Hospital Specialties Flashcards
Pulmonology
Lung Doctors, Respiratory System.
Respiratory system includes nose, throat, trachea, airways, muscles and blood vessels.
Key conditions/procedures - Bronchoscopy - use a bronchoscope to look at lungs and airwaves.
Obstetrics
Manage and treat health conditions associated with pregnancy - pre-conception, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum.
Vascular
Study of blood vessels. Specialize in arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels (transfers lymph to blood circulation.
Help prevent strokes and aneurysms/blocked arteries
Key conditions/procedures - Aortic aneurysms (bulge in aorta/the main artery in the heart), Blood Clots, Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT - when blood clots form in the dep vein/usually the leg)
Rheumatologist
Internal Medicine doctor who manages and treats inflammatory “rheumatic” disease.
Treat inflammatory (rheumatic) disorders that affect muscles, joints, bones.
Key conditions/procedures - Auto-immune diseases (immune system attacking instead of protecting), Osteoporosis (weakened bones), and joint problems, tendon issues, and muscle conditions.
Neuroscience
Manages and treats conditions that affect the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, spinal column, and all the nerves that extend from the spinal cord).
Spinal column - bones, muscles, tendons, and other tissues that reach from the base of the skull to the tailbone.
Ophthalmology
Diagnosing and treating eye-related conditions.
Key conditions/procedures:
- Glaucoma (damage to eye’s optic nerve),
- Macular degeneration - affects central vision, can’t see things directly in front of them
- Corneal conditions - clear window in front of your eye)
- Cataracts - lens becomes cloudy
- Optic nerve issues - transmits visual information
- Double vision
- Surgical procedures of the eye.
Endocrinology
Study of hormones and endocrine glands/organs.
Hormones - chemical messengers traveling from one endocrine gland, or organ, to other parts of the body through blood.
Endocrine glands:
- Adrenal - on top of each kidney, control heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, immune system.
- Parathyroid - in neck, regulate calcium levels.
- Pineal - behind thalamus in brain, melatonin levels, bodies internal clock.
- Pituitary - base of brain, cortisol/stress hormone, lactation labor/childbirth, reproduction.
- Thyroid - front of throat, metabolic processes.
Endocrine Organ:
- Pancreas - behind stomach, makes enzymes that break down sugar, fats, and starches.
- Hypothalamus - area of brain above pituitary gland that controls body temp, heart rate, hunger, mood, ovaries and testes.
Gynecology*
Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the female reproductive system and breasts.
- Vulva - area of genitals outside of the body
- Uterus - where the egg implants and baby develops
- Ovaries - produce/store eggs
- Fallopian tube - where eggs are fertilized, connects uterus/ovaries
- Cervix - makes mucus to keep out bacteria
- Vagina - extends from vulva to cervix
Nephrology
Specialize in treating Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Renal Failure (Kidney Failure), High Blood Pressure, Kidney Stones, Chronic/repeat UTI
Manage dialysis for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Kidney’s - two, just below the rib cage on each side of the spine. Removes waste/produces urine, controls levels of substances in blood, and controls blood pressure.
Urology
Study of the urinary tract of both genders, and the genital tract of the reproductive systems in males.
Urinary tract:
- Kidney’s - remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, produce urine, maintains health balance of minerals in blood
- Ureters - connect kidney to urinary bladder)
- Bladder
- Urethra -tube that lets urine leave your bladder and body
Genitourinary System
Encompasses the organs of the genital (reproductive) and urinary systems.
Includes Nephrology and Urology
Hematology
Study of blood/blood disorders.
Key conditions/procedures -
- Anemia - not enough healthy red blood cells/hemoglobin (protein in red blood cells carrying oxygen) to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues
- Hemophilia - blood does not clot properly
- Leukemia - cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues (bone marrow + lymphatic system)
- Lymphatic system - bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, carries lymph to fight infections.
Hepatology
Study of diseases that affect the:
- Liver - filters all the blood and breaks down poisonous substances
- Gallbladder - in the upper right abdomen, releases bile to break down fats
- Biliary tree -makes, stores, and secretes bile
- Pancreas (large gland in back of belly, helps with digestion and controls the amount of sugar in your blood stream.
Key conditions/procedures - Treats acute/chronic liver deseases.
Gastroenterology
Study of esophagus, stomach, small intestine (receives food from stomach and sends it to the large intestine or colon), colon + rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver.
General Surgery
Key conditions/procedures - Appendicitis (Appendix inflamed/filled with pus), Bariatrics, Colorectal, GI, Cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder), Hepatology, Tracheotomy (opening in trachea), Hernias.
Hernia:
- Inguinal - inner thigh, most common
- Femoral - groin
- Hiatal - stomach protrudes up into the chest
