Medical Terminology Flashcards
Hyperglycemia
High blood glucose
>120
S/S: Increased thirst, blurred vision, frequent urination, 3 p’s, red
Treatment: ensure they’ve administered their insulin
Hypoglycemia
Low blood glucose levels
<60 mg/dL
S/S: hunger, shakiness, perspiration, dizziness/lightheaded, sleepiness, confusion, unconscious, ALOC
Treatment: give glucose gel if it can be self administered
Hypoperfusion
- Shock
- inadequate delivery of O2 can result in organ system failure
S/S: distended jugular vein, weak/absent pulse, abnormal pulse, abnormal heart rhythms/fast HR, exaggerated reduced BP, Hypotensive (low BP)
Hypovolemic Shock
- Inadequate fluid/volume in circulatory system
- 2 types:
Hemorrhagic: injuries involving bleeding (burns, crushing injuries, loss of blood)
Non-Hemorrhagic: vomiting & diarrhea (dehydration)
Visceral pain
Acute abdominal pain: dull, diffuse pain. Difficult to localize. Frequent vomiting & nausea
Parietal pain
Acute abdominal pain:
- Severe, localized pain. Usually sharp and constant.
- Patient will often cut up in a ball, breathing slowly to diminish pain
Appendicitis
- inflammation of the appendix
- can lead to septic shock
- s/s:
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever
- pain begins as diffuse, but then localized to right lower quadrant
Cardiac Tamponade
- Compression of the heart caused by fluid buildup in sac around the heart.
- Causes dramatic decrease in BP (hypotension), shortness of breath, and lightheaded-ness
Injury to C7
- May be unable to move the intercostal muscles (muscles btw ribs that help with breathing)
- May breathe entirely with the diaphragm (aka. Belly breathing)
Chest injury breaths
Often rapid and shallow
Embolism
Clot/blockage in an artery
Edema
Fluid buildup
Meconium
- Fecal matter ingested during the time infant is in the uterus
- Check immediately upon delivery
Xiphoid process
Small, lower part of the sternum
Decompression sickness
- Painful condition seen in divers who ascend too quickly, in which gas, especially nitrogen, forms bubbles in blood vessels and other tissues (ex. Bends)
- S/S:
Signs of shock
- Cool/Clammy/Pale
- High HR
- High RR
- nausea/vomiting
- dilated pupils
- dizziness
- ALOC
Weakness/Fatigue/Lathargic
Hypothermia
- Systemic cold emergency, when body temp falls lower than needed to maintain homeostasis
- S/S:
- cold, pale, cyanosis
- shivering; ceases in extreme cases
- loss of coordination/muscle stiffness
- ALOC
- Low HR, RR, and BP - Treatment:
- manage life threats
- remove from cold and warm slowly
- remove wet clothes
Extreme injury (6 P’s)
- Pain
- Pallor
- Pulseless-ness
- Paresthesia (pins & needles)
- Paralysis
- Pressure
Septic shock
- Shock resulting from infection (can mimic a stroke)
- S/S:
- SOB
- Dramatic increase in HR
- Lowered BP
- ALOC
- Dark/less urine
- Cool, Clammy skin
- Dizzy/weakness
- Fever (body fighting infection)
- Nausea/Vomiting/loss of appetite/diarrhea
Gastric distension
- Enlargement of the stomach
- Caused by blood/air collected in abdomen
- Treat: transport asap
Drug overdose
DOACRE:
Drug Onset Amount Chief complaint Route of administration Elicit / illicit
Bronchospasms
- Sudden contraction of the walls of the bronchioles
- Causes difficulty breathing
Spontaneous Pneumothorax
- Sudden onset of collapsed lung
- Absent breath sounds in lower part of lung
COPD
“Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease”
- Progressive Lung Disease:
- Emphysema
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Refractory asthma - Treatment:
- Give O2, but not too much, because it can worsen the chronic diseases
Pleuritic Chet Pain
- Sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in inhaling or exhaling
- Exacerbated by:
- deep breathing
- coughing
- sneezing
- laughing - Cause: inflammation of parietal pleura (outer layer of lungs)
Tachycardia
Rapid heart rate
Emphysema
Shortness of breath due to damaged alveoli (air sacs in lungs)
Priapism
Persisting and painful erection - indicative of spinal injury in trauma
JVD
“Jugular Vein Distention”
- What: vein on side of neck bulges
- Causes:
- (R) sides heart failure
- pulmonary hypertension (high BP, affects arteries in lungs and (R) side of heart)
- Tricuspid Valve Stenosis: Valve stiffening that separates the (R) atrium and (R) ventricle = blood backup
- Superior Vena Cava Obstruction: tumor/clot
- constrictive pericarditis: fluid filled sac around heart becomes stiff
- cardiac tamponade: buildup of fluid in pericardium - Treatment: O2, possible shock, drive fast
Tracheal deviation
- trachea pushes to one side of neck
- causes:
- pressure buildup in the chest cavity/neck (injury causing lots of swelling/internal bleeding)
- pneumothorax
- multimodal goiter (enlarger thyroid gland)
- pleural effusion: extra fluid un pleural cavity around lungs
- pleural fibrosis: pleura (membrane around lungs) inflammation
- pulmonary fibrosis: stiffening of lungs
- atelectasis: lung collapse, b/c alveoli can’t hold air - treatment: O2, possible shock, drive fast
Crepitus
- Creaking, cracking, graying occurs when moving a joint, rubbing together of bones
- air bubbles, arthritis, broken bones
Atherosclerosis
Clotting of arteries
5 stages of grief
May occur in order, simultaneously, or junk between
- Denial
- Anger/hostility
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Excited delirium
- aka. Agitated delirium or Exhaustive Mania
- Impairment un cognitive function
- s/s:
- hyperactive irrational behavior with possible vivid hallucinations
- hypertension
- tachycardia
- diaphoresis
- dilated pupils
Schizophrenia
- s/s:
- delusions
- hallucination
- lack of interest in pleasure
- erratic speech - treat:
- clearly identify yourself
- calm, direct, straightforward
- do not argue
- don’t support delusions
- explain what you’d like to do
- involve loved/trusted people
Delirium Tremens (DTs)
- Sudden alcohol withdrawal
- s/s:
- agitation
- fever
- sweating
- tremors
- confusion/disorientation
- delusions/hallucinations
- seizures
Tensions Pneumothorax
- If Pneumothorax isn’t fixed, it’ll become tension
- Lung leaking air into chest, causing feeling of pressure and moves everything over (tracheal deviation)
Pleural effusion
Fluid buildup in pleural space (space around lungs), due to poor pumping of the heart
Pulmonary edema
Edema = swelling/excess fluid
Fluid in lungs
Hypoxia
- Lack of O2
- s/s:
- restlessness
- anxiety
- irritability
- Dyspnea (labored breathing)
- tachycardia (HR >100)
- lowered or ALOC
- cyanosis
- bradycardia (HR <60)
Hematochezia
Bloody stool
Often a s/s of GI bleed
Hematemesis
Vomiting blood
Often a s/s of a GI bleed
Ischemic stroke
Blockage of a cerebral artery
Epistaxis
Nosebleed
Subcutaneous emphysema
- Presence of air in the soft tissues of the neck
- commonly occurs due to blunt trauma
- Presents with characteristic crackling sensation upon palpating the neck
Air embolism
- Air exists in the vascular system
- If a vein is punctured within the neck, air may be sucked through to the heart. If enough air is present in the right atrium and ventricle, cardiac arrest may occur
Evisceration
- abdominal wound in which internal organs are protruding outward
- treatment: moistened sterile gauze and secured with an occlusive dressing
Vesicular breath sounds
Normal breath sounds
hypersomnolence
Excessive sleepiness
Ataxia
Impaired balance or coordination
Types of burns
Superficial - first degree, only epidermis (sunburn); mild erythema and pain at the site, without blisters
Superficial partial-thickness - second degree burn, epidermis and superficial dermis (thin walled blisters); appear pink, moist, and soft, and tender to touch
Deep partial-thickness - second degree burn, extend into reticular dermis (thick walled blisters); appear red and blanched white with slow cap refill, usually ruptured blisters
Full-thickness - third degree burn, extends into subcutaneous layer or deeper; affected area is dry, leathery, dark brown or charred, may feel hard. May be lacking sensation due to damaged nerve endings
BVM volumes
Adult: 1,200 - 1,600 mL
Child: 500-700 mL
Infant: 150-240 mL
Standard vital signs
1) respirations: Adult: 12-20 Children: 15-30 Infants: 25-50 2) pulse: Adult: 60-100 Child: 80-120 Infant: >100 3) Blood Pressure Adult: 120/80 (100+ age for men, 90+age for women) Child: 80+ 2(age) 4) Pupils 5) Skin signs 6) Pulse Oximetry (SaO2)
Left ventricle heart failure
Causes fluid to backup in lungs, can cause pulmonary edema = dyspraxia, hypoxia, crackles in the lungs
Most common cause of of right ventricular heart failure (causes JVD and peripheral edema) is left ventricular heart failure
