DIAGNOSTIC TERMS
A. Physical exam
1. vital signs…..TPR = temp, pulse, resp
a. smaller animals have faster heart rates
2. hyperthermia = increased body temp….fever,
a. pyrexia = fever
3. hypothermia = decreased body temp
4. blood pressure
5. auscultation = listening to body sounds…..usually with a stethoscope
6. palpation = examination by feeling
7. percussion = examination by tapping a surface to determine density
8. speculum = instrument used to enlarge an opening
9. SOAP…..method of recording an examination
a. subjective = history
b. objective = what you see and feel
c. assessment = all the possibilities
d. plan = plan of action and priorities (diagnostics & treatment)
B. Lab terms
1. venipuncture = to withdraw blood from a vein
2. CBC = complete blood count…(need an anticoagulant)
a. RBCs, WBCs, platelets, PCV (or HCT)
b. Differential = types of WBCs
3. refractometer = instrument used to determine concentration of urine,
serum, & other body fluids….Specific gravity = concentration vs. 1.000
4. centrifuge = machine that spins samples to separate elements
C. Basic medical terms
1. diagnosis = cause
2. prognosis = prediction of outcome
3. sign = characteristic that is observed
4. symptom = characteristic that is sensed only by the patient
a. the correct term for people…..not animals
5. acute = sudden onset
6. chronic = long, progressive onset
7. endemic = ongoing presence of a disease in a group
8. epidemic = sudden widespread outbreak of disease in a group
9. pandemic = disease outbreak occurring over a large geographic area
10. pathogen = microorganism that causes disease
D. Disease……deviation from normal
1. Types of disease
a. contagious = can be spread by direct or indirect contact
1) fomite = any item that is used to spread disease
indirectly….ex: needles, buckets, boots, shovels, etc.
b. iatrogenic = disease caused by DVMs or physicians
c. idiopathic = unknown cause
d. infectious = caused by pathogenic organisms
2. asymptomatic = without signs
3. carrier = animal that harbors a disease without showing signs
4. epidemiology = study of frequency and distribution of diseases
5. etiology = study of the cause of disease
a. bacteria, viruses, fungal, parasites
6. focal = localized region
7. germ = common term for any pathogen
8. labile = unstable
9. lethal = causes death
10. morbid = afflicted with disease
11. morbidity = ratio of diseased animals to healthy animals
12. mortality = ratio of diseased animals that die to healthy animals
13. palliative = able to give relief, but not cure the condition
14. phobia = extreme fear
15. prophylaxis = prevention
16. sequela = condition which occurs as a result of another event
17. subclinical = without showing signs of disease
18. traumatic = causing injury
E. Procedures
1. endoscopy = visual examination of the interior of the body using a flexible
light.
a. named for the body parts involved
2. centesis = to withdraw fluid from
a. named for the body parts involved.
3. radiography = X-rays….a film is exposed to ionizing radiation to visually
examine internal structures…best for bones and dense structures.
4. CT (computed tonography) = ionizing radiation is passed through a patient
and a computer shows cross-sectional views at predetermined planes.
5. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) = radio waves and a strong magnetic
field pass through a patient and show 3D views
6. ultrasound = images created by recording echoes of sound waves through
tissue…….best for soft tissue.
a. echocardiogram = ultrasound of the heart
7. Thermography = uses heat or differences in temperatures to find problem.