Medical-Surgical Nursing Review

Vocabulary-based flashcards covering major medical-surgical topics including respiratory, renal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and neurologic systems.

SBAR

A standard communication format used in healthcare settings that stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations.

Primary Prevention

A level of healthcare intended to reduce health risks and increase healthy behaviors, such as providing immunizations or teaching nutrition classes.

Secondary Prevention

A level of healthcare focused on detecting disease through screening and treating it as early as possible, such as performing a colonoscopy.

Tertiary Prevention

A level of healthcare intended to prevent disability and complications from chronic illness, including rehabilitation and hospice care.

FICA

An acronym used for obtaining a spiritual history, standing for Faith and Belief, Importance, Community, and Address in Care.

Egophony

A physical exam finding where the letter "E" sounds like "A" when heard through a stethoscope, often indicating pneumonia consolidation.

Tactile Fremitus

Vibrations felt on the chest wall when a client speaks, which increase in pneumonia because solid tissue conducts sound more effectively.

Tripod Position

A physical stance where a client sits upright and leans forward with arms resting on a table or knees to facilitate easier breathing.

Glottal Stop Technique

A method used by laryngectomy clients to remove secretions by taking a deep breath, momentarily occluding the tracheostomy tube, and coughing.

Mantoux Test

A tuberculin skin test where a positive result in a healthy client is an induration of $10\,mm$ or greater within $48$ to $72\,hours$.

Tidaling

The normal fluctuation of fluid in a chest tube water seal chamber that moves upward with inspiration and downward with expiration.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

A diagnostic test that estimates how much blood passes through the glomeruli each minute to determine kidney function.

Uremia

The accumulation of waste products from protein metabolism in the blood, which is a primary manifestation of chronic renal failure.

Renal Colic

Excruciating, spastic-type pain caused by the presence of a stone in the urinary tract.

Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)

A common surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia where the prostate is removed via endoscopy without an external incision.

MONA

An acronym for the immediate pharmacologic treatment of myocardial infarction: Morphine, Oxygen, Nitroglycerin, and Aspirin.

Intermittent Claudication

A classic symptom of arterial peripheral vascular disease characterized by sharp pain in skeletal muscles during exercise that is relieved by rest.

Bruit

A swooshing sound heard during auscultation over a constricted artery, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

International Normalized Ratio (INR)

A standardized laboratory value used to determine the efficacy of warfarin (Coumadin), with a desirable therapeutic level usually between $2$ and $3$.

Cardioversion

The delivery of synchronized electrical shocks to the myocardium to treat specific dysrhythmias like atrial fibrillation.

Dumping Syndrome

A postoperative complication of gastric surgery where hypertonic food enters the jejunum rapidly, causing vertigo, syncope, and tachycardia.

Steatorrhea

The excretion of abnormal quantities of fat with the feces, commonly seen in Crohn disease and chronic pancreatitis.

Tenesmus

Intermittent anal contractions and the sense of incomplete evacuation, often associated with ulcerative colitis or colorectal cancer.

Diverticulitis

Inflammation of bulging pouches in the gastrointestinal wall, which can lead to obstruction, infection, or perforation.

Intussusception

A mechanical cause of intestinal obstruction involving the telescoping of one part of the gut within itself.

Fetor Hepaticus

A distinctive fruity or musty breath odor in chronic liver disease resulting from the liver's inability to detoxify mercaptan.

Asterixis

A hand-flapping tremor that often accompanies metabolic disorders such as liver cirrhosis.

Grey Turner Sign

A bluish discoloration of the flanks seen in acute pancreatitis.

Thyroid Storm

A life-threatening event caused by uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, characterized by fever, tachycardia, agitation, and hypertension.

Exophthalmos

The protrusion of the eyeballs, characteristic of Graves disease (hyperthyroidism).

Myxedema Coma

A medical emergency precipitated by acute illness or withdrawal of thyroid medication, resulting in hypoventilation, hypotension, and hypothermia.

Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)

A blood test measuring glucose control over the previous $90$ to $120\,days$; a level $\geq 6.5\%$ is used to diagnose diabetes.

Dowager’s Hump

A classic kyphosis of the dorsal spine resulting from bone demineralization in osteoporosis.

Crepitus

A crackling or grating sound caused by bones rubbing together or by air in the subcutaneous tissue.

5 Ps of Neurovascular Functioning

The clinical assessment parameters for physical injury: Pain, Paresthesia, Pulse, Pallor, and Paralysis.

Fat Embolism

A syndrome where fat globules migrate from a fracture site (usually long bones) into the bloodstream, often causing confusion due to hypoxemia.

Intraocular Pressure (IOP)

The fluid pressure inside the eye, which when elevated above $22\,mm\,Hg$, is a primary indicator of glaucoma.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

An objective scoring system used to document level of consciousness; a score of $7$ or less indicates a coma.

Autonomic Dysreflexia

An exaggerated autonomic response to stimuli (like bladder distention) in clients with spinal lesions at or above $T6$, causing severe hypertension.

Reed-Sternberg Cells

The characteristic malignant cells found in lymph node biopsies of clients with Hodgkin disease.

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)

A blood screening test for prostate cancer that should be conducted before a digital rectal examination to avoid false-positives.

Rule of Nines

A method for estimating the percentage of total body surface area burned by assigning values (e.g., $9\%$ or $18\%$) to specific body regions.

Escharotomy

A surgical incision made into necrotic burn tissue (eschar) to relieve pressure and restore circulation to a constricted body part.

Z-track Method

A technique used for the intramuscular administration of iron to prevent the medication from leaking out and staining the skin.