.

Developmental speech sound disorder

Developmental speech sound disorder (ICD-11 6A01.0) is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder of persistent, unintelligible pronunciation errors not explained by structural, sensory, or neurological causes; also called phonological disorder in DSM-5.

Developmental venous anomaly

A developmental venous anomaly, formerly called a venous angioma, is a common benign congenital variant of the brain's venous drainage, in which small veins converge on one collector vein.

Devi Shetty (ದೇವಿ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ)

Devi Prasad Shetty (ದೇವಿ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ), born 1953, Indian cardiac surgeon, founder-chairman of Narayana Health; performed India's first neonatal heart surgery, treated Mother Teresa, pioneered Yeshasvini micro-insurance and sub-$2,000 open-heart surgery.

Device Removal

Device Removal (MeSH D020878, E04.199): surgical or percutaneous removal of implanted therapeutic or prosthetic devices, including cardiac lead extraction, orthopedic hardware removal, tracheostomy decannulation, and breast or dental implant removal.