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chapter 2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
hereditary | it runs in the family |
lethargic | a decrease in level of consciousness; in a medical record, this is generally an indication that the patient is really sick |
noncontributory | not related to this specific problem |
malaise | not feeling well |
afebrile | to not have a fever |
febrile | to have a fever |
exacerbation | it is getting worse |
chronic | it has been going on for a while now |
acute | it just started recently or is a sharp severe symptom |
progressive | more and more each day |
proximal | closer in to the center |
distal | farther away from the center |
lateral | out to the side |
medial | toward the middle |
ventral / antral/ anterior | the front |
dorsal/ posterior | the back |
cranial | toward the top |
caudal | toward the bottom |
superior | above |
inferior | below |
prone | lying down on belly |
supine | lying down on back |
contralateral | opposite side |
ipsilateral | same side |
unilateral | one side |
bilateral | both sides |
dorsum | the top of the hand or foot |
plantar | the sole of the foot |
Palmar | the palm of the hand |
abrupt | all of a sudden |
symptom | something a patient feels |
alert | able to answer questions; responsive; interactive |
oriented | being aware of who he or she is, where he or she is, and the current time |
marked | it really stands out |
unremarkable | another way of saying normal |
auscultation | to listen |
percussion | to hit something and listen to the resulting sound or feel for the resulting vibration; drums are a percussion instrument |
palpation | to feel |
impression | another way of saying assessment |
diagnosis | what the health care professional thinks the patient has |
differential diagnosis | a list of conditions the patient may have based on the symptoms exhibited and the results of the exam |
benign | safe |
malignant | dangerous; a problem |
degeneration | to be getting worse |
remission | to get better or improve; most often used when discussing cancer; remission does not mean cure |
idiopathic | no known specific cause; it just happens |
localized | stays in a certain part of the body |
systemic/ generalized | all over the body (or most of it) |
prognosis | the chances for things getting better or worse |
occult | hidden |
lesion | diseased tissue |
recurrent | to have again |
sequela | a problem resulting from a disease or injury |
pending | waiting for |
pathogen | the organism that causes the problem |
morbidity | the risk for being sick |
mortality | the risk for dying |
etiology | the cause |
disposition | what happened to the patient at the end of the visit |
discharge | to send home or fluid coming out of a part of the body |
palliative | treating the symptoms, but not actually getting rid of the cause |
observation | watch, keep an eye on |
reassurance | to tell the patient that the problem is not serious or dangerous |
supportive care | to treat the symptoms and make the patient feel better |
sterile | extremely clean, germ-free conditions; especially important during medical procedures and surgery |
prophylaxis | preventive treatment |
sagittal | divides the body along a hypothetical plane from right to left |
coronal | divides the body along a hypothetical plane from front to back |
transverse | divides the body from top to bottom |
physician | a skilled health care provider who attended and graduated medical school there are two types who practice in America: medical doctor (MD) and doctor of osteopathy (DO) |
pediatrician | a physician with special training in caring for children |
surgeon | a physician qualified to treat patients surgically, that is, by means of operation or invasive procedure |
anesthesiologist | a physician with special training in pain sedation and pain control |
epidemiologist | a specialist in the study of the causes and distribution of diseases in populations and the use of this data to enhance public health |