ch 6 med terms Flashcards
anorexia
lak or loss of appetite, resulting in the inability to eat
appendicitis
inflammation of the appendix, usually due to obstruction or infection
ascites
abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
borborygmus
rumbling or gurgling noises that are audible at a distance and caused by passage of gas through the liquid contents of the intestine
cachexia
physical wasting that includes loss of weight and muscle mass; commonly associated with AIDS and cancer.
cholelithiasis
presence or formation of gallstones in the gallbladder or common bile duct
cirrhosis
scarring and dysfunction of the liver caused by chronic liver disease
colic
spasm in any hollow or tubular soft organ especially in the colon, accompanied by pain
Crohn disease
chronic inflammation, usually of the ileum, but possibly affecting any portion of the intestinal tract; also called regional enteritis
deglutition
act of swallowing
dysentery
inflammation of the intestine, especially the colon, that may be caused by ingesting water or food containing chemical irritants, bacteria, protozoa, or parasites, which results in bloody diarrhea
dyspepsia
epigastric discomfort felt after eating; also called indigestion
dysphagia
inability or difficulty in swallowing; also called aphagia
eructation
producing gas from the stomach, usually with a characteristic sound; also called belching
fecalith
fecal concretion
flatus
gas in the GI tract; expelling of air from a body orifice, especially the anus
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus due to a malfunction of the sphincter muscle at the inferior portion of the esophagus
halitosis
offensive, or “bad”, breath
hematemesis
vomiting of blood from bleeding in the stomach or esophagus
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
symptom complex marked by abdominal pain and altered bowel function for which no organic cause can be determined; also called spastic colon