Glossary

ascites – an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, a sign of serious liver damage in people with hepatitis C.

malignant – dangerous. A malignant cancer is a dangerous cancer that is growing.

somnolence – feeling sleepy or drowsy, especially during the day.

median (average) – where the results are all arranged in numerical order and the middle of the range is taken as the (median) average. See mean.

What is an average.

selective pressure – this is when a factor in the environment causes one type of organism to develop and grow in preference to another. With HIV drug resistance, the presence of a drug exerts selective pressure for resistance to develop. It is based on evolution and the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ theory developed by Charles Darwin.