Exam 2 Sherpath Key Notes Terms Flashcards
Acidosis
A condition in which the blood pH is below 7.35.
Acquired Immunity
Immunity that develops after exposure to a foreign substance, either actively (through infection or vaccination) or passively (through antibodies from another source).
Actinic Keratoses
Precancerous skin growths that develop from sun exposure.
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
Sudden loss of kidney function that develops over hours or days.
Aldosterone
A hormone that acts on the distal tubule to cause reabsorption of sodium and water, and excretion of potassium.
Alkalosis
A condition in which the blood pH is greater than 7.45.
Alopecia
Localized or general hair loss.
Anasarca
Severe generalized edema.
Anemia
A deficiency in the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells), the quantity of hemoglobin, and/or the volume of packed red blood cells (hematocrit).
Antigen
A substance that elicits an immune response.
Aplastic Anemia
A disease in which the patient has peripheral blood pancytopenia and hypocellular bone marrow.
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP)
A hormone that acts on the kidneys to increase sodium excretion.
Autoimmunity
An immune response against the body’s own tissues or cells.
Benign Neoplasm
A non-cancerous tumor that is well-differentiated and does not metastasize.
Brachytherapy
Internal radiation therapy, involving the placement of radioactive materials directly into or near a tumor.
Carcinogen
A chemical, radiation, or viral agent that can cause a mutation in a cell’s DNA genetic structure, which is the first stage of cancer development
Chemotherapy
The use of drugs to eliminate or reduce the number of cancer cells.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Progressive, irreversible loss of kidney function that develops slowly over months or years.
Creatinine Clearance
A measure of the rate at which creatinine is cleared from the blood by the kidneys, closely approximates the GFR.
Dermis
The second layer of the skin, containing blood vessels, nerves, and glands.
Differentiation
The process by which cells become specialized to perform specific functions.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
A serious disorder characterized by abnormal clotting followed by hemorrhage.
Dysplasia Nevus Syndrome
A condition of atypical moles with an increased risk for melanoma.
Epidermis
The outermost layer of the skin.
Erythema
Patchy redness of the skin.
Erythropoietin
A hormone made in the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow.
Extracellular Fluid (ECF)
Fluid outside the cells, composed of interstitial fluid, plasma, and transcellular fluids.
External Beam Radiation
The delivery of ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells, generated from a megavoltage treatment machine.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
The amount of blood filtered by the glomeruli per minute (normal ~125mL/min).
Glomerulonephritis
Inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney.
Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD)
A condition in which the immunocompetent cells in a transplant graft attack or destroy vulnerable host tissue.
Hemochromatosis
An autosomal recessive disease characterized by increased intestinal iron absorption and, as a result, increased tissue iron deposition.
Hemodialysis
A method of dialysis where blood is filtered outside the body through a machine.
Hemolytic Anemia
Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells.
Hemophilia
A sex-linked recessive genetic disorder caused by defective or deficient coagulation factor.
Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)
A life-threatening condition that results from the use of heparin, usually if the patient’s platelet count has fallen 50% or more from its baseline.
Hirsutism
Male hair distribution in females.
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
A cancerous condition characterized by proliferation of abnormal giant, multinucleated cells, called Reed-Sternberg cells, in the lymph nodes.
Hydrostatic Pressure
The force of fluid within a compartment and is the major force that pushes water out of the vascular system at the capillary level.
Hypercalcemia
High serum calcium level.
Hyperkalemia
High serum potassium level.
Hypermagnesemia
High serum magnesium level.
Hypernatremia
High serum sodium level.
Hyperphosphatemia
High serum phosphorus level.
Hypocalcemia
Low serum calcium level.
Hypokalemia
Low serum potassium level.
Hypomagnesemia
Low serum magnesium level.
Hyponatremia
Low serum sodium level.
Hypophosphatemia
Low serum phosphorus level.
Ileal Conduit
A type of incontinent urinary diversion in which a loop of the ileum is used to create a conduit for urine to flow to an external stoma.
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
A syndrome of abnormal destruction and reduced production of circulating platelets.
Immunosuppressive Drugs
Medications that suppress the immune system, often used in transplant recipients to prevent rejection.
Innate Immunity
Immunity that is present at birth and does not require prior exposure to an antigen.
Intracellular Fluid (ICF)
Fluid inside the cells
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
A chronic, painful inflammatory disease of the bladder characterized by symptoms of urgency/frequency and pain in the bladder and/or pelvis.
Keratinocytes
The predominant cells of the epidermis, which produce keratin.
Lithotripsy
The use of high-energy shock waves to fragment kidney stones.
Malignant Neoplasm
A cancerous tumor that can range from well-differentiated to undifferentiated and can metastasize.
Melanocytes
Cells in the epidermis that produce melanin.
Melanoma
A type of skin cancer that develops from melanocytes.
Metastasis
The spread of cancer cells to a distant site.
Neoplasm
An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should.
Nephron
The functional unit of the kidney.
Nephrotic Syndrome
Results when the glomerulus is excessively permeable to plasma protein, causing proteinuria that leads to low plasma albumin and tissue edema.
Neutropenia
A reduction in neutrophils, a type of granulocyte.
Nevus
A mole or benign overgrowth of melanocytes.
Oncogene
A mutated protooncogene that promotes uncontrolled cell growth and tumor formation.
Oncotic Pressure
Osmotic pressure exerted by colloids in solution.
Orthotopic Neobladder
A surgically created bladder that is placed in the same anatomical position as the original bladder, allowing the patient to void urethrally.
Osmolality
Indicates the water balance of the body.
Palliative Treatment
Treatment focused on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life, rather than curing the disease.
Pancytopenia
A decrease in all blood cell types (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets).
Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)
Acts on renal tubules to increase reabsorption of calcium.
Peritoneal Dialysis
A method of dialysis where the peritoneal membrane in the abdomen acts as the filter.
Phlebotomy
The mainstay of treatment for polycythemia, designed to reduce blood volume/viscosity and bone marrow activity.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
A common genetic disease, characterized by cysts that enlarge and destroy surrounding tissue by compression.
Polycythemia
The production and presence of increased numbers of RBCs.
Progression
The stage of cancer development characterized by increased growth rate of the tumor, increased invasiveness, and spread of the cancer to a distant site (metastasis).
Promotion
The second stage in cancer development, is characterized by the reversible proliferation of the altered cells.
Protooncogene
A normal cell gene that regulates normal cell processes.
Pruritis
Itching of the skin.
Psoriasis
A chronic, autoimmune dermatitis characterized by silvery, scaling plaques on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, and lower back.
Pyelonephritis
An inflammation of the renal parenchyma and collecting system, including the renal pelvis.
Renal Artery Stenosis
A partial occlusion of 1 or both renal arteries and their major branches caused by atherosclerotic narrowing.
Renal Colic
Severe pain associated with kidney stones, often causing the patient to be unable to remain still.
Renin
An enzyme made and secreted by juxtaglomerular cells, which is important in BP regulation.
RIFLE Classification
Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage disease, used to describe and standardize the stages of AKI.
Sebaceous Glands
Secrete sebum, which is emptied into hair follicles, prevents skin and hair from becoming dry.
Simulation
A part of radiation treatment planning used to determine the best treatment method by focusing on accurately localizing the tumor/target field and ensuring set-up position reproducibility.
Splenomegaly
Enlargement of the spleen.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
A cancer of keratinizing epidermal cells.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)
A severe mucocutaneous reaction.
Stricture
A narrowing of the lumen of the ureter or urethra.
Thalassemia
A group of diseases that have an autosomal recessive genetic basis involving inadequate production of normal Hgb.
Thrombocytopenia
A reduction of platelets.
TNM Classification
A system used to stage cancer based on tumor size and invasiveness (T), lymph node involvement (N), and metastasis (M).
Urinary Incontinence (UI)
An involuntary leakage of urine.
Urinary Retention
The inability to empty the bladder despite micturition, or the accumulation of urine in the bladder because of an inability to void.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
An infection in any part of the urinary system, the kidneys, bladder, or urethra. The most common outpatient infection.
Urodynamic Studies
Used to assess the function of the bladder.
Uremia
The presence of excessive amounts of urea and other nitrogenous waste products in the blood.
Urethritis
An inflammation of the urethra.
Urethrovesical Unit
Together, the bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor muscles.
Vitamin D
Activated in kidneys and is important for calcium balance and bone health.
von Willebrand Disease
A related disorder involving a deficiency of the von Willebrand coagulation protein.
Keloid
An overgrowth of collagenous tissue at the site of a skin injury.
