Diagnostic Procedures, Nuclear Medicine, and Complementary Medicine

basic diagnostic procedures

includes vital signs, auscultation, palpation and percussion, and basic examination instruments

examination positions

includes recumbent positions, sims’ position, knee-chest position, and lithotomy position

laboratory tests

includes blood tests, urinalysis, and stool analysis

centesis

diagnostic procedures involving the removal of body fluids using a needle for analysis

imaging techniques

includes radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, fluoroscopy, and utlrasonography

albumin/o

albumin, protein

calc/i

calcium, lime, the heel

creatin/o

creatinine

fluor/o

glowing

glycos/o

glucose, sugar

lapar/o

abdomen, abdominal wall

-otomy

cutting, surgical incision

radi/o

radiation, X-rays

-scope

instrument for visual examination

-scopy

visual examination

son/o

sound

steth/o

chest

therm/o

heat

ultra-

beyond

acupuncture

a traditional Chinese medical practice using very thin acupuncture needles inserted into specific points of the body to restore the flow of qi

albuminuria

the presence of the protein albumin in the urine

alternative medicine

a general term for practices and systems of health care other than allopathic approaches used in place of these treatments

arthrocentesis

a surgical puncture of the joint space to remove synovial fluid for analysis to determine the cause of pain or swelling in a joint

auscultation

listening for sounds within the body and is usually performed through a stethoscope

bacteriuria

the presence of bacteria in the urine

basic metabolic panel (BMP, or Profile 8)

is a group of eight specific blood tests that provide important information about the current status of the patient’s kidneys, electrolyte balance, blood sugar, and calcium levels

biofeedback

a patient-guided treatment that teaches individuals to control muscle tension, pain, body temperature, brain waves, and other body functions through relaxation, visualization, or other cognitive control techniques

bruit

an abnormal sound or murmur heard during auscultation of an artery

calciuria

the presence of calcium in the urine

complementary medicine

a general term for practices and systems of health care other than allopathic approaches used to supplement these treatments

complete blood count (CBC)

is a series of tests performed as a group to evaluate several blood conditions

computed tomography (CT)

is a scan that uses a thin, fan-shaped x-ray beam that rotates around the patient to produce muliple cross-sectional views of the body

craniosacral therapy

the use of gentle touch to help the body release tension, stress, and trauma to correct restrictions resulting from stress on the central nervous system

creatinuria

an increased concentration of creatinine in the urine

echocardiography

an ultrasonic diagnostic procedure used to evaluate the structures and motion of the heart

endoscope

a small, flexible tube with a light and a lens on the end

fluoroscopy

the visualization of body parts in motion by projecting x-ray images on a luminous fluorescent screen

glycosuria

the presence of glucose in the urine

guided imagery

or visualization, is a type of treatment in which a patient follows verbal prompts to envision a specific, peaceful location in detail, distancing him-or herself from any pain or stress the patient is currently experiencing

hematocrit (Hct)

describes the percentage, by volume, of a blood smaple occupied by red cells

hematuria

the presence of blood in the urine

homeopathy

invovles the use of substances created from plant or mineral products diluted a thousand-fold in water or alcohol to treat symptoms and diseases

hyperthermia

an extremely high body tempurature, usually caused by prolonged exposure to environmental heat

hypothermia

an abnormally low body tempurature

integrative medicine

a model of health care based on both allopathic and alternative medicine

interventional radiology

the use of radiographic imaging to guide a procedure such as a biopsy

ketonuria

the presence of ketones in the urine

laparoscopy

the visual examination of the interior of the abdomen with the use of a laparoscope that is passed through a small incision in the abdominal wall

lithotomy position

the patient is lying on the back, face up, with the feet and legs raised and supported in stirrups

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

uses a combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create signals that are sent to a computer and converted into images of any plane through the body

mindfulness meditation

focuses on becoming aware of thoughts and emotions and their physiological responses, as well as accepting them and maintaining a calm, constant awareness

naturopathy

also known as naturopathic medicine, is a combination of nutrition, medicinal supplements and herbs, water therapy, homeopathy, and lifestyle modifications used to identify and treat athe root causes of symptoms and diseases

neuromuscular therpay (NMT)

is a form of massage that uses soft-tissue manipulation focusing on applying pressure to trigger points to treat injuries and alleviate pain

nuclear imaging

the use of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic purposes

opthalmoscope

an instrument used examine the interior of the eye

otoscope

an instrument used to visually examine the external ear canal and tympanic membrane

percussion

a diagnostic procedure designed to determine the density of a body part by the sound produced by tapping the surface with the fingers

perfusion

the flow of flood through an organ

pericardiocentesis

the puncture of the pericardial sac for the purposes of removing fluid

phlebotomy

also known as venipuncture, is the puncture of a vein for the purpose of drawing blood

positron emission tomography (PET)

also known as PET imaging, combines computed tomography with radionuclide tracers, usually inserted into a vein, to produce enhanced images of selected body organs or areas

prone position

the patient is lying on the abdomen face down

proteinuria

the presence of an abnormal amount of protein in the urine

pyuria

the presence of pus in the urine

radiolucent

the substance, such as air or nitrogen gas, allows x-rays to pass through and appears black or dark gray on the resulting film

radiopaque

the substance does not allow x-rays to pass through and appears white or light gray on the resulting film

rales

also known as crackles, are abnormal crackle-like lung sounds heard through a stethoscope during inspiration

recumbent

any position in which the patient is lying down

rhonchi

coarse rattling sounds that are somwhat like snoring; are usually caused by secretion in the bronchial airways

sims’ position

the patient is lying on the left side with the right knee and thigh drawn up with the left arm placed along the back

single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

is a type of nuclear imaging test that produces 3D computer-reconstructed images showing perfusion through tissues and organs

speculum

an instrument used to enlarge the opening of any canal or cavity, especially the vagina, to facilitate inspection of its interior

sphygmomanometer

is a device used to measure the force of blood against the walls of the arteries (blood pressure)

stethoscope

an instrument used to listen to sounds of the body

stridor

an abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound caused by a blockage in the throat or in the larynx

transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)

is an ultrasonic imaging technique used evaluate heart structures

ultrasonography

is imaging of deep body structures by recording the echoes of sound wave pulses that are above the range of human hearing

urinalysis

the examination of the physical and chemical properties of urine to determine the presence of abnormal elements

overall appearance

includes a number of factors: how appropriately the patient is dressed, whether there is any body odor, or any signs of self care

emotion affect

refers to the patient’s expression, tone of voice, mood, and emotion

ambulation

means the way the patient walks, including gait, any unsteadiness, or possible difficulty

VSS

vital signs stable

vital signs

are the four key indications that the body systems are functioning: tempurature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure

average normal body temperature

is around 98.6 degrees fahrenheit or 37.0 degrees celsius

oral

in the mouth

aural

in the ear

axillary

in the armpit

rectal

in the rectum

temporal artery scanner

measures the forehead for a fever

pulse

is the rythmic pressure against the walls of an artery that is caused by the beating of the heart

heart rate

reflects the number of times the heart beats each minute and is recorder as bpm (beats per minute)

carotid pulse point

is on either side of the front of the neck

radial pulse point

is at the wrist

femoral pulse point

is at the inner thigh

dorsalis pedis pulse point

is on the top of the foot, in line with the second toe

temporal pulse point

is at the tempal

brachial pulse point

is at the inner conjuction of the elbow

popliteal pulse point

is behind the knee in the crevice of the leg

acute pain

comes on quickly, can be severe and lasts only a relatively short time

chronic pain

can be mild to severe, persists over a longer period of time and is resistant to most medical treatments