term 1 terminology/abbrev

a(n)

absence of

alg

pain

ante

before

anter(i)

front, forward

anti

against

arteri(o)

artery

arthr(o)

joint

bi, bis

double, twice, two

brady

slow

carcin(o)

cancer

cardi(o)

heart

cephal(o)

head

cerebr(o)

brain

contra

against, counter

crani(o)

skull

cyan(o)

blue

derm(ato)

skin

dors

back

dys

bad, faulty, abnormal

emia

blood

hem(ato)

blood

hemi

half

hyper

excessive, high

hypo

deficient, low

itis

inflammation

latero

side

mal

bad, abnormal

my(o)

muscle

oste(o)

bone

path(o)

disease

pleg(ia)

paralysis

pnea

breathing

pneum(ato)

breath, air

pneumon(o)

lung

poly

much, many

post

after

poster(i)

back, behind

pulmon(o)

lung

scope

instrument

scopy

examination

steth(o)

chest

tachy

fast, quick

therap

treatment

therm(o)

heat

thorac(o)

chest

uria

urine

vas(o)

vessel

ven(o)

vein

actualization

realization of one’s full potential

**Aphasia**

unable to produce or understand language.

**Expressive aphasia (motor type)**

 inability to name common objects or to express simple ideas in words or writing

**Receptive aphasia (sensory type)**

 **i**nability to understand written or spoken language

**Global aphasia**

inability to understand language or communicate orally

hypertension

high blood pressure

**Hypercholesterolemia**

high LDL cholesterol caused by excessive intake of saturated fatty acids, dietary cholesterol intake, and obesity

LDL

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

etiology

the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition

**Virulence**

more virulent an organism is, the greater the likelihood that a person will be susceptible to it, the severity or harmfulness of a disease or poison

**Urbanization**

the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities, more people from rural places (countryside) to cities

globalization

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale

absenteeism

**t**he practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason

empirical knowledge

the science of nursing, which is factual, descriptive, and helps to develop abstract and theoretical explanations (research, evidence)

**Aesthetical knowledge**

way of knowing realities that are not empirically observable – the deep meanings in a situation

**Metabolism**

all the physical and chemical processes in the body that convert or use energy, such as: Breathing. Circulating blood. Controlling body temperature. Contracting muscles.

**Proteinaceous**

Resembling a protein; possessing, to some degree, the physiochemical properties characteristic of proteins

**Asepsis**

process for keeping away disease-producing microorganisms

**Medical asepsis (clean technique)**

includes procedures used to reduce and prevent the spread of microorganisms (hand hygiene, using clean gloves, cleaning the environment routinely)

**Surgical asepsis (sterile technique)**

includes procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms, including spores, from an object or area

**Aerobic bacteria**

require oxygen to survive and to multiply sufficiently to cause disease; aerobic organisms cause more infections than do anaerobic organisms

**Anaerobic bacteria**

organisms that can survive only in the absence of oxygen

**Broad-spectrum antibiotics:**

eliminate a wide range of microorganisms, not just those causing infection

**Carriers**

animals or persons who show no symptoms of illness but who have pathogens on or in their bodies that can be transferred to others

colonizing

When a pathogen is present on or in the body but does not cause harm, the pathogen is colonizing the site

**Communicable disease**

one that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways that include: contact with blood and bodily fluids; breathing in an airborne virus; or by being bitten by an insect; contagious

**Edema**

areas of the skin become swollen or edematous from a buildup of fluid in the tissues; Direct trauma and impairment of venous return are two common causes

**Pitting edema**

when pressure from the examiner's fingers leaves an indentation in the edematous area

**Endogenous infection**

can occur when some of the patient's flora become altered and overgrowth results. Examples are infections caused by enterococci, yeasts, and streptococci. When sufficient numbers of microorganisms normally found in one body cavity or lining are transferred to another body site, an endogenous infection develops

**Exogenous infection**

arises from microorganisms external to the individual that do not exist as normal flora; examples are Salmonella organisms and Clostridium tetani

**Epidemiology**

study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems; method used to find the causes of health outcomes and diseases in populations

**Exudates**

fluid and cells that are discharged from cells or blood vessels, e.g., pus or serum

**Healthcare-associated infection (HAI)**

also known as nosocomial infection or iatrogenic infection, is an infection acquired after admission to a health care facility that was not present or incubating at the time of admission

**Immune response:**

 protective reaction that neutralizes pathogens and repairs body cells. The immune system is composed of cells and molecules that help the body resist disease

**Immunocompromised**

when a patient has an impaired immune system

inflammatory response

The inflammatory response may be triggered by physical agents, chemical agents, or microorganisms. Mechanical trauma, temperature extremes, and radiation are examples of physical agents. Chemical agents include external and internal irritants, such as harsh poisons and gastric acid

**Invasive Interventions**

When pain is severe, invasive interventions may give relief when more conservative treatment is neither tolerated nor effective.

**Invasive Procedures**

procedures wherein a body cavity or organ is entered by either puncture or incision

**Isolation precautions**

The second tier of the isolation guidelines is additional precautions. These precautions are designed to contain pathogens in one area, usually the patient's room; therefore, they are often called isolation precautions

**Leukocytosis**

an increase in the number of circulating WBCs, is the body's response to WBCs leaving blood vessels

**Localized infection**

 restricted to a limited area (e.g., a wound infection), proper care controls the spread and minimizes the illness. The patient may experience localized symptoms such as pain and tenderness at the wound sit

**Microorganisms**

include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa

**Resident/transient flora**

Microorganisms on the skin. Resident organisms are considered permanent residents of the skin, where they survive and multiply without causing harm. They are not easily removed by handwashing with plain soaps unless considerable friction is used. Resident microorganisms in deep skin layers are usually killed only by performing hand hygiene with products containing antimicrobial ingredients.

**Necrotic**

dead tissues

normal flora

microorganisms that do not typically cause disease when residing in their usual area of the body but, instead, participate in maintaining health.

pathogenicity

the ability of the microorganism to cause disease

pathogens

microorganisms capable of causing disease

phagocytosis

through the process of phagocytosis, specialized WBCs, called neutrophils and monocytes, ingest and destroy microorganisms and other small particles. As inflammation becomes systemic, other signs and symptoms develop

purulent

Thick, yellow, green, tan, or brown discharge; thick drainage that contains pus

**Routine practices**

apply when a health care worker is or potentially may be exposed to (1) blood; (2) all body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat; (3) nonintact skin; or (4) mucous membranes. Routine practices include the appropriate use of gowns, gloves, masks, eyewear, and other protective devices or clothing.

**Sanguineous**

bloody drainage

**Serosanguineous**

thin, watery drainage that is blood tinged