Geriatric Emergencies: Vocabulary Flashcards
Gerontolgy
Scientific study of the effects of aging and of age-rafted diseases on humans.
Geriatrics
The study of treatment of diseases of the aged
Ageism
Discrimination against aged or elderly people
Functional impairment
Decreased ability to meet daily needs on an independent basis
Comorbidity
Having more than one disease at a time
Dysphagia
Inability to swallow or difficulty swallowing
Polypharmacy
Multiple drug therapy in which there is a concurrent use of a number of drugs.
Incontinence
Inability to retain urine or feces because of loss of sphincter control or cerebral or spinal lesions
Transient ischemic attack
Reversible interruption of blood flow to the brain: often seen as a precursor to a stroke.
Anorexia nervosa
Eating disorder marked by excessive fasting
Cataracts
Medical condition in which the lens of the eye loses ins clearness
Glaucoma
Medical condition where the pressure within the eye increases
Tinnitus
Subjective ringing or tingling sound in the ear.
Menier’s disease
A disease of the inner ear
Kyphosis
Exaggeration of the normal posterior curvature of the spine
Anoxic hypoxemia
An oxygen deficiency due to disordered pulmonary mechanisms of oxygenation.
Hypertrophy
An increase in the size or bulk of an organ.
Fibrosis
The formation of firebrick connective tissue, also called scar tissue, in an organ
Marfan Syndrome
Hereditary condition of connective tissue, bones, muscles, ligaments, and skeletal structures characterized by irregular and unsteady gait, tall lean body type with long extremities, beat feet, and stooped shoulders. The aorta is usually dilated and may become weakened enough to allow an aneurysm to develop.
Hiatal Hernia
Protrusion of the stomach upward into the mediastinal cavity through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.
Osteoporosis
Softening of bone tissue due to the loss of essential minerals, principally calcium.
Nephrons
There functional units of the kidneys.
Immune senescence
Diminished vigor of the immune response to the challenge and rechallenge by pathogens.
Silent myocardial infarction
A myocardial infarction that occurs without exhibiting obvious signs and symptoms
Two-pillow orthopnea
The number of pillows- in this case, two— needed to ease the difficulty of breathing while lying down; a significant factor in assessing the level of respiratory distress.
Nucturnia
Excessive urination during the night
Hypatomegaly
Enlarged liver
Aortic dissection
A degeneration of the wall of the aorta
Aneurysm
Abnormal dilation of a blood vessel, usually an artery, due to a congenital defect or a weakness in the wall of the vessel.
Epistaxis
nosebleed
Varicosities
An abnormal dilation of a vein or group of veins
Autonomic dysfunction
An abnormality of the involuntary aspect of the nervous system.
Valsalva Maneuver
Forced exhalation against a closed glottis, such as with coughing. This maneuver stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve, which in turn slows the heart rate.
Stokes-Adams Syndrome
A series of symptoms resulting from heart block, most commonly syncope. The symptoms result from decreased blood flow to the brain caused by the sudden decrease in cardiac output.
Sick Sinus Syndrome
A group of disorders characterized by dysfunction of the senatorial node in the heart.
Stroke
Injury to or death of brain tissue resulting from interruption o cerebral blood flow and oxygenation.
Brain Ischemia
Injury to brain tissues caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Bleeding that occurs between the arachnoid and dura mater of the brain.
Polycythemia
An excess of red blood cells.
Vertigo
The sensation of faintness of dizziness; may cause a loss of balance
Intractable
Resistant to cure, relief, or control.
Dementia
A deterioration of mental status that ins usually associated with structural neurologic disease. It is often progressive and irreversible.
Delirium
An acute alteration in mental functioning that is often reversible.
Senile Dementia
General term used to describe an abnormal decline in mental functioning seen in the elderly; also called “organic brain syndrome” or “multi-infarct dementia.”
Aphasia
Absence or impairment of the ability to communicate through speaking, writing, or signing as a result of brain dysfunction.
Alzheimer’s Disease
A progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior. It affects 4 million American adults.
Parkionson’s Disease
Chronic, degenerative nervous disease characterized by tremors, muscular weakness and rigidity, and a loss of postural reflexes.
Shy-Drager Syndrome
Chronic orthostatic hypotension caused by a primary autonomic nervous system deficiency.
Pill-rolling motion
An involuntary tremor, usually in one hand or sometimes in both, in which fingers move as if they were rolling a pill back and forth.
Retinopathy
Any disorder of the retina.
Mensenteric Infarct
Death of tissue in the peritoneal fold (mesentery) that encircles the small intestine; a life-threatening condition.
Melena
A dar, tarry stool caused by the presence of “digested” free blood.
Pressure ulcer
Ischemic damage and subsequent necrosis affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and often the muscle; result of intense pressure over a short time or low pressure over a long time; also known as pressure sore or bedsore.
Pruritus
Itching; often occurs as a symptom of some systemic change or illness.
Herpes Zoster
An acute eruption caused by a a reactivation of latent varicella virus (chickenpox) in the dorsal root ganglia; also known as shingles.
Maceration
Process of softening a solid by soaking it in a liquid.
Osteoarthritis
A degenerative joint disease, characterized by a loss of articular cartilage and hypertrophy of bone.
Osteoporosis
Softening of bone tissue due to the loss of essential minerals, principally calcium.
Glomerulonephrities
A form of nephritis, or inflammation of the kidneys’ primarily involves the glomeruli, one of the capillary networks that are part of the renal corpuscles in the nephrons.
Urosepsis
Septicemia originating from the urinary tract.
Substance abuse
Misuse of chemically active agents such has alcohol, psychoactive chemicals, and therapeutic agents; typically results in clinically significant impairment or distress.
Hypochondriasis
An abnormal concern with one’s health, with the false belief of suffering from some disease, despite medical assurances to the contrary; commonly known as hypochondria.
Dysphoria
An exaggerated feeling of depression or unrest, characterized by a mood of general dissatisfaction, restlessness, discomfort, and unhappiness.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Respiratory insufficiency marked by progressive hypoxemia, due to sever inflammatory damage.
Geriatric Abuse
A syndrome in which an elderly person is physically or psychologically injured by another person.
Spondylosis
A degeneration of the vertebral body.
