Med Term Flashcards
Afebrile
Without fever, denoting apyrexia; having a normal body temperature.
Ambulatory
- walking or able to walk; not confined to bed.
2. of a condition or procedure, not requiring admission to a hospital for an overnight stay.
Aneurysm
a sac formed by the localized dilatation of the wall of an artery, a vein, or the heart.
Angina
Angina is pain, “discomfort,” or pressure localized in the chest that is caused by an insufficient supply of blood (ischemia) to the heart muscle. It is also sometimes characterized by a feeling of choking, suffocation, or crushing heaviness. This condition is also called angina pectoris.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is the worm-shaped pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix has no known function in the body, but it can become diseased. Appendicitis is a medical emergency, and if it is left untreated the appendix may rupture and cause a potentially fatal infection.
Artery
vessel through which the blood passes away from the heart to various parts of the body. The wall of an artery consists typically of an outer coat (tunica adventitia), a middle coat (tunica media), and an inner coat (tunica intima).
Arthalgia
Joint pain
Bradycardia
slowness of the heartbeat, so that the pulse rate is less than 60 per minute. This can occur in normal persons, particularly during sleep; trained athletes also usually have slow pulse a
Bradypnea
respirations that are regular in rhythm but slower than normal in rate. This is normal during sleep; otherwise it is associated with disturbance in the brain’s respiratory control center, as when the center is affected by opiate narcotics, alcohol, a tumor, a metabolic disorder, or a respiratory decompensation mechanism.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the air passages between the nose and the lungs, including the windpipe or trachea and the larger air tubes of the lung that bring air in from the trachea (bronchi). Bronchitis can either be of brief duration (acute) or have a long course (chronic). Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection, but can also be caused by a bacterial infection and can heal without complications. Chronic bronchitis is a sign of serious lung disease that may be slowed but cannot be cured.
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a spreading bacterial infection just below the skin surface. It is most commonly caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus.
Cervical
- pertaining to the neck or cervix of any organ or structure
Cholecystectomy
A cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. The two basic types of this procedure are open cholecystectomy and the laparoscopic approach. It is estimated that the laparoscopic procedure is currently used for approximately 80% of cases.
Cholecystitis
Cholecystitis refers to a painful inflammation of the gallbladder’s wall. The disorder can occur a single time (acute), or can recur multiple times (chronic).
Cholelithiasis
the presence or formation of gallstones; they may be either in the gallbladder (cholecystolithiasis) or in the common bile duct (choledocholithiasis). adj., adj cholelith´ic.
Conjuctiva
the delicate membrane lining the eyelids (palpebral conjunctiva) and covering the eyeball (ocular conjunctiva). adj., adj conjuncti´val.
Contusion
injury to tissues with skin discoloration and without breakage of skin; called also bruise. Blood from the broken vessels accumulates in surrounding tissues, producing pain, swelling, and tenderness, and the discoloration is the result of blood seepage just under the skin. Most heal without special treatment, but cold compresses may reduce bleeding if applied immediately after the injury, and thus may reduce swelling, discoloration, and pain.
Cornea
the clear, transparent anterior covering of the eye (see also color plates). The cornea is subject to injury by foreign bodies in the eye, bacterial infection, and viral infection, especially by the herpesvirus that causes herpes simplex. The herpesvirus that causes herpes zoster (shingles) can also infect the cornea. Prompt treatment of any corneal injury or infection is essential to avoid ulceration and loss of vision.
Cyanotic
Marked by bluish discoloration of the skin due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. It is one of the types of congenital heart disease.
Diaphoresis
Sweating
the excretion of moisture through the pores of the skin; called also perspiration and diaphoresis.
Diarrhea
To most individuals, diarrhea means an increased frequency or decreased consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. In many developed countries, the average number of bowel movements is three per day. However, researchers have found that diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 10oz (300 gs) per day generally indicates diarrhea. This is mainly due to excess water, which normally makes up 60-85% of fecal matter. In this way, true diarrhea is distinguished from diseases that cause only an increase in the number of bowel movements (hyperdefecation) or incontinence (involuntary loss of bowel contents).
Dysphagia
difficulty in swallowing; see also aphagia. There are numerous underlying causes, including stroke and other neurologic conditions, local trauma and muscle damage, and a tumor or swelling that partially obstructs the passage of food. The condition can range from mild discomfort, such as a feeling that there is a lump in the throat, to a severe inability to control the muscles needed for chewing and swallowing.
Dysphasia
Dysphasia is a partial or complete impairment of the ability to communicate resulting from brain injury.
Dyspnea
breathlessness or shorthess of breath; labored or difficult breathing. It is a sign of a variety of disorders and is primarily an indication of inadequate ventilation or of insufficient amounts of oxygen in the circulating blood. adj., adj dyspne´ic.
Dysuria
Painful or difficult urination
Ecchymosis
a hemorrhagic spot, larger than a petechia, in the skin or mucous membrane, forming a flat, rounded or irregular, blue or purplish patch. (See Atlas 2, Part R.) adj., adj ecchymot´ic.
Eczema
- any superficial inflammatory process involving primarily the epidermis, marked early by redness, itching, minute papules and vesicles, weeping, oozing, and crusting, and later by scaling, lichenification, and often pigmentation.
Edema
Edema is a condition of abnormally large fluid volume in the circulatory system or in tissues between the body’s cells (interstitial spaces).
Embolism
An embolism is an obstruction in a blood vessel due to a blood clot or other foreign matter that gets stuck while traveling through the bloodstream. The plural of embolism is emboli.
Emesis
The ejection of matter from the stomach through the esophagus and mouth.
Erythema
redness of the skin caused by congestion of the capillaries in the lower layers of the skin. It occurs with any skin injury, infection, or inflammation.
Exacerbation
An increase in the severity of a disease or in any of its signs or symptoms.
Exudate
a fluid with a high content of protein and cellular debris that has escaped from blood vessels and has been deposited in tissues or on tissue surfaces, usually as a result of inflammation.
Febrile
Donoting or related to fever
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is a catchall term for infection or irritation of the digestive tract, particularly the stomach and intestine. It is frequently referred to as the stomach or intestinal flu, although the influenza virus is not associated with this illness. Major symptoms include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. These symptoms are sometimes also accompanied by fever and overall weakness. Gastroenteritis typically lasts about three days. Adults usually recover without problem, but children, the elderly, and anyone with an underlying disease are more vulnerable to complications such as dehydration
Hematemesis
he vomiting of blood. The appearance of the vomit depends on the amount and character of the gastric contents at the time blood is vomited and on the length of time the blood has been in the stomach. Gastric acids change bright red blood to a brownish color and the vomit is often described as “coffee-ground” in color. Bright red blood in the vomit indicates a fresh hemorrhage and little contact of the blood with gastric juices. The most common causes of hematemesis are peptic ulcer, gastritis,
Hematochezia
the passage of blood in the feces. The cause is usually bleeding in the colon or rectum, but it may result from the loss of blood higher in the digestive tract although blood passed from the stomach or small intestine generally loses its red coloration. Cancer, colitis, and ulcers are among causes of hematochezia. Compare melena.
Hematoma
A localized collection of extravasated blood, usually clotted, in an organ, space, or tissue; contusions (bruises) and black eyes are familiar forms that are seldom serious. Hematomas can occur almost anywhere on the body; they are almost always present with a fracture and are especially serious when they occur inside the skull, where they may produce local pressure on the brain. In minor injuries the blood is absorbed unless infection develops.
Hematuria
the discharge of blood in the urine, making the urine either slightly blood-tinged, grossly bloody, or a smoky brown color. Microscopic examination of a urine specimen can reveal red blood cells not evident to the naked eye;
Hemorrhage
he escape of blood from a ruptured vessel; it can be either external or internal. Blood from an artery is bright red in color and comes in spurts; that from a vein is dark red and comes in a steady flow. Aside from the obvious flow of blood from a wound or body orifice, massive hemorrhage can be detected by other signs, such as restlessness, cold and clammy skin, thirst, increased and thready pulse, rapid and shallow respirations, and a drop in blood pressure. If the hemorrhage continues unchecked, the patient may complain of visual disturbances, ringing in the ears, or extreme weakness.
Hypotension
The term “hypotension” is usually used only when blood pressure has fallen so far that enough blood can no longer reach the brain, causing dizziness and fainting.
Hypertension
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body’s tissues.
Icteric
Relating to or unaffected by jaundice
Induration
- the quality of being hard.
- the process of becoming hard; called also hardening and sclerosis.
- an abnormally hard spot or place. adj., adj indura´tive.
black induration the hardening and pigmentation of the lung tissue seen in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis.
Infarct
An area of necrosis resulting from a sudden insufficiency of arterial or venous blood supply.
Synonym(s): infarction (2)
Infiltrate
- to penetrate the interstices of a tissue or substance.
2. material so deposited; called also infiltration.
Ischemia
Ischemia is an insufficient supply of blood to an organ, usually due to a blocked artery.
Loculations
- A loculate region in an organ or tissue, or a loculate structure formed between surfaces of organs, mucous or serous membranes, and so on.
- The process that results in the formation of a loculus or loculi.
Lymphadenopathy
)) a systemic disorder resembling lymphoma characterized by fever, night sweats, weight loss, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, macropapular rash, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, and Coombs’-positive hemolytic anemia. It is considered to be a nonmalignant hyperimmune reaction to chronic antigenic stimulation; there is proliferation of B cells accompanied by profound deficiency of T cells. The disease follows a progressive but extremely variable course: some patients survive for a long period without chemotherapy; in other patients, overwhelming infections rapidly lead to death
Malaise
A feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an “out-of-sorts” feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease.
Meningitis
serious inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection (by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), although it can also be caused by bleeding into the meninges, cancer, diseases of the immune system, and an inflammatory response to certain types of chemotherapy or other chemical agents.
Menengismis
: a state of meningeal irritation with symptoms suggesting meningitis that often occurs at the onset of acute febrile diseases especially in children.
Myalgia
pain in the muscles; muscular rheumatism.
Olecranon
The large process on the upper end of the ulna that projects behind the elbow joint and forms the point of the elbow.
Pallor
unusual or extreme paleness, as from fear, ill health, or death
Palpable
unusual or extreme paleness, as from fear, ill health, or death
Paresthesia
A skin sensation, such as burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause.
Petechia
A small purplish spot on a body surface, such as the skin or a mucous membrane, caused by a minute hemorrhage and often seen in typhus.
Photophonbia
- An abnormal sensitivity to or intolerance of light, especially by the eyes, as may be caused by eye inflammation, lack of pigmentation in the iris, or various diseases.
- An abnormal or irrational fear of light.
Pleurisy
Inflammation of the pleura, usually occurring as a complication of a disease such as pneumonia, accompanied by accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, chills, fever, and painful breathing and coughing.
Pneumonia
An acute or chronic disease marked by inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by a bacterium, virus, or other infectious agent.
Pneumothorax
Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, occurring as a result of disease or injury, or sometimes induced to collapse the lung in the treatment of tuberculosis and other lung diseases.
Post-ictal
The postictal state is the altered state of consciousness after an epileptic seizure . It usually lasts between 5 and 30 …
Purulent
consisting of, containing, or discharging pus.
Rale
An abnormal lung sound that can be heard through a stethoscope. Rales may be sibilant (whistling), dry (crackling), or wet (sloshy), depending on the amount and density of fluid refluxing back and forth in the air passages.
Rhinorrhea
condition where the nasal cavity is filled with a significant amount of mucus fluid. The condition, commonly known as a runny nose, occurs relatively frequently. Rhinorrhea is a common symptom of allergies (hay fever) or certain diseases, such as the common cold.
Rhonchi pleural of rhonchus
: a whistling or snoring sound heard on auscultation of the chest when the air channels are partly obstructed
Sclera
: the dense fibrous opaque white outer coat enclosing the eyeball except the part covered by the cornea — see eye illustration
Seizure
1
a : the act, action, or process of seizing : the state of being seized
b : the taking possession of person or property by legal process
Sputum
: matter expectorated from the respiratory system and especially the lungs that is composed of mucus but may contain pus, blood, fibrin, or microorganisms (such as bacteria) in diseased states
Stool guaiac
test or guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) is one of several methods that detects the presence of fecal occult blood (blood invisible in the feces).
Stridor
is an abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound. It is caused by a blockage in the throat or voice box (larynx). It is most often heard when taking in a breath.
Syncope
Fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness, usually temporary and typically caused by a lack of oxygen in the brain. The brain oxygen deprivation has many possible causes, including hypotension (low blood pressure
Tachycardia
Rapid resting heart rate
Tachypnea
Breathing that is abnormally rapid and often shallow.
Tinnitus
Ringing or buzzing noise in one or both ears that may be constant or come and go, often associated with hearing loss.
Tonsillectomy
Surgical removal of tonsils
Vein
A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back to the heart
Vertigo
Episodes of dizziness
Wheeze
a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing.
