terms for 215-quiz 1

Abstract reasoning

ability to understand concepts, ideas, and relationships that are not physically present.

example: Understanding that a fever may indicate infection.

Acute

a condition with a sudden onset, short duration

example: sudden pain, distress

ADLs (activities of daily living)

basic self-care tasks needed for daily functioning

example: feeding and mobility

Aerobic

requiring oxygen

example: jogging, increased heart rate and breathing

Affinity

attraction or tendency to bind

example: hemoglobin to oxygen

Altruistic

showing concern for welfare of others

example: nurse volunteering extra time to comfort patients

Aphasia

impaired ability to speak or understand language

example: stroke patient unable to form words

Aspiration

inhalation of food, fluid, or foreign objects into the lungs

example: patient chocking while eating

Atelectasis

collapse of part of or all of a lung

example: shortness of breath, low oxygen sounds

Auscultation

listening to the body sounds using a stethoscope

example: listening to lungs sounds, used in physcial assessment

Benign

not cancerous; not harmful in effect

example: benign skin mole, growth without spreading

Blood Pressure

force of blood against artery walls

example: 120/80 mmHg

low: dizziness

high: headache

Bradycardia

heart rate under 60 bpm

example: fatigue, dizziness, fainting

Bradypnea

abnormally slow breathing

example: respiratory distress from opioids, decreased alertness

Broca’s Aphasia

expressive aphasia caused to broca’s area

example: frusterated. speaks short and in broken pieces

I…. dog…. cat… he…. it

Cachexia

severe weight and muscle loss due to a chronic illness

example: advanced cancer patient, extremely thin and weak

Cardiac Outpit

amount of blood pumped by the heart each minute

example: decreased in heart failure. fatigue, weak pulse

Clarification (therapeutic communication)

asking for more explanation to ensure understanding

example: can you please exaplin what you mean by feeling strange?”

Confrontation (therapeutic communication)

pointing out inconsistencies in a patient’s words or actions

example: you say you are not upset, but you are crying

Contraindicated

a treatment or medication that should not be used because it may be harmful

example: aspirin contraindicated in some blood diseases

Diastole

relaxation of heart when its chambers are full of blood

example: bottom of BP

Delineate

to describe or outline clearly

example: delineating borders of a wound

Dyspnea

difficult of labored breathing

example: shortness of breath in asthma

Empathy

understanding and sharing another person’s feelingsE

Etiology

cause or orgin of a disease

example: smoking → COPD

Febrile

having a fever

example: temp 101.5, flushed skin

Flat Affect

lack of emotional expression

example: depression

Genogram

a family diagram showing relationships and medical history

example: tracking hereditary diseasesG

Geriatric Syndrome

common multifactoral health conditions in older adults

example: falls, delirium, frail, confused, and having mobility problems

IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living)

more complex skills needed for daily living

example: may live independently but struggle cooking or shopping

Imminent

about to happen

example: rapid decline or worsening symptoms

Inspection

visual exam of the body

example: looking for skin decoloration

Korotkoff Sounds

sounds heard while measuring blood pressure

example: first tapping is systolic

Lethargic

drowsy, sluggish

example: patient is difficult to wake up

Lesion

area of damaged or abnormal skin

example: sore, bump, skin openning

Manifestation

a sign or symptom of a condition

example: a cold sore is indicator of a cold

Mediated

influenced or regulated by something

example: pain regulated by nerve pathways

Morbidity

presence of illness or disease

example: diabetes

Mortality

death or death rate

example: high with severe trauma

Obtunded

reduced level of alertness; difficult to arousee

example: head injury patient response slowly

Orthostatic Hypotension

drop in blood pressure when standing

example: feeling dizzy when getting out of bed

Palpation

using hands to examine body

example: feeling for enlarged lymph nodesP

Paraphrasing

restating what a patient said in different words

Percussion

tapping the body in different areas to assess underlying structures

example: tapping to hear for fluid in the lungs

Precipitate/Precipitating

to trigger or cause something suddenly

example: stress coming before a panic attack

Pneumothorax

air in the pleural space causing lung collapse

example: collapsed lung after a chest injury

Potentiate

to increase the effect of something

example: alcohol will increase the effect of sedatives

Pulse Deficit

differentiate between apical and radial pulse rates

example: seen in atrial fibrillation, irregular heartbeat

Rendered

cause or made

example: the patient was made unconscious

Standard Precautions

infection control practices used for all patients

example: wearing gloves when handling blood

Stroke Volume

the amount of blood pumped out of the LEFT ventricle with each heartbeat

example: this will decrease in heart failure

Stupor

a state of near unconsciousness in which a person can only be aroused briefly and usually by painful, vigorous stimulation

example: severe head injury or drug overdoseS

Systole

the contraction phase of the heart when blood is being pumped out

example: top of the BP

Tachycardia

a heart rate greater than 100bpm

example: rapid pulse, palpitations, dizziness, and anxiety

Tachypnea

abnormally rapid breathing

example: 28 breaths per minute

Thought Content (Mental Status Assessment)

specific ideas, beliefs, or concerns a person is thinking about

example: organized/logical vs. disorganized/scattered

Wernicke’s Aphasia

receptive aphasia caused by damage to wernickes’ area

example: talks easily, but the speech is nonsensical

I like when the dog goes on the hospital with the fork.