Building a Medical History

Question 1

Medical History

Answer 1

A record of information about a patient’s past and current health. Includes information about the patient’s habits, lifestyle, and even the health of their family.

Question 2

Chief Complaint

Answer 2

The patient’s description of what they feel is their main health problem.

Question 3

Physical Signs

Answer 3

Pieces of evidence that indicate illness that can be observed externally, such as rash, coughing, or elevated temperature.

Question 4

Symptoms

Answer 4

Any subjective evidence of disease a patient perceives, such as aches, nausea, or fatigue. Symptoms allow the health care provider to narrow down the possible conditions that may be affecting the patient and then run tests to make diagnosis.

Question 5

Diagnosis

Answer 5

The process of determining which disease or condition explains a person’s symptoms and signs.

Question 6

Demeanor

Answer 6

Outward behavior or bearing. A doctor might have a cheerful, peaceful, or friendly demeanor and put the patient at ease. A doctor with an arrogant or dismissive demeanor might lose a patient’s trust.

Question 7

Tact

Answer 7

Discretion and sensitivity in dealing with others. A doctor might exhibit tact when they choose their words carefully so as to not upset a patient when they must deliver bad news.

Question 8

Empathy

Answer 8

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person

Question 9

Vital Signs

Answer 9

Measurements-specifically pulse rate, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure-that indicate the state of a patient’s essential body functions.

Question 10

Homeostasis

Answer 10

The maintenance of stable internal physiological conditions (like body temperature or the pH of blood), which enables the optimal functioning of an organism.

Question 11

Pulse

Answer 11

The rhythmic expansion and recoil of arteries resulting from heart contraction.

Question 12

Respiratory Rate

Answer 12

The number of breaths an organism takes per minute.

Question 13

Blood Pressure

Answer 13

The pressure that blood exerts upon the walls of blood vessels, especially arteries, usually measured with a sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeter of mercury.

Question 14

Triage

Answer 14

The sorting and prioritization of patients based on the urgency of their need for care.

Question 15

Erythrocyte

Answer 15

Hemoglobin-rich, red blood cells that transport oxygen through a body. Erythrocytes give the red color to vertebrate blood and do not have nuclei.

Question 16

Leukocyte

Answer 16

One of the many cells in the blood that lack hemoglobin but have a nucleus and are active in the immune response. Lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils are leukocytes.

Question 17

Thrombocyte

Answer 17

A minute, colorless, anucleate disk-like body of mammalian blood that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platlets and damaged epithelium

Question 18

Plasma

Answer 18

The pale yellow, liquid portion of blood that consists of water and dissolved substances, including sugars, lipids, metabolic waste products, amino acids, hormones, and vitamins.

Question 19

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Answer 19

A blood test that is run as part of a routine exam or if there are signs or symptoms that may indicate a potential condition impacting blood cells.

Question 20

Hemoglobin (HB/Hgb)

Answer 20

The oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.

Question 21

Hematocrit (HCT)

Answer 21

The proportion of red blood cells in the blood.

Question 22

Platelets

Answer 22

The cell fragments that assist with clotting.

Question 23

Cholesterol

Answer 23

A lipid that is an essential component of animal cell membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other biologically important steroids.

Question 24

Risk Factor

Answer 24

A behavioral, environmental, genetic, physiological, or demographic attribute that increases risk or susceptibility.

Question 25

Low Density Lipoprotein

Answer 25

Type of lipoprotein responsible for transporting cholesterol to the cells.

Question 26

High Density Lipoprotein

Answer 26

Type of lipoprotein responsible for removing excess cholesterol from the blood stream and transporting it to the liver.

Question 27

Metabolism

Answer 27

The chemical reaction process of breaking down molecules for energy and of using simple building blocks to build up more complex molecules needed for growth and repair.

Question 28

Hormones

Answer 28

A signaling molecule produced by glands, A hormone induces a specific effect on the activity of cells.

Question 29

Glucose

Answer 29

Glucose is a simple sugar that the body uses for energy, High levels of glucose in the blood may indicate risk for diabetes.

Question 30

Electrolytes

Answer 30

Minerals found in your blood, urine, and other tissues. Electrolytes such as sodium, calcium, potassium, and chloride help keep a water balance in the body, move nutrients into cells and wastes out, and make sure that your nerves brain, muscles, and heart function properly.

Question 31

Referrals

Answer 31

Written order from a primary care doctor for a patient to see a specialist or to get a particular medical service, such as physical therapy after an injury,

Question 32

Telemedicine

Answer 32

A new frontier in health care translating to “healing at a distance.”

Question 33

Telehealth

Answer 33

A way for individuals to remotely access health-related services using technology, rather than in-person contact.

Question 34

Type 1 Diabetes

Answer 34

A form of diabetes that usually develops during childhood or adolescence. Type 1 is characterized by a severe deficiency of insulin, leading to high blood glucose levels.

Question 35

Biomolecule

Answer 35

A large molecule, or macro molecule, produced by living organisms. Examples include: nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.

Question 36

Chemical Reactions

Answer 36

A process where atoms and/or molecules are rearranged to transform matter.

Question 37

Adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP)

Answer 37

A compound composed of adenosine and three phosphate groups that supplies energy for many biochemical cellular processes.

Question 38

Carbohydrates

Answer 38

A compound, such as sugar, starch and cellulose, found in foods and living tissues that can be broken down and used for energy.

Question 39

Insulin

Answer 39

A protein hormone secreted by the pancreas; essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood.

Question 40

Hyperglycemia

Answer 40

High blood glucose level.

Question 41

Type 2 Diabetes

Answer 41

A form of diabetes that develops especially in adults, most often obese individuals. Type 2 is characterized by high blood glucose resulting from impaired insulin use coupled with the body’s inability to compensate with increased insulin production.

Question 42

Negative Feedback

Answer 42

A mechanism of homeostasis in which a change in physiological variable triggers a reduction in another variable.

Question 43

Positive Feedback

Answer 43

A mechanism of homeostasis in which a change in a physiological variable triggers an increase in another variable.