abdomen terminology Flashcards
anorexia
eating disorder pertaining to loss of appetite and extreme weight loss
dysphagia
difficulty swallowing
pyrosis
“heartburn”; burning sensation in esophagus and stomach from reflux of gastric acid
eructation
“belching”
dysmenorrhea
period cramps
frank blood
bright red blood
occult blood
dark brown blood
constipation
difficulty pooping
hematemesis
vomiting blood
bile
greenish-brown fluid thats aids digestion; secreted by liver and stored in gallbladder
borborygmi
rumbling/gurgling noise in intestines due to fluid and gas movement
appendicitis
inflamed and painful appendix
cholecystitis
inflammation of the gallbladder
murphy’s sign
when palpating the liver, pain occurs; inflamed gallbladder
mcburney’s point
point on the lower right quadrant of the abdomen at which tenderness is maximal in cases of acute appendicitis
referred pain
pain at another part of the body, but not the site of the original pain
visceral pain
pain we feel when our internal organs are inflamed
emesis
the act of vomiting
ascites
abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen
guarding
voluntary tensing of abdominal muscles to avoid pain
scaphoid abdomen
inward concavity of anterior abdominal wall
parietal pain
irritation of the peritoneal lining surrounding the abdominal cavity
rigidity
involuntary tensing of abdominal muscles to guard inflamed organs
protuberant abdomen
enlarged/bulging abdomen
melena
dark sticky feces with partly digested blood
rebound tenderness
a sign of peritonitis, a serious condition that is an inflammation of the peritoneum
hematochezia
passage of bright red blood through the anus
steatorrhea
increased fat excretion in stool
paralytic ileus
a condition in which the muscles of the intestines do not allow food to pass through, resulting in a blocked intestine
