Medical Terminology Flashcards
What is a coronal slice?
Dividing the front and back of the brain
What is a horizontal slice?
Dividing the top and the bottom of the brain
What is a sagittal slice?
Dividing the two halves of the brain
For a horizontal slice, where is the right ear?
On the left side of the image
Imagine standing at patients feet (laying down)
How are lab tests helpful?
They are helpful in evaluating the health status of an individual
Do almost all lab tests fall within a normal range?
Yes
95% do
Although there are some normal that fall outside the normal range
Why are some reasons that results may be abnormal?
Race
Diet
Age
Gender
Menstrual cycle
Degree of physical activity
Problems with collection/handling
Use of non-prescription drugs
Use of prescription drugs
Alcohol intake
Illnesses
What are blood tests used for?
Blood sugar levels
Cholesterol levels
Infections
Electrolyte (potassium, chloride, etc.) imbalance
Minerals (calcium, phosphate, etc.)
Hemoglobin levels
Cardiac function
Renal function
Hepatic function
Markers for some diseases such as cancers and arthritis
Genetic tests
Why is genetic testing performed in humans?
Diagnose/rule out a genetic condition
Diagnose/rule out viral infection such as the novel coronavirus
Presymptomatic or predictive testing
Establish risk factors for inherited diseases
Establish paternity
Prenatal diagnosis of genetic conditions
Medico-legal cases
Pharmacogenomics testing to predicts the response to certain medications
Transplantation testing to determine whether an organ or tissue is a match for the transplant between a donor and recipient
Why is presymptomatic or predictive testing done?
To identify the presence of variant genes that cause disease or increase disease risk
Even if someone appears to be healthy
What are urine tests used to detect?
UTIs
Kidney and bladder disease
Drug use and abuse
What are some of the most common radiographic or magnetic imaging tests?
X-rays
CT scans
MRI
What does CT stand for?
Computerized tomography
What does MRI stand for?
Magnetic resonance imaging
Is a biopsy also a common imaging test?
Yes
What is a biopsy?
It is an examination of tissue, such as liver, bone, and tumors
Removed from the body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease
What are x-rays?
A form of electromagnetic radiation, like visible light
X-rays have higher energy and can pass through most objects, including the body
What are medical x-rays used for?
To generate images of tissues and structures inside the body
How are images formed for x-rays?
Because there is an x-ray detector on the other side of the patient
The object is placed between a source of x-rays and a sheet of x-ray sensitive film
Will bone weaken or attenuate the light of the x-ray?
Yes, that is why they show up well
Does bone attenuate the x-ray much more than air or soft tissue?
Yes
Are bone abnormalities seen fairly easily with an x-ray?
Yes
But they are seen better with a CT scan
What is a CT?
A series of x-ray images taken from different angles around the body
What do CT’s show?
It shows cross sectional scans of bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues inside the body
Gives multiple 3D images
Do CT’s provide more detail than x-rays?
Yes
Therefore, it uses more radiation
What are CT’s used for?
To diagnose disease or injury
To plan medical, surgical, or radiation treatment
What does a CT look like?
A large doughnut (thin)
X-ray rotates around patient
Can a CT be done both with and without contrast?
Yes
How does contrast show up on the image?
Contrast material blocks x-rays and appears white on images which can help emphasize blood vessels, intestines, or other structures
How is contrast material administered?
By mouth, IV, or enema
What is the most common way to administer the CT contrast?
IV
Can contrast cause an allergic reaction?
Yes
But not death
What does the CT image depend on?
The density of the tissue
What is the color of air on a CT?
Black
What is the color of fat on a CT?
More black