Chapter 15 Flashcards
ambulation
the way the patient walks, including gait, any unsteadiness, or possible difficulty
emotional affect
reflects to the patient’s expression, tone of voice, mood, and emotions
vital signs
four key indications that the body systems are functioning - temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure
VSS
vital signs stable
fever
oral body temperature higher than ~100 F
hyperthermia
extremely high body temperature, usually caused by prolonged exposure to environmental heat
hypothermia
abnormally low body temperature
pulse
rhythmic pressure against the walls of an artery that is caused by the beating of the heart
heart rate
number of times the heart beats each minute; recorded as bpm
respiration
aka respiratory rate (RR); the number of complete breaths per minute - 1 respiration = 1 inhalation and 1 exhalation
blood pressure (BP)
the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries
sphygmomanometer
instrument used to measure the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries
systolic and diastolic reading
systolic = first beat heart; diastolic = second beat heard
acute pain
comes on quickly, can be severe and lasts only short time; can be caused by disease, inflammation, or injury
chronic pain
can be mild severe, persists over a long period of time, resistant to most medical treatments
auscultation
listening for sounds within the body, usually performed with a stethoscope
rales
abnormal crackle-like lung sounds heard through a stethoscope during inspiration (breathing in)
rhonchi
coarse rattling sounds that are somewhat like snoring, usually caused by secretions in the bronchial airways
stridor
an abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound caused by a blockage in the throat or in the larynx (voice box)
lubb sound
first heard heart beat sound through a stethoscope; caused by the tricuspid and mitral valves closing between the atria and the ventricles
dupp sound
second heard heart beat sound through a stethoscope, shorter and higher pitched; heard by the closing of the valves in the aorta and pulmonary arteries as blood is pumped out of the heart
bruit
an abnormal sound or murmur head during auscultation of an artery; usually due to a partially blocked, narrowed, or diseased artery
thrill
an abnormal rhythmic vibration felt when palpating an artery
heart murmur
an abnormal heart sound most commonly a sign of defective heart valves; volume and the stage of the heartbeat when the murmur is heard
abdominal sounds
aka bowel sounds; normal noises made by the intestines
palpation
an examination technique in which the examiner’s hands are used to fell the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts
percussion
a diagnostic procedure designed to determine the density of a body part by the sound produced by tapping the surface with the fingers
opthalmoscope
instrument used to examine the interior of the eye
otoscope
instrument used to visually examine the external ear canal and tympanic membrane
speculum
instrument used to enlarge to opening of any canal or cavity, especially the vagina, to facilitate inspection of its interior
stethoscope
instrument used to listen to sounds within the body
recumbent
any position in which the patient is lying down
decubitus
patient lying in a recumbent position in radiography (lying down)
horizontal recumbent position
(supine position); patient is lying on the back, face up; position used for examination and treatment of the anterior surface of the body and for x-rays
dorsal recumben position
patient is lying on the back, face up, with knees bent; position used for the examination and treatment of the abdominal area and for vaginal or rectal examinations
lithotomy position
patient is lying on the back, face up, with the feet and legs raised and supported in stirrups; position used for vaginal and rectal examinations and during childbirth
prone position
patient lying on the abdomen face down, arms may be placed under the head for comfort; position used for examination and treatment of the back and buttocks
Sim’s position
patient is lying on the left side with right knee and thigh drawn up with the left arm placed along the back; position used in the examination and treatment of the rectal area
knee-chest position
patient lying face down with hips bent so that the knees and chest rest on the table; used for rectal examinations
phlebotamy
(venipuncture); the puncture of a vein for the purpose of drawing blood
arterial stick
puncture of an artery, usually on the inside of the wrist, to obtain arterial blood
capillary puncture
technique used when only a small amount of blood is needed as a specimen for a blood test
complete blood cell count (CBC = complete blood count)
series of tests performed as a group to evaluate several blood conditions
erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
(sed rate), test based on the speed with which the red blood cells separate from the plasma and fall to the bottom of a specialized test tube
hematocrit (Hct)
describes the percentage, by volume, of a blood sample occupied by red cells
hydration
fluid levels in the body
polycythemia
excess red blood cells
anemia
deficient red blood cells
platelet count
measures the number of platelets in a specified amount of blood and is a screening test to evaluate platelet function
thrombocytosis
abnormal increase in number of platelets
thrombocytopenia
abnormal decrease in the number of platelets
red blood cell count (RBC)
determination of the number of erythrocytes in the blood
total hemoglobin test (Hb)
usually part of a complete blood count; elevated level indicates polycythemia or dehydration
white blood cell count (WBC)
determination of the number of leukocytes in the blood; elevated count can be indication of infection or inflammation
basic metabolic panel (BMP)
group of 8 specific blood tests that provide important information about the current status of the patient’s kidneys, electrolyte balance, blood sugar, and calcium levels
blood urea nitrogen test (BUN)
measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood due to the waste product urea; performed to obtain an indication of kidney function
urea
the major end product of protein metabolism found in urine and blood
crossmatch tests
performed to determine the compatibility of donor blood and the recipient before a blood transfusion
agglutination
clumping together of red blood cells
C-reactive protein test (CRP)
performed to identify high levels of inflammation within the body
lipid panel
(lipid profile); measures the amounts of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides in a blood sample
prothrombin time
(pro time), a coagulation test used to diagnose conditions associated with abnormalities of clotting time and to monitor anticoagulant therapy; longer pro time can be caused by serious liver disease, bleeding disorders, blood-thinning meds, or lack of vitamin K
serum bilirubin test
measures the ability of the liver to take up, process, and secrete bilirubin into the bile; useful to determine liver disease or a blocked bile ducts
thyroid-stimulating hormones assay
measures circulating blood levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that can indicate abnormal thyroid activity
arterial blood gas analysis (ABG)
measure pH, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels of arterial blood; used to evaluate lung and kidney function and overall metabolism
genome testing (genomic testing)
whole genome screening that uses DNA to identify genetic variants that may increase the risk of certain diseases or disorders
urinalysis
examination of the physical and chemical properties to determine the presence of abnormal elements
routine urinalysis
performed to scree fo urinary and systemic disorders; uses a dipstick
microscopic examination
performed on the specimen when more detailed testing of the specimen is necessary; ex: to identify casts (fibrous or protein materials, such as pus and fats, that are thrown off into the urine in kidney disease)
acidosis
excessive acid in the body fluids; pH below 7
alkalosis
pH above 7
albuminuria
the presence of the protein albumin in the urine
bacteriuria
the presence of bacteria in the urine
calciuria
the presence of calcium in the urine
creatinuria
an increased concentration of creatinine in the urine (creatinine = waste product of muscle metabolism normally removed by the kidneys)
drug-screening urine test
a rapid method of identifying the presence in the body of one or more drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or marijuana
glycosuria
the presence of glucose in the urine; commonly caused by untreated diabetes mellitus
hematuria
the presence of blood in the urine; can be caused by kidney stones, infection, kidney damage, or bladder cancer
ketonuria
the presence of ketones in the urine (Ketones= formed when the body breaks down fat, and their presence in urine can indicate starvation or uncontrolled diabetes)
proteinuria
the presence of an abnormal amount of protein in the urine; usually a sign of kidney disease
pyuria
the presence of pus in the urine; when pus is present in urine, it appears turbid (having a cloudy or smoky appearance)
urine culture and sensitivity test (Urine C and S)
laboratory test that is used to identify the cause of a urinary tract infection and to determine which antibiotic would be the most effective treatment
stool analysis
examination of the physical and chemical properties of stool to determine the presence of abnormal elements such as bacteria, blood, enzymes, bile, fat, and undigested nutrients
stool gram stain
tests for which bacteria are present in a sample
stool guaiac test
looks for blood in the stool
fecal fat test
analyzes how much fat is contained in the sample to determine how well the body is digesting fat and whether the necessary functions in fat absorption by the pancreas and gallbladder are working
endoscopy
the visual examination of the interior of a body cavity
endoscopic surgery
a surgical procedure that is performed through very small incisions with the use of an endoscope and specialized instruments
endoscope
a small, flexible tube with a light and a lens on the end
laparoscopy
the visual examination of the interior of the abdomen with the use of a laparoscope that is passed through a small incision in the abdominal wall