General Medical Terms (Signs and Symptoms) Flashcards
sudden onset of symptoms; short duration of illness
acute
abnormal growth in which body tissues that are usually separate grow together, often by way of new fibrous scar tissue
adhesions
no fever
afebrile
absence of normal menstruation
amenorrhea
sudden, intense pain in the chest due to reduced blood supply to the heart
angina
before childbirth
antepartum
inability to swallow
aphagia
loss of previously held ability to speak
aphasia
temporary absence of breathing
apnea
variation from the heart’s normal rhythm
arrhythmia
accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver
ascites
removal of fluid from the body using suction
aspiration
wasting away of body tissue
atrophy
using a stethoscope to listen to body sounds
auscultation
excessive discharge of fluid from the glans penis
balanorrhea
pressure exerted against the walls of blood vessels, especially arteries, recorded as systolic (heart contraction)/diastolic (heart relaxation)
blood pressure
abnormally slow heart rate
bradycardia
sound caused by turbulent flow of blood rushing past an obstruction in an artery
bruit
cycle of breathing characterized by alternating periods of shallow and deep breathing that usually leads to a period of apnea
Cheyne-Stokes respiration
an illness of long duration
chronic
rounded fingertips due to chronic inadequate oxygen in tissues
clubbing of fingers
breath sounds, rattling or bubbling of the lungs
crackles
Costovertebral Angle Tenderness: pain and tenderness in area of lower back next to the spine; common symptom of kidney conditions
CVA tenderness
bluish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes, due to insufficient oxygen in the blood
cyanosis
involuntary muscle contractions brought on by stretching the muscle with a tap on a tendon that connects muscle to bone
deep tendon reflexes
frequent elimination of watery feces
diarrhea
painful menstruation
dysmenorrhea
difficult digestion, indigestion
dyspepsia
difficulty in swallowing
dysphagia
difficulty speaking due to brain impairment
dysphasia
painful or difficult breathing
dyspnea
difficult or painful urination
dysuria
swelling due to excess accumulation of fluid
edema
nosebleed
epistaxis
abnormal redness of the skin
erythema
abnormal protrusion or bulging of the eyeballs, caused by hyperthyroidism
exophthalmos
fever
febrile
rapid, irregular, and uncontrolled twitching of muscle fibers of the heart
fibrillation
presence of excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract
flatulence
palpable vibration in the chest
fremitus
body tissue death due to reduced blood supply
gangrene
abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland at the front and sides of neck often due to infection or lack of iodine
goiter
spasm of muscle in order to minimize motion and protect a site affected by injury or disease
guarding
history and physical
H&P
bad breath
halitosis
head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (portion of exam)
HEENT
vomiting of blood
hematemesis
presence of blood in the urine
hematuria
coughing up blood from the lungs
hemoptysis
excessive bleeding
hemorrhage
history of present illness
HPI
excessive vomiting during pregnancy
hyperemesis gravidarum
excessive development of number of cells other than tumor development, may be a sign of precancerous cell development
hyperplasia
enlargement of an organ or part due to increase in size of cells
hypertrophy
pertaining to being produced by treatment, condition that results from treatment such as, an adverse affect from incorrect medication provided by a physician or other health care professional
iatrogenic
pertaining to a disease that has an unknown cause
idiopathic
physician’s assessment or diagnosis of a condition or disease
impression
inability to control bowel movements
incontinence (fecal)
involuntary leakage of urine
incontinence (urinary)
redness, swelling, pain, etc. that results from the body’s reaction to injury or illness
inflammation
insufficient blood flow to body tissues or organs usually caused by blockage of an artery
ischemia
abnormal yellowish coloring of the skin and mucous membranes, often a symptom of liver disease
jaundice
torn, jagged wound or cut
laceration
abnormal discharge of milk not associated with childbirth or nursing
lactorrhea
abnormal change in tissue resulting from injury or disease
lesion
white or yellow vaginal discharge
leukorrhea
feeling of lack of health or discomfort of the body
malaise
pain of the breast
mastalgia
irregular or excessive bleeding during menstruation and between menstrual periods
menometrorrhagia
abnormally heavy and regular menstrual period
menorrhagia
discharge of mucus or pus from the uterus
metrorrhea
woman who has given birth two or more times
multipara
heart sound: soft blowing or fluttering when valves or opening and closing
murmur
excessive urination at night
nocturia
head of normal shape and size for corresponding age
normocephalic
acquired in a hospital, usually describes bacterial infections that are contracted during a hospital stay
nosocomial
woman who has not given birth
nullipara
infrequent or very light menstruation
oligomenorrhea
reduced discharge of urine
oliguria
breathing comfortably is restricted to only when standing upright
orthopnea
pertaining to treatment that reduces pain and suffering without producing a cure
palliative
abnormally rapid and irregular beating of the heart
palpitation
abnormal sensation (such as burning or tingling) without physical cause
paresthesia
tapping on the chest or back while using a stethoscope while listening to lung sounds
percussion
excessive urination
polyuria
after childbirth
postpartum
woman in first pregnancy
primigravida
palpable beat of the throbbing of arteries as blood is pushed through them, caused by contractions of the heart
pulse
breath sounds, rattling or bubbling of the lungs
rales
process used in a physical exam where the hand is firmly pressed on the abdomen and then released, checking to see if pain is felt upon release as it may indicate peritonitis
rebound
flowing back of material in the gastrointestinal tract, regurgitation
reflux
breathing in and out, respiratory rate is the number of respirations per minute
respirations
portion of exam which focuses on subjective symptoms experienced by the patient in each body system
review of systems
breath sounds, rattling sound, snore like, may clear with cough
rhonchi
condition that results from a previous illness or injury. For example, a person who has difficulty speaking (dysphasia) following a stroke (CVA)
sequela
fainting
syncope
condition with many symptoms affecting multiple organs
syndrome
abnormally rapid heart rate
tachycardia
rapid breathing
tachypnea
palpable tremor common to certain cardiac conditions
thrill
sensation of ringing in the ears (one or both)
tinnitus
an external incident that causes physical or emotional injury to a person
trauma
normal, nothing out of the ordinary
unremarkable
dizziness
vertigo
act of expelling the content of the stomach through the mouth
vomiting
breath sounds, continuous whistling sound
wheezing
