Study Medical Terminology: General Flash Cards

 
Pile Management Card
Medical Terminology: General

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STEMI*
ST elevation MI (diagnosed on EKG); active heart attack
Pulse exam
Carotid, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, dorsal pedis (DP), or posterior tibia (PT)
Pericarditis
inflammation of the pericardium
N-STEMI
Non ST segment elevation MI (diagnosed by elevated troponin)
Myocardial Infarction (MI)*
death of cardiac muscle due to prolonged ischemia
Murmur
abnormal heart sound rated on 1-6 scale
JVD*
jugular vein distention; sign of heart dysfunction
Irregularly irregular
heart rhythm for anyone with Atrial Fibrillation
Gallop
3 or 4 sounds, resembling the sounds of a gallop (common in CHF)
Friction rub
Grating, scratching sound of the heart indicative of pericarditis
Extra systoles
extra heartbeats heard during auscultation
Cardiomyopathy
disease of the heart muscle
Cardiomegaly
enlarged heart
Bruit*
a whooshing sound heard during auscultation indicative of blockage or aneurysm
Bradycardia*
slow heart rate (<60 bpm)
Arrhythmia
disturbance of rhythm in the heartbeat
Aortic dissection
arterial wall splits apart and threatens the patient's life due to risk of hemorrhage
C-spine*
cervical spine (C1-C7)
Trachea midline
no deviation of trachea (deviates to unaffected side in pneumothorax)
Paraspinal tenderness
tenderness of the muscles next to the vertebrae
Vertebral tenderness*
bony tenderness directly over the vertebrae
Supple*
flexible, non-stiff
Carotid bruit*
whooshing blood flow heard with auscultation (carotid narrowing or plague)
Kernigs
stiff hamstrings/inability to straighten the leg when hip is flexed; sign of meningitis
Brudzinski
hips and knees flex in response to the neck being flexed; sign of meningitis
Meningismus*
stiff neck; sign of meningitis
Lymphadenopathy*
enlarged lymph nodes
Thyromegaly
enlarged thyroid
Pharyngitis
throat infection
Nasopharynx
the far back of the nasal canal, where it joins the back of the throat
Oropharynx
the back of the mouth, where it meets the throat
Odynophagia
painful swallowing
Malocclusion*
imperfect closure or meeting of opposing teeth, indicative of trauma or jaw fracture
Lingual
referring to the tongue
Gingiva
gums
Edentulous*
without teeth
Dentition
teeth
Peritonsillar Abscess
collection of pus or fluid around the tonsil
Sticky/tacky mucosa
sticky tongue, mouth, and lips, indicating early dehydration
Dry mucosa
dry tongue, mouth, and lips, indicating significant dehydration
Uvula midline
uvula in normal position (not shifted)
Pharyngeal erythema*
redness of the pharynx, indicating a throat infection
Decreased gag reflex
indicative of decreased LOC or brainstem injury
Secretion pooling
poor ability to handle secretions (saliva): drooling at the mouth and gagging
Trismus
inability to fully open the mouth due to underlying dental or jaw abscess
Tonsillar edema
swelling of the tonsils, indicating infection
Tonsillar exudate*
pus on the tonsils, indicating infection of the tonsils
Septal hematoma
bruise/swelling of septum (sign of nose fracture)
Rhinorrhea*
clear nasal drainage
Purulent nasal drainage
pus draining from the nose
Nare
nostril
Epistaxis*
Hemorrhage from the nose; nose bleeding
TM erythema*
redness of TM, often indicating infection
TM dullness
absence of light reflection, indicative of ear infection
TM bulging
"outpouching" of the TM, indicative of inflammation
TM*
tympanic membrane; ear drum; the clear membrane inside of the ear
Tinnitus*
"ringing in the ears", the perception of ringing even with no external stimuli
Perforated TM
rupture of the eardrum
Otitis media
middle ear infection
Otitis externa
outer ear infection
Otalgia
earache
Loss of TM landmarks
TM is opaque, no longer transparent
Labyrinthitis
infection of the deep inner ear, known as the labyrinth; often causes vertigo
Cerumen*
earwax
Auricle
external portion of the ear
Sunken eyes
sign of dehydration
Subconjunctival hemorrhage
blood in the white part of the eye
Stye/hordeolum
small infected bump on the eyelid, usually between the eyelash hairs
Scleral icterus*
yellowing of the sclera due to jaundice
Sclera
white part of the eye
Photophobia
light sensitivity
Periorbital ecchymosis*
bruising around the eyes, indicative of trauma
Pale conjunctiva
pale inner aspect of the eyelid mot often due to anemia
Ophthalmalgia
pain in the eye
Nystagmus*
involuntary "shaking" eye movements, rather than normal continuous smooth motion
Lacrimal
referring to tears
Hyphema
blood in the anterior chamber of the eye, as seen during the fundoscopic exam
Fundus of the eye
interior surface of the eye
Fundoscopic exam
the use of an ophthalmoscope to look through the pupil and examine the interior surface of the posterior eye
Fluorescein*
orange/yellow eyedrops used to detect corneal lesions, abrasions, or foreign bodies
Fluorescein uptake
demonstrates the presence of a corneal abrasion
EOMI*
extra ocular muscles intact
Diplopia
diagnosis of double vision
Cornea
transparent frontal aspect of the eye, covering both the iris and the pupil
Conjunctival exudate
pus in the eyes
Conjunctiva
thin outer lining of the eye and eyelid
Temporal
the sides of the head, near the temples
Sinusitis
infection of the sinuses, usually causing sinus pressure
Raccoon eyes*
bruising around the eyes, indicative of a basilar skull fracture
Parietal
Location across the posterior top of the skull
Occipital/Occiput
the most posterior part of the skull, the back of the head
Meningitis*
infection of the meninges, the membranes that contain the brain and spinal cord
Frontal
the forehead and anterior top of the skull
Fontanel
anatomical feature of an infant's skull; the "soft-spot"
Facial angioedema
swelling of the face often secondary to an allergic reaction
Encephalopathy
disease of the brain
Cephalgia*
headache
Battles sign*
bruising behind the ears, indicative of a basilar skull fracture
AT/NC*
Atraumatic, Normocephalic. Normal external head inspection
Vertigo*
condition of feeling the room spin
Vasovagal episode*
stimulation of the vagus nerve resulting in dim-vision, sweaty palms, and syncope; often occurs after emesis, acute pain, or surprising stimuli
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)*
transient "mini-stroke", neurological function is regained completely with time
Grand-Mal
aka tonic-clonic seizure; features a LOC and violent muscle contractions; type of seizure most people picture
Tonic Clonic
description of a Grand-Mal or generalized seizure with stupor and transient LOC
Syncope*
loss of consciousness, fainting
Strength 5/5
normal strength of extremities
Status epileptcus
repetitive seizures without regaining consciousness between them
Saturday Night Palsy
a permanent localized numbness or weakness to a specific nerve's distal innervation
Romberg's sign
falling to one side when standing with feet together and eyes closed, indicating abnormal cerebellar function or inner ear dysfunction
Pronator Drift*
involuntary turning or lowing of forearm when outstretched
Post-ictal*
the state of somnolence and decreased responsiveness after a seizure
Paresthesia
abnormal tactile sensastion often described as tingling, numbness, or pinpricking
Papilledema
swelling of the optic nerve sheath, as noted with fundoscopic exam
Oriented x3*
oriented to person, place, and time
Normal DTRs
Normal deep tendon reflexes, rated as 2/4
Moves all extremities (MAE x4)
the patient moves their arms and legs normally, indicting normal motor function
Hemiplegia
paralysis of one half of the body
Hemiparesis
weakness of one half of the body
Fundoscopic exam
inside of the eye as seen with ophthalmoscope looking for increased cranial pressure
Finger-nose-finger
test to evaluate cerebellar function
Facial asymmetry*
drooping of one side of the face indicating neurological damage
Dysphasia
difficulty in neurologically generating or understanding language
Dysarthria
poor mechanical articulation of speech due to abnormal lip, tongue, or cheek motor function
Decreased Rectal Tone
diminished anal sphincter muscle contraction, indicative of neurological damage
Occlusion
a shutting off or obstruction of something (ie coronary occlusion)
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)*
stroke; blood supply to the brain is restricted or absent due to hemorrhage or occlusion of a vessel resulting in neurological damage and dysfunction
Bell's Palsy
a localized facial nerve dysfunction that causes facial droop and numbness
Babinski sign
the toes flex upward when sole of the foot is stimulated, indicating motor nerve damage
Ataxia*
loss of coordination
Aphasic
-absence of the ability to neurologically generate or understand language
-inability to create words = expressive aphasia
-inability to understand spoken words = receptive aphasia
Aniscoria
unequal diameter of pupils
Well developed
normal state of mental and body development
Unkempt
poor self hygiene
Uncooperative
does not follow commands or go along with physician requests
Tearful
the state of crying, or about to cry
Somnolent*
appearing drowsy
Non-toxic*
appearing stable and at no risk of deterioration
Morbidly Obese
extremely overweight
Malnourished
poor nutritional state
Malaise
Generalized discomfort or weakness
Inconsolable
when an infant or baby cannot be made to stop crying
Ill
not appearing healthy
Emaciated
extremely thin and malnourished, wasting
Elderly
appearing old
Distress*
a patient's inability to tolerate their body-state, due to pain or respiratory failure
Dehydrated*
General appearance of lacking water, dry lips, dry mucosa
Combative
aggressively uncooperative
Cachectic*
extremely skinny, bony, malnourished
Alert*
looking around, awake, attentive
Transient*
resolving spontaneously after onset
Resolved*
gone, no longer existing
Paroxysmal*
occasional, sporadic, transient
Intermittent*
symptoms that completely resolve at times, but continue to return repeatedly
Fluctuating*
symptoms that are always present but changing in severity, never fully resolving
Chronic*
long-standing, constant; opposite of acute
Acute on chronic*
new exacerbation of a chronic condition
Acute*
new onset, likely concerning; opposite of chronic
Sepsis*
Dangerous infection of the blood with pathological microorganisms or their toxins
Rupture
The breaking-open of a bodily structure
Palpable*
able to be touched or easily perceived
Os
mouth or orifice; ie P.O. means Per Os or by mouth
Myalgias
muscle aches
Malodorous*
Foul-smelling
Ischemia*
Localized lack of blood supply
Infarct*
are of dead tissue following prolonged ischemia
Hypothyroid
low thyroid function
Hypotension*
low blood pressure (typically < 100/65)
Hyponatremia
low sodium, dehydration
Hypokalemia
low potassium, concerning for heart arrhythmias
Hypoglycemia
low blood sugar
Hypertension*
high blood pressure (typically > 140/90)
Hypernatremia
high sodium, dehydration
Hyperkalemia
high potassium, concerning for heart arrhythmias
Hyperglycemia
high blood sugar due to diabetes
Hemorrhage*
excessive or profuse bleeding
Fundus
the bottom or base of an organ; often refers to uterus or eye
Febrile*
elevated body temp, fever, indicative of infection
Differential Diagnosis*
the diseases that a physician is considering as the reason for the patient's symptoms
Constitutional
the general appearance and nature of a patient
Body habitus
The state of the patient's body, often referring to obesity
Baseline*
The normal state of being for each individual patient
Auscultation*
Listening with the stethoscope
Arthralgias
Joint aches
Ambulatory*
Able to move about, not confined to a bed
Afebrile*
without fever
Adenopathy
Swelling of a lymph-node, usually indicative of an infection distally
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