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.