Human health and medicine

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), with pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis, is a rare group 1 pulmonary hypertension from venous/capillary obstruction; biallelic EIF2AK4 mutations, CT triad, low DLCO, vasodilator-induced edema risk, lung transplant only cure.

Pulmonary Wedge Pressure

Pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP, PCWP): left-sided filling pressure measured via balloon-occlusion with a Swan-Ganz catheter; thresholds 15 mmHg (rest) and 25 mmHg (exercise); imperfect surrogate for LVEDP.

Pulmonic valve disease in adults

Pulmonic valve disease in adults is narrowing (pulmonic stenosis) or leaking (pulmonary regurgitation) of the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, usually congenital in origin.

Pulmonology

Pulmonology, also called pulmonary medicine or respiratory medicine, is the internal medicine subspecialty covering lung, airway, and chest wall disorders; pulmonologists treat asthma, COPD, ILD, and pulmonary hypertension and often direct ICUs.

Pulocimab

Pulocimab (AK109) is a humanized IgG1 anti-VEGFR2 (KDR) monoclonal antibody by Akeso that blocks VEGF binding to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. In Phase 3 trials combined with cadonilimab and paclitaxel for gastric/G/GEJ adenocarcinoma; not yet approved.

Pulp abscess

A pulp abscess is an acute collection of pus associated with the dental pulp, arising after root canal therapy or in a tooth with a dead pulp.

Pulp capping

Pulp capping, also known as direct pulp capping, is an endodontic dental procedure in which a biomaterial is placed over exposed dental pulp to preserve its vitality.

Pulp degeneration

Pulp degeneration (ICD-11 DA09.4) covers non-inflammatory pulp changes: fibrous atrophy with aging and calcific forms including pulp stones and calcific metamorphosis after trauma; calcification alone does not require root canal treatment.

Pulp therapy

Pulp therapy is the set of dental procedures for treating the pulp of a tooth affected by deep decay or trauma, including pulp capping and pulpotomy to preserve pulp vitality.

Pulpectomy

Pulpectomy is an endodontic procedure that removes the entire inflamed or necrotic pulp from a tooth's root canals, the standard non-vital pulp therapy for primary teeth.

Pulpotomy

A pulpotomy is a vital pulp therapy in dentistry that removes inflamed coronal pulp tissue from a tooth while leaving the radicular pulp within the roots alive.

Pulsatile Flow

Pulsatile flow is the rhythmic, on-and-off movement of fluid through a blood vessel or piping system, produced in the body by the heart's cyclic pumping rather than steady laminar flow.

Pulsatile insulin

Pulsatile insulin is a method of delivering insulin in rapid, repeated pulses to mimic the pancreas's natural oscillatory secretion, tested intravenously and intraperitoneally in diabetes.

Pulse

Pulse: the arterial pulse and heart rate, a vital sign. Normal adult resting rate 60-100 bpm; measured at radial, carotid, and other sites; history from Herophilus to sphygmograph and modern PPG wearables.

Pulse contour analysis

Pulse contour analysis is a hemodynamic monitoring method that estimates beat-to-beat cardiac output and stroke volume from the arterial pressure waveform, using an arterial catheter or finger probe.

Pulse oximetry

Pulse oximetry, invented by Takuo Aoyagi (1972/1974), non-invasively estimates arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate via light through a fingertip; accuracy is reduced by poor perfusion and darker skin pigmentation, prompting FDA 2025 draft guidance.

Pulse oximetry screening

Pulse oximetry screening is a noninvasive pre-discharge newborn test measuring oxygen saturation to detect critical congenital heart disease, adopted by all US states by 2018.

Pulse Polio

Pulse Polio is India's national immunization campaign, launched in 1995, giving oral polio vaccine drops to every child under 5 on designated days, helping end wild polio by 2011.

Pulse pressure

Pulse pressure (PP) is systolic minus diastolic blood pressure, normally about 40 mmHg. Determined by stroke volume, arterial stiffness, and wave reflection; a wide PP predicts cardiovascular risk, a narrow PP suggests shock or tamponade.

Pulse therapy

Pulse therapy, or steroid pulse therapy, is a regimen giving very high intravenous steroid doses, usually methylprednisolone, over short periods to rapidly control severe inflammatory or autoimmune disease.

PULSE trial (NCT07621003)

PULSE trial (NCT07621003), PULSed Field Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation Using a Balloon for Early Intervention: German randomized trial of first-line balloon-based pulsed field ablation versus optimized medical therapy in early-stage paroxysmal or persistent AF, 264 participants, Asklepios-sponsored.

Pulse wave analysis

Pulse wave analysis (PWA), including pulse wave velocity, is a family of noninvasive cardiovascular tests recording arterial pulse waveforms to estimate aortic stiffness, central blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, also called pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation, is a noninvasive treatment using coil-generated magnetic fields to induce healing currents in bone; FDA first approved it in 1979 for fracture nonunions, with mixed evidence in osteoarthritis and pain.

Pulsed field ablation

Pulsed field ablation is a nonthermal catheter technique that destroys heart tissue with short, high-voltage electric fields, used mainly to isolate pulmonary veins in atrial fibrillation while sparing nearby structures.

Pulsed light therapy

Pulsed light therapy, known in dermatology as intense pulsed light (IPL), delivers brief flashes of broad-spectrum light to treat vascular lesions, pigmented lesions, and unwanted hair.

Pulsed radiofrequency

Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is a minimally invasive pain medicine technique that applies short radiofrequency current bursts near a nerve or dorsal root ganglion to treat chronic pain without destroying tissue.

Oct 20, 2026

Pulseless electrical activity

Pulseless electrical activity (PEA), formerly electromechanical dissociation, is a non-shockable cardiac arrest rhythm with organized ECG activity but no palpable pulse; treated with CPR, epinephrine, and reversal of causes.

Pulsus paradoxus

Pulsus paradoxus: inspiratory systolic blood pressure fall over 10 mmHg, a sign of cardiac tamponade, constrictive pericarditis, severe asthma, and COPD; named by Kussmaul in 1873.

Punarnava Guggulu

Punarnava Guggulu (पुनर्नवा गुग्गुलु), an Ayurvedic Formulary of India polyherbal pill based on Commiphora wightii resin and Boerhavia diffusa, dosed up to 3 g in divided doses for Vatarakta, Gridhrasi, and Amavata; contraindicated in pregnancy.