shunt

(noun)

a passage between body channels constructed surgically as a bypass

Related Terms

Examples of shunt in the following topics:

  • The Portacaval Shunt

    • Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the value of the portacaval shunt procedure, many using randomized controls.
    • A portacaval shunt is a treatment for high blood pressure in the liver.
    • Cirrhosis can be combatted by the portacaval shunt procedure, for which there have been numerous experimental trials using randomized assignment.

  • Dead Space: V/Q Mismatch

    • Anatomical dead space, or anatomical shunt, arises from an anatomical failure, while physiological dead space, or physiological shunt, arises from a functional impairment of the lung or arteries.
    • An example of an anatomical shunt is the effect of gravity on the lungs.
    • An anatomical shunt develops because the ventilation of the airways does not match the perfusion of the arteries surrounding those airways.
    • A physiological shunt can develop if there is infection or edema in the lung that obstructs an area.
    • A physiological shunt can develop if there is infection or edema in the lung which decreases ventilation, but does not affect perfusion; thus, the ventilation/perfusion ratio is affected.

  • The Pentose Phosphate Shunt

    • The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP; also called the phosphogluconate pathway and the hexose monophosphate shunt) is a process that breaks down glucose-6-phosphate into NADPH and pentoses (5-carbon sugars) for use in downstream biological processes.
    • Outline the two major phases of the pentose phosphate shunt: oxidative and non-oxidative phases

  • Connecting Proteins to Glucose Metabolism

    • However, if there are excess amino acids, or if the body is in a state of starvation, some amino acids will be shunted into the pathways of glucose catabolism.

  • Biofilms and Disease

    • In healthcare environments, biofilms grow on hemodialysis machines, mechanical ventilators, shunts, and other medical equipment.

  • Voltmeters and Ammeters

    • The same galvanometer can also function as an ammeter when it is placed in parallel with a small resistance R, often called the shunt resistance.
    • Since the shunt resistance is small, most of the current passes through it, allowing an ammeter to measure currents much greater than those that would produce a full-scale deflection of the galvanometer.

  • Pulmonary Edema

    • Low oxygen saturation and disturbed arterial blood gas readings support the proposed diagnosis by suggesting a pulmonary shunt.

  • Heart Sounds

    • Murmurs may also be caused by valve stenosis (improper opening) and cardiac shunts, a severe condition in which a defect in the septum allows blood to flow between both sides of the heart.

  • Connecting Other Sugars to Glucose Metabolism

    • When there is adequate ATP present, excess glucose is shunted into glycogen for storage.

  • Capillaries

    • A capillary bed can consist of two types of vessels: true capillaries, which branch mainly from arterioles and provide exchange between cells and the circulation, and vascular shunts, short vessels that directly connect arterioles and venules at opposite ends of the bed, allowing for bypass.