25,729 articles
Diquafosol
Diquafosol (Diquas, diquafosol sodium) is a P2Y2 receptor agonist eye drop, 3% six times daily, that stimulates water and mucin secretion for dry eye disease; approved in Japan, South Korea, and since 2025 China.
Direct agglutination test
The direct agglutination test (DAT) is a serological assay that detects anti-Leishmania antibodies in serum by visible clumping of stained parasites, used mainly to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis.
Direct antiglobulin test
The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is a blood test detecting antibody or complement proteins bound to red blood cells, used to diagnose immune hemolytic anemia and transfusion reactions.
Direct electrical stimulation
Direct electrical stimulation is a neurosurgical mapping technique that passes brief electrical currents through exposed brain tissue during surgery, transiently disrupting function to identify eloquent areas before tumor resection.
Direct electrocortical stimulation
Direct electrocortical stimulation (ECS), also called direct electrical stimulation, is a neurosurgical technique that maps functional brain areas during surgery by stimulating the exposed cortex.
Direct fluorescent antibody technique
The direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) technique detects specific antigens directly in patient specimens using fluorescently labeled antibodies read under a microscope, giving results in about an hour.
Direct infections of joint
Direct infections of joint (ICD-11 FA10, Japanese 関節の直接感染) is a classification category for hematogenic or non-hematogenic joint infections, with child codes for bacterial, viral, and fungal joint infection, excluding reactive and postinfectious arthropathies.
Direct laryngoscopy
Direct laryngoscopy is a procedure in which a rigid scope passed through the mouth gives direct visualization of the larynx, used for intubation, diagnosis, and surgery.
Direct tributaries of the portal vein
The direct tributaries of the portal vein are the left and right gastric, cystic, and paraumbilical veins, which join the hepatic portal vein itself rather than its large forming trunks.
Direct-acting antiviral therapy
Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is oral drug treatment that cures chronic hepatitis C, clearing the virus in at least 90% of patients over 8 to 12 weeks.
DIRECT-MT trial
DIRECT-MT (NCT03469206) was a 656-patient Chinese noninferiority trial showing endovascular thrombectomy alone was noninferior to thrombectomy plus intravenous alteplase for 90-day outcomes in anterior large-vessel occlusion stroke.
DIRECT-PLUS trial
DIRECT-PLUS (NCT03020186), an 18-month Israeli randomized trial, tested the green-Mediterranean diet (Mankai, green tea, walnuts, less red meat), which doubled visceral and liver fat loss versus a standard Mediterranean diet despite similar weight loss.
Direct-To-Consumer Screening and Testing
Direct-to-consumer screening and testing (DTC, DTCT) sells laboratory and genetic tests directly to consumers without a clinician intermediary; covers FDA oversight tiers, market growth, evidence gaps, harms, and pricing.
Directly observed therapy
Directly observed therapy (DOT) is a treatment adherence strategy in which a trained observer watches a patient take medication, used chiefly in tuberculosis care worldwide.
Directly observed therapy, short course
Directly observed therapy, short course (DOTS) is a tuberculosis control strategy in which health workers watch patients take a standardized six- to eight-month drug regimen, recommended by WHO since 1991.
Dirithromycin
Dirithromycin (Dynabac, LY 237216) is a once-daily macrolide antibiotic prodrug hydrolyzed to erythromycylamine; half-life 44 h, FDA approved 1995, used for respiratory and skin infections.
Dirofilariasis
Dirofilariasis, also called human dirofilariasis or heartworm infection in dogs, is a mosquito-borne zoonosis caused by Dirofilaria nematodes, mainly D. immitis, D. repens, and D. tenuis, producing lung coin lesions or subcutaneous nodules treated by surgical excision.
Diroximel fumarate
Diroximel fumarate (Vumerity, BIIB098) is an oral fumarate drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, converted to monomethyl fumarate like dimethyl fumarate but with better gastrointestinal tolerability; approved in the US (2019) and EU (2021).
Dirozalkib
Dirozalkib (XZP-3621, Xuan Fei Ning, 地罗阿克) is Xuanzhu Biopharmaceutical's oral ALK/ROS1 inhibitor for ALK-positive advanced NSCLC; NMPA-approved August 2025 at 500 mg daily after phase 3 PFS of 29.5 months versus 12.9 with crizotinib.
Dirucotide
Dirucotide (MBP8298), a 17-amino-acid myelin basic protein peptide, was an intravenous antigen-specific tolerance therapy for HLA-DR2/DR4 secondary progressive MS, discontinued in 2009 after the Phase III MAESTRO-01 trial missed its EDSS progression endpoint.
Dis mon
Dis Mon (Disease-a-month : DM), a monthly US medical review journal begun 1954, published by Elsevier (formerly Year Book Publishers, Mosby); each issue reviews one clinical topic for primary care physicians; MEDLINE-indexed since 1965.
Disability
Disability: umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions; affects about 1.3 billion people (16% of humanity). Defined via medical, social, and biopsychosocial models, the WHO ICF, and the CRPD.
Disability Evaluation
Disability evaluation: formal assessment of whether impairment prevents substantial gainful work. Covers SSA's disability freeze (1954), Bluebook listings, five-step sequential evaluation, state DDS determinations, and inter-rater reliability evidence.
Disability Insurance
Disability insurance is insurance that replaces part of a person's income when injury or illness prevents work, through private policies or programs like Social Security Disability Insurance.
Disability-adjusted life year
Disability-adjusted life year (DALY), the Global Burden of Disease metric: DALY = YLL + YLD, one lost year of healthy life; introduced 1993 World Development Report, simplified after GBD 2010.
Disabled person
Disabled person: someone experiencing disability, defined by the WHO ICF as impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions arising from health conditions interacting with environmental and personal factors; about 15% of the world's population, protected by the CRPD.
Disarticulation (surgery)
Disarticulation is a surgical amputation technique that separates a limb at a joint instead of cutting bone, performed at the shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and midfoot.
Disc arthroplasty
Disc arthroplasty is a spine operation that replaces a degenerated intervertebral disc with an artificial implant that preserves motion, an alternative to fusion for cervical or lumbar degenerative disc disease.
Discectomy
Discectomy: surgical removal of herniated disc material pressing on spinal nerves, first performed planned in 1932; evolved into microdiscectomy (Yasargil, 1977) and endoscopic techniques; relieves sciatica faster than non-surgical care short-term.
Discitis
Infection of intervertebral disc (discitis, spondylodiscitis, ICD-11 FA91), usually Staphylococcus aureus; hematogenous or postprocedural; diagnosed by MRI; treated with prolonged antibiotics and sometimes surgery.