chapter 16 med term

Palliative

Relieving symptoms without curing the underlying disease.

Phototherapy

Treatment using light, often used to reduce bilirubin levels in newborns with jaundice.

Bulimia

An eating disorder involving binge eating followed by purging (vomiting or other methods to prevent weight gain).

Cleft

A split or opening, often referring to a congenital defect such as a cleft lip or palate.

Enuresis

Involuntary urination, especially during sleep (bedwetting).

Jaundice

Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes due to elevated bilirubin levels.

Pertussis

A contagious bacterial infection causing severe coughing spells; also known as whooping cough.

Postmortem

After death; often refers to an examination of a body after death (autopsy).

Geriatrics

The branch of medicine dealing with the health and care of older adults.

Apgar

A scoring system used to assess a newborn's physical condition immediately after birth.

Bifida (as in spina bifida)

A congenital defect where the spinal column does not close completely.

Tetralogy (as in Tetralogy of Fallot)

A combination of four congenital heart defects causing poor oxygenation of blood.

Hypothermia

Abnormally low body temperature.

Anomaly

A deviation from normal; an abnormal structure or feature.

Atresia

Absence or closure of a normal body opening or tubular structure.

Autism

A developmental disorder affecting communication, behavior, and social interaction.

Diphtheria

A bacterial infection of the throat and nose that can cause breathing problems and nerve damage.

Whooping cough

Another name for pertussis; characterized by severe coughing fits ending in a "whooping" sound.

Surfactant

A substance in the lungs that reduces surface tension, helping keep air sacs open for breathing.

Meconium

The first stool of a newborn, typically dark green and sticky.

Pediatrician

A doctor who specializes in the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.

Blue baby

A newborn with bluish skin due to lack of oxygen, often from a heart defect.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

A measure of how well the kidneys are filtering blood.

Autopsy

The examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or disease.

Coma

A state of deep unconsciousness from which a person cannot be awakened.