Vocabulary Flashcards
Abstain
To voluntarily refrain from something.
Ex: The dental hygienist instructed the patient to abstain from smoking to improve his breath odor.
Accountable
To be responsible.
Ex: Paramedics are accountable for maintaining up-to-date knowledge of resuscitation techniques.
Acute
Sudden, intense.
Ex: The nurse administered the prescribed pain medication to the patient who was experiencing acute pain after surgery.
Adhere
To hold fast or stick together.
Ex: The tape must adhere to the patient’s skin to hold the bandage in place.
Adverse
Undesired, possibly harmful.
Ex: Vomiting is an adverse effect of many medications.
Aegis
Control, protection.
Ex: Unit staffing decisions are under the aegis of the nurse manager.
Ambivalent
Uncertain, having contradictory feelings.
Ex: After learning that she had breast cancer, the patient was ambivalent about having a mastectomy.
Apply
To place, put on, or spread something.
Ex: The nurse will apply a medication to the wound before covering the wound with a bandage.
Assent
To give consent; to agree.
Ex: The patient was asked to assent to the surgery by signing the informed consent document.
Audible
Able to be heard.
Ex: The respiratory therapist noted the patient’s audible wheezing as a symptom of the patient’s asthma.
Bacteria
Single-called, microscopic organisms.
Ex: The physician ordered a laboratory test to confirm that the patient’s illness was caused by bacteria rather than a virus.
Bilateral
Present on two sides.
Ex: The unlicensed assistive personnel reported to the nurse that the patient had bilateral weakness in the legs when walking.
Cardiac
Of or relating to the heart.
Ex: Smoking increases the risk of cardiac disease.
Cavity
An opening or an empty area.
Ex: The nurse inspected the patient’s oral cavity for lesions.
Cease
Come to an end or bring to an end.
Ex: Because the patient’s breathing had ceased, the paramedic began resuscitation measures.
Chronology
Order of events as they occurred; timeline.
Ex: The police interviewed witnesses and first responders to determine the chronology of the accident.
Compensatory
Offsetting or making up for something.
Ex: When the patient’s blood pressure decreased, the paramedic noted that the heart rate increased, which the paramedic recognized as a compensatory action.
Concave
Rounded inward
Ex: The dietician noticed that the patient was very thin and that the patient’s abdomen appeared concave.
Concise
Brief, to the point.
Ex: When teaching a patient, the nurse tried to be concise so that the instructions would be easy to remember.
Consistency
Degree of viscosity; how thick or thin a fluid is in relation to how it flows.
Ex: The respiratory therapist noticed that the mucus the patient was coughing was of a thin, watery consistency.
Constrict
To draw together or become smaller.
Ex: The nurse knows that the small blood vessels of the skin will construct when ice is applied to the skin.
Contingent
Dependent.
Ex: The hygienist told the patient that a healthy mouth is contingent on careful daily brushing and flossing.
Contraindication
A reason something is not advisable or should not be done.
Ex: The patient’s excessive bleeding was a contraindication for discharge from the hospital.
Convulsive
Having or causing convulsions, I.e., violent shaking of the body.
Ex: Epilepsy is a convulsive disorder.
Cursory
Quick, perfunctory, not thorough.
Ex: During triage, the paramedic gave each accident victim a cursory examination.
Defecate
Expel feces.
Ex: The unlicensed assistive personnel helped the patient to the toilet when the patient needed to defecate.
Deficit
A deficiency or lack of something.
Ex: The therapist explained that the patient will experience a fluid deficit if the patient continues to perspire heavily during exercise w/o drinking enough fluids.
Depress
Press downward.
Ex: The nurse will depress the patient’s skin to see if any swelling is present.
Depth
Downward measurement from a surface.
Ex: The physician measures the depth of a wound by inserting a cotton swab into the wound.
Deteriorating
Worsening.
Ex: The dental hygienist explains that the condition of the patient’s gums is deteriorating and treatment by the dentist is needed right away.
Device
Tool or piece of equipment.
Ex: A thermometer is a device used to measure the patient’s body temperature.
Diagnosis
Identification of an injury or disease.
Ex: The patient received a diagnosis of pancreatitis.
Dilate
To enlarge or expand.
Ex: When shining a light in the patient’s eyes, the nurse looks to see if both pupils dilate in response to the light.
Dilute
To make a liquid less concentrated.
Ex: The pharmacy technician suggests that the patient use fruit juice to dilute a foul-tasting drug so that the medication will be easier to swallow.
Discrete
Distinct, separate.
Ex: The paramedic observed several discrete bruise marks on the patient’s body.
Distal
Distant; away from the center (such as of the body).
Ex: The paramedic suspected that the patient had a dislocated knee and knew it was important to check a distal pulse in the ankle.
Distended
Enlarged or expanded from pressure.
Ex: When a blood vessel is distended, the laboratory technician can easily insert a needle to obtain a blood sample.
Dysfunction
Impaired or abnormal functioning.
Ex: Family dysfunction may increase when a member experiences an acute physical illness.
Empathy
Ability to share what others are feeling; understanding the feelings of another.
Ex: After being diagnosed with cancer, the physician felt more empathy toward patients with cancer.
Equilibrium
Balance.
Ex: The nurse suspected that an ear infection was the cause of the patient’s lack of equilibrium.
Etiology
The origin or cause of a disease or condition.
Ex: The nurse interviewed the patient to determine the etiology of the patient’s food poisoning.
Exacerbate
To make worse or more severe.
Ex: The physical therapist recognized that too much exercise would exacerbate the patient’s breathing difficulties.
Expand
To increase in size or amount.
Ex: The unlicensed assistive personnel turned the patient frequently so that the skin sore would not expand any further.
Exposure
To come in contact.
Ex: The nurse taught the parents of a newborn to avoid exposure to people with severe infections.
Extension
Lengthening; unbending a joint.
Ex: The physical therapist helped the patient perform extension and flexion exercises.
External
Located outside the body.
Ex: The unlicensed assistive personnel measured the amount of blood in the external drain after the patient’s surgery.
Fatal
Resulting in death.
Ex: The emergency medical technicians arrived too late to save any lives at the scene of a fatal car accident.
Fatigue
Extreme tiredness, exhaustion.
Ex: The dietician explained to the patient that eating more iron-rich foods may help reduce feelings of fatigue.
Flexion
Bending a joint.
Ex: Arthritis can make flexion of the fingers difficult.
Flushed
Reddened or ruddy appearance.
Ex: The therapist observed that the patient’s face was flushed after the patient completed the exercises.
