Glossary Flashcards
All Vocab from the back of the book glossary
Abdominal Thrusts
A method of attempting to remove an object from the airway of someone who is choking.
Abduction
Moving a body part away from the midline of the body.
Abrasion
An injury that rubs off the surface of the skin.
Absorption
The transfer of nutrients from the intestines to the cells.
Abuse
Purposeful mistreatment that causes physical, mental, or emotional pain or injury to someone.
ADLs
(Activites of Daily Living) daily personal care tasks, such as bathing; dressing ; caring for the skin, nails, hair, and teeth; eating; drinking; walking; transferring; and elimination.
Acute Care
24-hour skilled care given in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers for people who require short-term, immediate care for illnesses and injuries.
Adduction
Moving a body part toward the midline of the body.
Adult Day Services
care for people who need some help during certain hours, but who do not live in the facility where care is given.
Advance Directives
legal documents that allow people to choose what medical care they wish to have if they are unable to make those decisions themselves.
Affected Side
a side of the body that is weakened due to a stroke or injury; also called “weaker” or “involved” side.
Ageism
prejudice toward, stereotyping, of, and/or discrimination against older persons or the elderly.
Alzheimer’s Disease
a progressive, incurable disease that causes tangled nerve fibers and protein deposits to form in the brain, which eventually cause dementia.
Ambulation
walking.
Ambulatory
capable of walking.
Amputation
the surgical removal of some or all of a body part, usually a hand, arm, leg, or foot.
Angina
chest pain, pressure, or discomfort.
Anxiety
uneasiness, worry, or fear, often about a situation or condition.
Apathy
a lack of interest in activities.
Aspiration
the inhalation of food, fluid, or foreign material into the lungs.
Assault
a threat to a person, resulting in the person feeling fearful that he will be harmed.
Assisted Living
residences for people who do not need 24-hour skilled care, but do require some help with daily living.
Assistive Devices
special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled to perform activities of daily living.
Atrophy
the wasting away, decreasing in size, and weakening of muscles from lack of use.
Autoimmune Illness
an illness in which the body’s immune system attacks normal tissue in the body.
Battery
the intentional touching of a person without their consent.
Bias
prejudice.
Bipolar Disorder
a mental health disorder that causes a person to swing from periods of deep depression (a depressive episode) to periods of extreme activity (a manic episode).
Bloodborne Pathogens
microorganisms found in human blood, body fluid, draining wounds, and mucous membranes that can cause infections and disease in humans.
Body Mechanics
the way the parts of the body work together when a person moves.
Bony Prominences
areas of the body where the bone lies close to the skin.
Brachial Pulse
the pulse located inside the elbow, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the elbow.
CPR
(Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) medical procedures used when a person’s heart or lungs have stopped working.
Care Plan
a plan developed for each resident to achieve certain goals; it outlines the steps and tasks that the care team must perform.
Catastrophic Reaction
reacting to something in an unreasonable, exaggerated way.
Catheter
a thin tube inserted into the body to drain or inject fluids.
Causative Agent
a pathogenic microorganism that causes disease.
CDC
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention) a federal government agency that issues guidelines to protect the health of individuals and communities.
CVA
(Cerebrovascular Accident) a condition that occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks or ruptures within the brain; also called a stroke.
Chain of Command
the line of authority within a facility.
Chain of Infection
way of describing how disease is transmitted from one human being to another.
Charting
documenting information and observations about residents.
Cheyna-Stokes
alternating periods of slow, irregular breathing and rapid, shallow breathing, along with periods of not breathing.
Chronic
long-term or long-lasting.
Cite
in a long-term care facility, to document a problem through a survey.
Clean
in health care, a condition in which objects are not contaminated with pathogens.
Clean-Catch Specimen
a urine specimen that does not include the first and last urine voided; also called midstream specimen.
Cliches
phrases that are used over and over again and do not really mean anything.
Closed Bed
a bed completely made with the bedspread and blankets in place.
C. Diff; C. Difficile
(Clostridioides difficile) a bacterium that is spread by spores in feces that are difficult to kill; it causes symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea and can lead to serious inflammation of the colon.
Cognition
the ability to think logically and clearly.
Cognitive
related to thinking and learning.
CBT
(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) a type of psychotherapy that is often used to treat anxiety disorders and depression and focuses on skills and solutions that a person can use to modify negative thinking and behavior patterns.
Cognitive Impairment
the loss of ability to think logically and clearly.
Combative
violent or hostile.
Combustion
the process of burning.
Communication
the process of exchanging information with others by sending and receiving messages.
Compassionate
being cared, concerned, considerate, empathetic, and understanding.
Condom Catheter
a type of urinary catheter that has an attachment on the end that fits onto the penis; also called Texas catheter.
Confidentiality
the legal and ethical principle of keeping information private.
Confusion
the inability to think logically and clearly.
Conscientious
guided by a sense of right and wrong; principled.
Conscious
the state of being mentally alert and having awareness of surroundings, sensations, and thoughts.
Constipation
the inability to eliminate stool, or the infrequent, difficult, and often painful elimination of hard, dry stool.
Constrict
to narrow.
Contracture
the permanent and often painful shortening of a muscle or tendon, usually due to a lack of activity.
COVID-19
a droplet and airborne disease transmitted through droplets and particles produced by an infected person; often characterized by respiratory symptoms and capable of progressing to serve symptoms, even death, especially in people who are older, have underlying health conditions, or are unvaccinated.
Cultural Diversity
the different groups of people with varied backgrounds and experiences who live together in the world.
Culture
a system of learned beliefs and behaviors that is practiced by a group of people and is often passed on from one generation to the next.
Cyanotic
blue or gray, in reference to skin color.
Dangle
to sit up with the legs hanging over the side of the bed in order to regain balance and stabilize blood pressure.
Defense Mechanisms
unconscious behaviors used to release tension or cope with stress.
Dehydration
a serious condition that results from inadequate fluid in the body.
Delirium
a state of severe confusion that occurs suddenly and is usually temporary.
Delusions
persistent false beliefs.
Dementia
the serious loss of mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communicating.
Dentures
artificial teeth.
Depression
a mental health disorder that causes pain, fatigue, apathy, sadness, irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite, as well, as other symptoms; also called Major Depressive Disorder.
Developmental Disabilities
disabilities that are present at birth or emerge during childhood up to age 22 that restrict physical and/or mental ability.
Diabetes
a condition in which the pancreas produces no insulin, too little insulin or does not properly use insulin.
DKA
(Diabetic Ketoacidosis) a complication of diabetes that is caused by having too little insulin in the body.
Diagnoses
medical conditions determined by a doctor.
Diastolic
the second measurement of blood pressure; phase when the heart relaxes or rests.
Digestion
the process of preparing food physically and chemically so that it can absorbed into the cells.
Dilate
to widen.
Direct Contact
a way of transmitting pathogens through touching the infected person or his secretions.
Dirty
in health care, a condition in which objects have been contaminated by pathogens.
Disinfection
a process that destroys most, but not all, pathogens; it reduces the pathogen count to a level that is considered not infectious.
Disorientation
confusion about person, place, or time.
Disposable
only to be used once and then discarded.
Disposable Razor
a type of razor that is discarded in a biohazard container after one use; requires the use of shaving cream or soap.
Diuretics
medications that reduce fluid volume in the body.
Doff
to remove.
Domestic Violence
physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by spouses, intimate partners, or family members.
Don
to put on
DNR
(Do Not Resuscitate) a medical order that instructs medical professionals not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest.
Dorsiflexion
bending backward.
Draw Sheet
an extra sheet placed on top of the bottom sheet; used for moving residents in bed.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
a signed, dated, and witnessed legal document that appoints someone else to make the medical decisions for a person in the event she becomes unable to do so.
Dysphagia
difficulty swallowing.
Dyspnea
Difficulty breathing.
Edema
swelling caused by excess fluid in body tissues.
Electric Razor
a type of razor that runs on electricity; does not require the use of soap or shaving cream.
Elimination
the process of expelling wastes that are not absorbed into the cells.
Elope
in medicine, when a person with Alzheimer’s disease wanders away from a protected area and does not return.
Embolism
an obstruction of a blood vessel, usually by blood clot.
Emesis
the act of vomiting, or ejecting stomach contents through the mouth and/or nose.
Emotional Liability
inappropriate or unprovoked emotional responses, including laughing, crying, and anger.
Empathy
identifying with the feelings of others.
Enema
a specific amount of water, with or without an additive, that is introduced into the colon to stimulate the elimination of stool.
Ergonomics
the science of designing equipment, areas, and work tasks to make them safer and to suit the worker’s abilities.
Ethics
the knowledge of right and wrong.
Ethnicity
one aspect of a person’s identity, often reflecting a combination of race, culture, language, nationality, and other factors.
Expiration
the process of exhaling air out of the lungs.
Expressive Aphasia
trouble communicating thought through speech or writing.
Extension
straightening a body part.
False Imprisonment
the unlawful restraint of someone that affects the person’s freedom of movement; includes both the threat of being physically restrained and actually being physically restrained.
Fecal Incontinence
the inability to control the bowels, leading to a involuntary passage of stool.
Financial Abuse
the improper or illegal use of a person’s money, possessions, property, or other assets.
First Aid
emergency care given immediately to an injured person by the first people to respond to an emergency.
flammable
easily ignited and capable of burning quickly.
Flexion
bending a body part.
Fluid Balance
taking in and eliminating equal amounts of fluid.
Fluid Overload
a condition that occurs when the body cannot handle the amount of fluid consumed.
Foot Drop
a weakness of muscles in the feet and ankles that causes problems with the ability to flex and the ankles and walk normally.
Fowler’s
semi-sitting position in which a person’s head and shoulders are elevated 45 to 60 degrees.
Fracture
a broken bone.
Fracture Pan
A bedpan that is flatter than a regular bedpan.
FWB
(Full Weight Bearing) a doctor’s order stating that a person has the ability to support full body weight (100%) on both legs.
Gait
manner of walking
Gastrostomy
a surgically created opening into the stomach in order to insert a tube.
GAD
(Generalized Anxiety Disorder) an anxiety disorder that is characterized by chronic anxiety and worry, even when there is no cause for these feelings.
Gestational Diabetes
type of diabetes that appears in pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high glucose levels during pregnancy.
