Terms Flashcards
Diaphoresis
Excessive Sweating
Diplopia
Double Vision
Photophobia
Intolerance or pain due to light
Tinnitus
Ringing in Ears
Rhinorrhea
Runny Nose
Epistaxis
Nose Bleed
Dysphagia
Discomfort when swallowing
Palpitations
Rapid, strong, irregular or fluttering heartbeat
dyspnea
shortness of breath
Orthopnea
dyspnea when laying flat
Edema
Swelling due to excess fluid collecting in tissue
Sputum
Phlegm/Mucous
Hemoptysis
Spitting up blood
Emesis
Vomiting
Hematochezia
Bright red blood in stool
Melena
Dark, tarry stool
Dysuria
Painful or burning urination
Nocturia
Waking up to urinate at night
Hematuria
Blood in urine
Myalgias
Diffuse muscle pain
Parasthesia
pins and needs especially in hands and feet
syncope/syncopal episode
Loss of consciouness or fainting
Polyuria
Excessive uriniating especially due to poorly controlled diabetes
Polydipsia
Excessive thirst especially due to poorly controlled diabetes
PPD
packs per day
cachectic
Patient appears thin. Weakness/wasting due to severe illness
Conjunctiva
Mucous membrane that covers the front of eye and lines eyelids
Sclera
White part of eye
EOMI
Extraocular Movements intact
Papilledema
Optic disc swelling due to increased intracranial pressure
Fundi
interior lining of eyeball
Exopthalmos
Eyes or eyeball potrudes forward in the head
Scleral Icterus
Sclera of eye is yellow
Nystagmus
Involuntary Eye movement
Auricle
External portion of the ear
Cerumen
Ear Wax
External Ear Canal
Tube from external ear to ear drum
Tympanic Membrane
Eardrum
Eardrum
Hemotympanum
Blood in tympanic cavity of middle ear
Nares
Nostrils
Edentulous
No Teeth
Pharynx
Throat
Uvula
Structure between tonsils that hangs in back of throat
Pharyngeal Erythema
Red throat
Tonsillar Exudate
Pus
Stridor
Harsh vibrating sound when breathing
Thryomegaly
Enlargement of the thyroid
Lymphadenopathy
Enlargement of lymph nodes
Tachycardia
heart rate above 100bpm
bradycardia
heart rate below 60 bpm
Ectopy
Extra heart beat outside of normal rhythm. Premature atrial contraction is PAC and premature ventricle contraction is PVC
Carotid Bruit
sound hear over carotid artery due to decreased blood flow
Dorsalis Pedis Pulse
DP Pulse, Found on top of foot
Femoral Pulse
Pulse found in groin
Pitting Edema
Indention from pressing stays from some time rated between 1+ and 4+
Auscultation
Act of listening to lungs with stethoscope
Bibasilar
At base of both lungs
Rales
Abnormal breath sound heard with stethoscope
Crackles
Abnormal breath sound heard with stethoscope
Rhonchi
Abnormal whistling sound heard with stethoscope
Accessory Muscle Use
Patients in respiratory distress use neck muscles to breathe. Should be no use in healthy patient.
Retractions
Intercostal muscles attached to ribs are sucked sharply inside due to pressure decrease
Tripod position or Tripoding
Patient in respiratory distress supports self with arms while sitting
Tachypnea
“Ta-chip-nia” Abnormal rapid breathing
Percussion
Tapping on chest
Umbilicus
Belly Button
Periumbilical
Around belly button
Epigastric
mid abdomen just above belly button
Guarding
tensing of abdomen muscles to protect inflamed organs from pain due to pushing
Rebound tenderness
pain upon release of pushing instead of upon pushing
Peritoneal signs
Example Guarding and Rebound tenderness. Indicates abnormality with peritoneal cavity (lining of abdomen)
Murphy’s Sign
When patient cannot inspire while physicians hands are below gallbladder (sign of Cholecystitus)
Cholecystitus
Inflammation of the gallbladder
McBurney’s Point
Point over right side of abdomen about 1/3 distance from iliac crest to belly button and approximately over appendix
Obturator sign
Examiner rotates leg and knee. Pain resulting could be appendicitis
Psoas’s Sign
Patient flexes thigh at hip and pain resulting could be appendicitis
Rovsing’s Sign
Palpation of LLQ results in pain at RLQ. Indicates Appendicitis
Hyperactive Bowel Sounds
Loud bowel sounds
Hypoactive Bowel Sounds
Decreased bowel sounds
Splenomegaly
Enlarged Spleen
Hepatomegaly
Enlarged Liver
Hepaosplenomegaly
Enlarged liver and spleen
Ascites
Acculmation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity causing swelling
Rectal Tone
Tone of muscles controlling rectum
Hemorrhoids
Swollen or inflamed veins in rectum and anus that can cause discomfort and bleeding
Guaiac Test
A test for invisible amounts of blood in stool
Hernia
A bulging of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening
Reductible hernia
hernia that can be pushed back into abdomen with manual pressure
Incarcerated hernia
Hernia that cannot be pushed back into abdomen with manual pressure
Umbilical hernia
Intestines protrude through abdominal muscles at belly button
Ingunial
groin region
Perineum
Skin between anus and reproductive organs
Vaginal Vault
Inside vagina
Cervical Os
opening of the cervix
Certical Motion Tenderness (CMT)
Patient experiences tenderness around cervix during bimanual pelvic exam
Gravid
Pregnant
Adnexa
Structure used to connect organs. Typically refers to adnexa of the uterus i.e. the ovaries and fallopian tubes
A&Ox3
Alert and orientated. Patient is awake and knowns name, location and date.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
Neurological scale between 3 (deeply unconscious) to 15 (normal state)
Deep Tendon Reflexes (DTRs)
Muscle tendon tapped with hammer. Normal reflex is 2+. Weakened it 0 or 1+ and heightened is 3+ or 4+
Cranial Nerves
Given Roman Numerals I -XII
Ataxia
neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination (example ataxic gait)
Hemiparesis
Weakness on one side of body
Hemiplegia
Paralysis on one side of body
Romberg’s test
Patient closes eyes. If they fail to maintain balance than they have a problem with proprioception (ability to know one’s body in space)
Pronator drift
Inability for patient to hold arms out at shoulder with palms up.
Expressive aphasia
Inability for patient to produce language (spoken or written)
Dysarthria
Slurred speech
Olecranon
Elbow
Metacarpophalangeal joint (MPC joint)
Joint between Metacarpals and phalanges of fingers
Proximal Interphalangeal joint (PIP Joint)
Joint between first and intermediate fingers
Distal Interphalangeal joint (DIP Joint)
Joint between distal phalangeal joint
Snuff Box
Triangular deepening of the hand
Malleolus
bony prominance of ankle
Calcaneus
Heel Bone
Above/Below Knee Amputation abbreviations
AKA vs BKA
Joint Effusion
Increased intra-articular fluid and swelling commonly involving knee joint
Nail Clubbing
deformity of finger and toes
No Step Offs
A step off is a slipped vertebrae sticking out of the spine
Kyphosis
A forward rounding of the back
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of spinal canal
Foraminal stenosis
Narrowing of passages between each vertebrae where nerves enter/exit
Herniated disc
Soft center of spinal disc pushes through exterior casing
Straight Leg Raise
Test of herniated disc
Sciatica
Low back pain
CVA Tenderness
Tenderness in back over kidneys
Supple
Neck can be bent and it not stiff
Nuchal Rigidity
Neck stiffness
Brudzinski’s Sign
Test for meningitis. Hips and knees flex when neck is flexed
Kernig’s sign
Test for meningitis. Severe stiffness of hamstrings
Meningismus
Any clinical sign of meningitis.
Intercostal space
Space between 2 ribs
Crepitus
Grating, crackling, or popping sounds under skin and joints
Urticaria
Hives, Skin rash
Blanching rash
dissapears when pressed
Tinea
ringworm. Contagious fungal infection of skin or scalp
Turgor
Skin snaps back to normal elastic position
Lesion
wound
Laceration
deep wound
Abrasion
scrape or scratch
Erythema/Erythematous
Redness of skin
Purulent
Pus
Induration
inflamed and skin feels hard. Means there is no pus
Fluctuance
inflamed and skin feels soft when touched
Eccymosis
Bruising
Cyanosis
blue color of skin
Petechiae
skin spots
Purpura
Purple spots
Hypertension
BP 140/90 or above. Severe is 180/120
Hyperlipidema/Dyslipidema/Hypercholesterolema
High Cholesterol
Chronic Bronchitis
A COPD where airflow is blocked by mucus.
Emysema
A COPD with destruction and enlargement of air spaces
Pulmonary Ebolism
Blood clot in lung
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Acid reflux
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Sore in esophagus, stomach or sm intestine
Cirrhosis
Chronic liver damage with scarring
Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff)
Inflammation of the colon due to bacteria clostridium difficile. Highly contagious and causes diarrhea
Hepatitis A
Viral infection of the liver
Hepatitis B
Serious viral infection of the liver
Hepatitis C
Viral infection of the liver
Crohn’s Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Pyelonephritis
Inflammation of the kidney due to bacterial infection
Nephrolithiasis / Renal Calculi
Kidney stones
Bening Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH)
Age-associated enlargement of prostate that can cause urination difficulty
cerebrovascular accident
stroke
Transient Ischemic Attack
Mini-stroke
Bell’s palsy
viral weakness of one side of face that resolves in 6 mo
Radiculopathy
Compression or inflammation of spinal nerve
Osteopenia
Beginning of osteoporosis
Metastatic Cancer
Cancer that has spread from point of origin
Aneurysm
widening of an artery due to pressure on weakened walls forming a blood sack that may burst
Mitral Valve prolapse
impoper closing of mitral valve (LA and LV)
Atelectasis
Complete or partial collapse of one lung lobe
Cellulitis
Common bacterial skin infection
Cholelithiasis
Gallstones
Cholecystitis
Gallbladder inflammation
Diverticulosis
Bulging pouches develop in digestive tract
Diverticulitis
Inflammation of digestive tract
Gastritis
Inflammation of stomach lining
Osteoarthritis
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
Gastroenteritis
Stomach Flu
Pleural Effusion
Buildup of fluid between tissues that line the lungs and chest
Pneumothorax
Collapse of lung where air leaks to space between lung and chest wall
Hemothorax
blood in lungs
Hyperkalemia
High potassium
Hyponatremia
Low sodium
Menigitis
Inflammation of brain and spinal cord
Sinusitis
Sinus infection
Strepotoccal Pharyngitis
Strep throat
Psoriasis
Scaly skin on head
Benign Positional Vertigo
Episodes of dizziness with certain head movements
Angia
Chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart
Costochondritis
Inflammation of cartilage between ribs and breastbone
Tonsillectomy
Removal of tonsils
Adenoidectomy
Removal of adenoid
Cardiac Catheterizatioin
Catheter is placed in artery to diagnose heart disease
Cardioversion
Converting tachycardia or bradycardia to normal rhythm
Cardiac Ablation
catheter is inserted in groin and goes to heart to correct structural problems
Lumpectomy
Removal of lump from breast tissue
Lobectomy
removal of lung lobe
Cholecystectomy
removal of gallbladder
Lithotripsy
Treatment using ultrasound shock to break up kidney stone
Oophorectomy
Removal of ovaries
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
Treatment for hydrocephalus where shunt drains excess fluid
Arteriovenous Fistula (may also use graft if body doesn’t allow fistula)
Creation of abnormal connection between artery and vein for hemodialysis
Hemodialysis
Purification of blood for patient whose kidneys are not functional
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)
IV line placed outside of body
Port-a-Cath
Surgically inserted catheter near clavicle for reagular intravenous application
Greenfield Filter
Filter implanted to inferior Vena Cava to hopefully trap blood clots
Arthroplasty
Surgical improvement of a joint
Surpine
Laying flat on back facing upward
Transverse
Line dividing body into upper and lower sections
Midline
Divides body into left and right sections
Supination
Turning palms of hands upwards
Pronation
Turning palms of hands downwards
Abduction
A motion where body part goes away from body
Adduction
A motion where body part goes towards the body
Parietal Region
Top of head
Temporal region
Side of head