bridge

(brij)

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.


1. The upper part of the external nose formed by the junction of the nasal bones.
2. The curved part of a pair of eyeglasses that rests on the bridge of the nose.
3. A narrow band of tissue.
4. A cast dental restoration that replaces missing teeth. The restoration is usually made of gold alloy, with or without a porcelain exterior, and is attached to adjacent or abutment teeth for support.
4. The use of a short-acting drug when treatment with a longer-acting drug must be temporarily interrupted or during the initiation of the long-acting drug before it reaches full therapeutic effectiveness.

PATIENT CARE
Bridging is commonly used for perioperative anticoagulation. In patients who have atrial fibrillation or a history of blood clotting, warfarin, which has a relatively long half-life, is withheld several days before surgery. The bridge consists of the administration of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs), which have a shorter half-life, until about 12 hr before the procedure in order to prevent clotting. At a safe time after the operation, LMWHs are reinstituted until warfarin reaches therapeutic levels, e.g., an international normalized ratio of 2 or more. The duration of bridging therapy varies but is typically between 2 days and 1 week.

5. An exercise for activating the abdominal and hip extensor muscles. The patient lies on his back with knees flexed and feet flat against a horizontal surface, such as a floor, bed, or plinth (treatment table). The patient then lifts his hips while his feet, shoulders, and head maintain contact with the surface. Bridging is often recommended as part of preprosthetic training for patients with transtibial or transfemoral lower extremity amputations.
Descriptive text is not available for this image

BRIDGING
Descriptive text is not available for this imageBridging should always be performed while the prosthesis is removed.

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.