Vocabulary Flashcards
abduction
movement away from the midline of the body
adduction
movement toward the midline of the body
active range of motion
process whereby a patient puts a joint through its full extent of movement
atrophy
decrease in size, wasting away, or progressive decline of a body part or tissue
base of support
space between the feet that bears the weight of the body
center of gravity
the point at which a body’s entire weight is concentrated so that , if supported at this point, the body would remain in equilibrium in any position
circumduction
circular movement of a limb or of the eye
contracture
a deformity that results from abnormal shortening of muscle tissue, making the muscle highly resistant to stretching
distal
farthest from the origin of a part
dorsal
directed toward or situated on the back surface
dorsiflexion
upward bending of the toes and the foot
eversion
turning of the body part away from the body’s midline
external rotation
outward rotation of a joint
flexion
movement that decreases the angle between two adjoining bones; bending of a limb
gait
the pattern of how a person walks
hypertrophy
increase in the volume of a tissue or organ produced entirely by enlargement of existing cells
lateral flexion
the auto of bending to one side
passive range of motion
the process of putting a joint through its full extent of movement by someone other than the patient
plantar flexion
bending the toes and the foot downward
pronation
movement of a body part so that its front or ventral surface faces downward
prone
lying on the abdomen with the legs extended and the head turned to the side
proximal
nearest to the origin of a part
supination
movement of a body part so that its front or ventral surface faces upward
supine
lying on the back, usually slightly elevated with a small pillow
ambulation
a technique of postoperative care in which a patient gets out of bed and engages in light activity as soon as possible after an operation
orthostatic hypotension
a condition in which your blood pressure falls significantly when you stand up quickly. (Hypotension is low blood pressure.)The main symptom of this condition is feeling dizzy or faint when you stand.
alopecia
hair loss
buccal
pertaining to or directed toward the bucc (cheek), the fleshy portion of the side of the face that makes up the lateral wall of the oral cavity.
canthus
the angular junction of the eyelids at either corner of the eye.
cheilosis
manifestation of vitamin B complex deficiency characterized by reddened lips with fissures at the angles of the mouth.
closed bed
bed prepared with the top sheet, blanket, and bedspread drawn up to the head of the mattress under the pillows.
dental caries
tooth decay
drawsheet
linen item placed under the patient’s torso and used to lift and reposition the patient.
excoriation
skin abrasion typically resulting from scratching.
expectorate
to expel fluid or secretions from the mouth, throat, or lungs by coughing and/or spitting.
fanfolding
applying the proximal half of a piece of linen in successive layers lengthwise for the purpose of tucking it under the patient and rolling the patient over it while stripping or making an occupied bed.
fissure
a break, slit, or tear in soft tissue, often at the junction of skin and mucous membrane.
gingiva
the part of the oral mucosa covering the tooth-bearing border of the jaw; also called gums
halitosis
bad breath
lunula
active area of nailed growth at the base of the fingernails and toenails.
maceration
softening or dissolution of tissue after lengthy exposure to fluid.
neuropathy
any of numerous disturbances or pathological changes in the peripheral nervous system, most often affecting sensation.
NPO
nothing by mouth
open bed
bed prepared with the top covers folded back to make it easy for the patient to get into the bed.
pediculosis
lice infestation
perineum
area between the anus and the posterior portion of the external genitalia.
periodontal
surrounding or near a tooth
sebum
fattyy lubricant secreted by the skin’s sebaceous glands
semi-Fowler’s position
head of the bed raised approximately 30 degrees.
smegma
thick, cheesy secretion that accumulates under the labia minor or the male foreskin.
stomatitis
any inflammatory disorder of the mouth.
urethra
a narrow tube through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside of the body.
PRN
Prescribed as needed
Effleurage
back rub or massage that consists of long, slow gliding strokes and usually follows a patient’s bath. It promotes relaxation, relieves muscular tension, and decreases a patient’s perception of pain. It is associated with reductions in measured anxiety, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
anuria
absence of urinary production or excretion
Autonomic dysreflexia
a condition of exaggerated reflexes typically occurring as a result of spinal cord injury.
balloon
a compartment of a device that, when positioned inside a cavity or hollow organ such as the bladder and then inflated, prevents accidental dislodgment of the catheter from that organ.
catheter
a flexible tube passed into the body to remove or instill fluids or to keep a passageway open.
Coude catheter
a type of curved-tip urinary catheter used for intermittent removal of urine from the bladder.
dialysis
a techniques by which fluids and molecules pass through a semi-permeable membrane via osmosis, most often referring to the removal of wast products from the blood of a patient with renal failure.
diuresis
excessive production or excretion of urine
Foley catheter
a common type of indwelling urinary catheter.
French
a measurement unit of the French scale, a system indicating the size of the outer diameter of a catheter or other tube or device, with each unit of the scale approximately equivalent to one third of a millimeter.
hematuria
blood in the urine
hesitancy
difficulty starting urination
meatus
an opening, passage, or channel, as in urinary meatus.
medical asepsis
infection-control practices aimed at reducing the number of organisms present and transmissible from a source; also called clean technique.
micturition
urination, the voluntary releasing of urine from the bladder
nephron
the functional unit of the kidney
nocturia
excessive or frequent urination at night or during the usual sleeping hours.
oliguria
scant urinary production or excretion; diminished urinary output compared with fluid intake
patent
open or unobstructed
pH
a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, with a low pH indicating acidity and a high pH indication alkalinity; a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions.
polyuria
excretion of abnormally large amounts of urine
proteinuria
presence of protein (such as albumin) in the urine
residual
amount remaining or left behind
specific gravity
the weight or degree of concentration of a substance compared with that of an equal volume of another substance, most often, urine compared with distilled water
suprapubic
above the symphysis pubis or pubic arch, as in a urinary catheter inserted through the abdominal wall above the symphysis pubis into the bladder
urinalysis
a diagnostic examination of urine
void
urinate
antipyretic
a substance or procedure that reduces fever
apnea
temporary or transient cessation of breathing
auscultatory gap
temporary disappearance of sounds usually heard over the brachial artery, occurring wen the cuff pressure is high and is gradually reduced, with the sounds again heard at a lower level of pressure (usually occurring in patients who have hypertension)
axillary
pertaining to the axilla, the city beneath the junction of a forelimb and the body; also called the armpit or the underarm.
brachial pulse
beating or throbbing felt over the brachial artery
bradycardia
an abnormally slow pulse rate, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute in an adult
bradypnea
an abnormally slow respiratory rate, usually fewer than 12 breaths per minute in an adult
cardiac output
the amount of blood pumped into the arteries by the heart during one minute; the product of the heart rate and the stroke volume.
celsius
relating to the international thermometric scale on which 0 degree is the freezing and 100 degrees is the boiling point; centigrade
centigrade
relating to the international thermometric scale on which 0 degree is the freezing and 100 degrees is the boiling point; Celsius
core temperature
the amount of heat in the deep tissues and structure of the body, such as the liver
diastolic pressure
the force exerted when the heart is at rest in between each beat; the lowest pressure exerted against the arterial walls at all times.
dyspnea
the sensation of difficult or labored breathing
eupnea
normal respiration
Fahrenheit
relating to the temperature scale on which 32 degrees is the freezing point and 212 degrees is the boiling point
febrile
feverish
fever
an elevated body temperature
hypertension
a common cardiovascular disorder, often with no symptoms, in which the blood exerts an abnormal amount of force on the inside walls of the arteries persistently and blood pressure readings are persistently above 120/80mmHg
hypotension
a condition in which blood pressure falls below the normal range; not usually considered a problem unless it causes symptoms, such as dizziness or fainting.
Korotkoff sounds
a series of five sounds (four sounds followed by an absence of sound) heard during the auscultatory determination of blood pressure and produced by sudden distention of the artery because of the proximally placed pneumatic cuff
orthopnea
ability to breathe without difficulty only when in an upright position (sitting or standing)
orthostatic hypotension
a sudden drop in blood pressure resulting from a change in position, usually when standing up from a sitting or reclining position and often causing dizziness
oximetry
determination of the oxygen saturation of arterial blood using a photoelectric divide called an oximeter
oxygen saturation
a clinical measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen in the blood
palpation
the application of the fingers with light pressure to the surface of the body to determine the condition of the underlying parts
pulse deficit
the difference between the apical and the radial pulse rates. This condition may indicate a lack of peripheral perfusion for some of the heart contractions
pulse pressure
the difference between the stolid and the diastolic blood pressures.
radial pulse
beating or throbbing felt over the radial artery
S1
the first heart sound, heard when the atrioventricular (mitral and tricuspid) valves close
S2
the second heart sound, heard when the semilunar (aortic and pulmonic) valves close
Sims’ position
a side-lying position with the lowermost arm behind the body and the uppermost leg flexed
stroke volume
the amount of blood entering the aorta with each ventricular contraction
systolic pressure
the amount of force exerted within the arteries while the heart is actively pumping or contracting; the maximum pressure exerted against the arterial walls.
tachycardia
an abnormally fast pulse rate, usually above 100 beats per minute in adults
tachypnea
an abnormally fast respiratory rate, usually more than 20 breaths per minute in adults
tympanic
pertaining to the ear canal or eardrum
vital signs
measurements of physiological functioning, specifically temperature, pulse, respiration’s, and blood pressure, but may also include pain and pulse oximetry.
accommodation
adjustment, especially that of the lens of the eye for various distances, manifested by the contraction of ciliary muscles and other changes
anosmia
absence of the sense of smell
bronchial breath sounds
loud, high-pitched, hollow sounds normally heard over the trachea
bronchovesicular breath sounds
medium-pitched and quieter sounds normally heard over the mainstream bronchi
bruit
blowing or swishing sounds heard in an artery that indicate turbulent blood flow
clubbing
enlargement of the fingertips and flattening fo the angle between the fingernail and the nailed, a classic sign of long-term oxygen deprivation
crepitus
a dry, crackling or grating sound or feeling produced by air in subcutaneous tissue or by bone rubbing against bone.
erythema
redness of the skin produced by capillary congestion
exudate
any material such as fluid, cells, or cellular debris that has escaped from blood vessels and has been deposited in tissues or on tissue surfaces, usually as a result of inflammation
friction rub
a scratching or squeaking sound that is herd over the lung fields or the precordium, indicating inflammation of the pleura or pericardial lining
integument
a covering, such as the skin
ischial tuberosity
a large protuberance on the inferior part of the posterior martin of the body of the ischium, the three major bones that make up each half of the pelvis
kyphosis
excessive convex curator of the thoracic spine
masseter muscle
the muscle that closes the mouth and is the major muscle involved in mastication (chewing)
naris
one of the external orifices of the nose
patent
open or unobstructed
peristalsis
the waves of contractions that propel contents through the gastrointestinal tract
pneumothorax
an accumulation of air or gas in the pleural space
precordium
the region of the anterior surface of the body covering the heart and the stomach, comprising the epigastric region and the inferior part of the thorax
ptosis
drooping of the upper eyelid
purulent
containing pus
rales
discontinuous sounds heard primarily during inhalation dn resulting from air bubbling though moisture in the alveoli or from collapsed alveoli popping open; also called crackles
rebound tenderness
pain that increases when pressure is removed
regurgitation
valvular: backward flowing of blood through the orifices of the heart valves due to abnormal closing of the valves.
rhonchi
dry, low-pitched, snore-like noises produced in the throat or bronchial tube due to a partial obstruction such as by secretions
scaphoid
shaped lie a boat or having a concave appearance
sclera
the tough, white outer coat of the eyeball
speculum
an instrument that exposes the interior of a passage or cavity of the body by enlarging its opening
stenosis
an abnormal narrowing of a duct, canal, or blood vessel
stridor
a harsh, high-pitched breath sound such as that heard on inhalation with an acute laryngeal obstruction
thrill
a sensation of vibration felt on palpation, such as over the heart during loud, harsh cardiac murmurs
vesicular breath sounds
soft, fine, breezy, low-pitched sounds heard over peripheral lung tissue
