Med-Surg Glossary
anemia
reduction in the number and volume of red blood cells, the amount of hemoglobin, or the volume of packed red cells
aneurysm
sac formed by the dilation of the wall of an artery, a vein, or the heart
angiography
radiographic visualization of blood vessels after injection of radiopaque contrast material
anorexia
loss of appetite
aphasia
loss or impairment of the ability to communicate through speech, written language, or signs, resulting from brain disease or
trauma
apraxia
complete or partial inability to perform purposeful movements in the absence of sensory or motor impairment
ascites
fluid in the peritoneal cavity
ataxia
impairment of the ability to coordinate voluntary muscle movement
aura
sensations that occur before a paroxysmal attack, such as a seizure or migraine headache
auscultation
physical assessment technique by which the examiner listens (usually with a stethoscope) for sounds coming from the heart,
lungs, abdomen, or other organs
autoimmune disorder
disorder in which the body launches an immunologic response against itself
bruit
abnormal sound heard over peripheral vessels on auscultation that indicates turbulent blood flow
cardiac output
volume of blood ejected from the heart per minute
constipation
decreased passage of stools; stools are characteristically hard and dry
crepitation
grating sound produced by bone rubbing against bone
decerebrate posturing
associated with a lesion of the upper brain stem or severe bilateral lesions in the cerebrum; the patient typically lies with legs
extended, head retracted, arms adducted and extended, wrists pronated, and the fingers, ankles, and toes flexed
decorticate posturing
associated with a lesion of the frontal lobes, cerebral peduncles, or internal capsule; the patient lies with arms adducted and
flexed, wrists and fingers flexed on the chest, legs stiffly extended and internally rotated, and feet plantar flexed
diarrhea
rapid movement of fecal material through the intestines that causes poor absorption of water and nutrients; stools are watery
and frequent
disease
pathologic condition that occurs when the body can’t maintain homeostasis
distal
farthest away
dysmenorrhea
painful menstruation
dyspepsia
gastric discomfort, such as fullness, heartburn, bloating, and nausea, that occurs after eating
dysphagia
difficulty swallowing
dysphasia
impairment of speech involving failure to arrange words in their proper order, usually resulting from injury to the speech area in
the cerebral cortex
dyspnea
difficult, labored breathing
ecchymosis
bruise
embolism
sudden obstruction of a blood vessel by foreign substances or a blood clot
exacerbation
increase in the severity of a disease
fasciculation
involuntary twitching or contraction of the muscle
Fowler’s position
patient positioning with head of bed raised, knees slightly flexed
hematuria
blood in the urine
hemoglobin
iron-containing pigment in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues
hemoptysis
expectoration of bloody sputum
hemorrhage
escape of blood from a ruptured vessel
hirsutism
excessive hair growth or unusual distribution of hair
hormone
chemical substance produced in the body that has a specific regulatory effect on the activity of specific cells or organs
hypertension
high arterial blood pressure
hypotension
abnormally low blood pressure
hypoxia
reduction of oxygen in body tissues to below normal levels
idiopathic
disease with no known cause
inspection
critical observation of the patient during which the examiner may use sight, hearing, or smell to make informed observations
insulin
hormone secreted into the blood by the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas; promotes the storage of glucose, among other
functions
ischemia
decreased blood supply to a body organ or tissue
jugular vein distention
distended neck veins that may indicate increased central venous pressure
lateral recumbent position
patient positioning lying on the left side with the right thigh and knee drawn up
lethargy
slowed responses, sluggish speech, and slowed mental and motor processes in a person oriented to time, place, and person
lichenification
thickening and hardening of the epidermis
lithotomy position
lying on the back with the hips and knees flexed and the thighs abducted and externally rotated
lymphadenopathy
enlargement of the lymph nodes
melena
passage of black, tarry stools
murmur
abnormal sound heard on auscultation of the heart; caused by abnormal blood flow through a valve
necrosis
tissue death
nocturia
excessive urination at night
oliguria
urine output of less than 30 ml/hour
orthopnea
respiratory distress that’s relieved by sitting upright
palpation
physical assessment technique by which the examiner uses the sense of touch to feel pulsations and vibrations or to locate
body structures and assess their texture, size, consistency, mobility, and tenderness
pathogen
disease producing agent or microorganism
percussion
physical assessment technique by which the examiner taps on the skin surface with his fingers to assess the size, border, and
consistency of internal organs and to detect and evaluate fluid in a body cavity
peristalsis
intestinal contractions, or waves, that propel food toward the stomach and into and through the intestine
petechiae
multiple, small, hemorrhagic areas on the skin
plasma
liquid part of the blood that carries antibodies and nutrients to tissues and carries wastes away from tissues
platelet
disk-shaped structure in blood that plays a crucial role in blood coagulation
polydipsia
excessive thirst
polyphagia
consuming abnormally large amounts of food
polyuria
excessive production of urine
prone position
lying face down
proximal
nearest to
pruritus
severe itching
ptosis
drooping of the eyelid
renal colic
flank pain that radiates to the groin
reverse Trendelenburg’s position
lying flat with the head higher than the body or legs
subluxation
partial dislocation of a joint
supine position
lying flat on the back
thrombosis
the development of a thrombus (blood clot)
tophi
clusters of urate crystals surrounded by inflamed tissue; occur in gout
Trendelenburg’s position
lying flat with the head lower than the body or legs
vasopressor
drug that stimulates contraction of the muscular tissue of the capillaries and arteries
virus
microscopic, infectious parasite that contains genetic material and needs a host cell to replicate