Healthcare Terminology

consensusof medical opinion on what is adequate patient care on a particular situation

abnormal increase in hydrogen ion concentration in the body, resulting from an accumulation of acid or the depletion of the alkaline (base) reserves; usually caused by some underlying disease process; the pH is less than 7.4

acronym/abbreviation for advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support

abnormal condition in which there is a loss of acid, resulting in an accumulation of alkaline (base) reserves; the pH is 7.4 or greater

allergic reaction to skin allergen contact (e.g., latex)

hair loss

decrease in normal number of RBCs or les-than-normalquantity of hemoglobin in the blood

in the simplest terms, a weakening in the wall of a blood vessel ; common in the aorta, yet can occur anywhere; also defined as a sac formed by the localized dilation of the wall of an artery or vein, or of the heart

Symptom of poor appetite (regardless of cause-not always an eating disorder)

when referring to anatomical position, nearer to the front of the body

absence of breathing

abnormal accumulation of fluid within the peritoneum (membrane lining the walls of the abdominal and pelvic cavities); the fluid itself contains a large amount and electrolytes (serous or edematous)

collapse of lung tissue preventing the inhalation of O₂ (oxygen) and exhalation of CO₂ (carbon dioxide); may involve part or all of the lung

naturally ocuring yellow-red pigment in blood and bile; excessive amounts of it can cause jaundice

chronic dilation of the bronchi and bronchioles associated with secondary infection; can lead to irreversibledilation and destruction of the bronchial walls

insertion of a flexible tube and mirror system, which allows visualization of the tracha and bronchial tree; can be used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes

measure of the amount of nitrogen in the blood in the form of urea (substance secreted by the liver and removed from the blood by the kidneys); BUN is a key measurement of renal function

malignant growth (cancer) made up of epithelial cells (type of cells that line the intestinal tract, skin, tongue, breast and uterus)

any disease that affects the myocardium (middle layer of the heart)

when referring to anatomy, inferior in position

used to test for conditions that affect the number and ratio of cell types in the blood; most common blood test

small, localized swelling of the eyelid, usually due to chronic inflammation of the meibomian gland (small sebaceous gland located on the posterior margin of each eye)

group of blood chemistry tests; most common is Chem 7

inflammation of the gallbladder

endoscopic examination of the colon (large intestine) and the distal part of the small intestine (bowel) with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera or a fiber-optic camera on a fleible tube passed through the anus

conditoin or factor that increases the risks involved in using a particular drug or modality

when referring to anatomy, superior in position

chiefly filtered out oft the blood by the kidneys, though a small amount is secreted by the kidnys into the urine; if filtering of kidneys is deficient, blood levels rise, so creatinine measures renal function

medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing; digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) image of the incside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional (2D) x-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation

cerebral venous thrombus

projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures

inflammation of the urinary bladder

medical removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue

excessive sweating, commonly associated with shock and other medical emergency conditions

when referring to anatomic position, farther from the point of origin

when referring to anatomic postion, posterior (back side) of the body

used for patients who are known or suspected to transmit serious illness by large particle droplets (e.g.; tuberculosis)

shortness of breath

painful urination

transthoracic interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over time, captured and externally recorded by skin electrodes

diagnostic procedure that uses standard ultrasoun techniques to image two-dimensional (2D) slices of the heart

medical condion in which the eyelid turns outward

diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (up to the duodenum)

occurs when an embolus (traveling blood clot) migrates from one part of the body and causes a blockage of a blood vessel in another part of the body

inflammation of the endocardium (inner layer of the heart)

medical condtion in which the eyelid folds inward

study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations

clinical term for nosebleed

technique that combines the use of endoscopy and fluoroscopy to diagnose and treat certain problems of the biliary or pancreatic ductal systems

study of the causes of disease

muscle and connective tissue pain

maintaining homeostasis within the body

patient privacy act

passage of maroon-colored stool, commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding