Medical Assistant Knowledge and Clinical Procedures

Vocabulary terms, definitions, clinical abbreviations, and vital sign reference ranges compiled from medical assistant instructional handouts covering pharmacology, cell biology, anatomy, sterile technique, infection control, safety, and vital signs.

Adverse Event

Undesired effect of a medication.

Angle of Administration

Measurement in degrees a tool is placed when delivering medication.

ATC Classification

Method of categorizing drugs used by the WHO.

Buccal

Route of administration in which medication is placed between the gum and cheek.

Deltoid

Muscle on the top outer area of the upper arm near the shoulder used for injections.

Drug Contraindications

Reasons or conditions in which a patient should not use a medication.

Drug Indications

Reasons or conditions for which a patient is prescribed a medication.

Gauge

Internal diameter size of a needle used for medical procedures.

Intradermal

Route of administration in which medication is injected under the skin.

Intramuscular

Route of administration in which medication is injected in the muscle.

Intranasal

Route of administration in which medication is breathed through the nose.

Intraosseous

Route of administration in which medication is injected in the bone marrow.

Intrathecal

Route of administration in which medication is injected into the spine.

Luer Lock

Bottom of a syringe which twists onto IV attachments and needles.

Sublingual

Route of administration in which medication is placed under the tongue.

Therapeutic Response

Desired effect of a medication which resolves a symptom or condition.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

Method of categorizing drugs based on therapeutic use, mechanism of action and formulary classification.

Vastus Lateralis

Injection site on the outside of the thigh on the upper third.

Ventrogluteal

Injection site on the back of the body above the hip.

Viscosity

Thickness of medication.

Z-Tracking

Injection technique used to prevent medication from leaking out of the skin.

Acute Disease

Takes place over a short period of time with a fast onset of disease conditions.

Chronic Disease

Occurs over a longer lifespan with a slow onset of disease conditions.

Latent Disease

Involve a pathogen which is dormant for an extended period of time.

Chain of Infection

Model used to describe the conditions of growth for an infectious disease.

Environmental Cleaning

Measures practiced daily to prevent the spread of illness.

Notifiable Disease

Illnesses requiring additional reporting measures due to their severity or contagiousness.

Portal of Entry

How agents enter a susceptible host.

Portal of Exit

How agents exit a reservoir.

Reservoir

Environment where a pathogen lives, grows and multiplies.

Quarantine

Reducing the movement of individuals who may have come in contact with an infectious disease but are showing no symptoms.

Vector

Organism which transmits illnesses to humans or animals such as a mosquito or tick.

Active Transport

Involves the use of proteins to transport substances across the cell membrane.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

Source of chemical energy.

Cell Membrane

Semi-permeable membrane which encloses the cytoplasm and all of the cellular organelles.

Centrosomes

Dense areas of cytoplasm near the nucleus of the cell which contain centrioles.

Cilia

Numerous, short, hair-like projections on the surface of some cells used for movement of foreign particles over a surface.

Cytokinesis

Begins in anaphase and continues on through telophase.

Facilitated Diffusion

Process of diffusion in which molecules diffuse across membranes with the assistance of transport proteins.

Golgi Complex

Packages which release proteins and aid in lipid secretion.

Interphase

Part of the cell cycle when the cell is doing its normal job.

Mitosis

Cell division process which produces new cells for growth, repair and the general replacement of older cell.

Meiosis

Cell division which creates sex cells (eggs and sperm).

Modern Cell Theory

Theory which states all living things are made up of cells.

Osmosis

Process by which molecules of a solvent (usually water) pass through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

AMA

Against medical advice.

ANED

Alive, no evidence of disease.

ARDS

Acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BID

Twice a day.

CPE

Complete physical exam.

CXR

Chest X-ray.

NYD

Not yet diagnosed.

PTA

Prior to admission.

Sob

Shortness of breath.

w/u

Workup.

Accessory Organs

Organs which help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract; includes tongue, salivary glands, liver, gall bladder and pancreas.

Appendicular Skeleton

Part of the skeletal system containing other bones, such as the limbs, pelvis, fingers and toes.

Axial Skeleton

Part of the skeletal system containing the vertebral column, rib cage and skull.

Capillaries

Smallest vessels; walls are only one cell in thickness.

Cardiac Muscle

Type of muscle found only in the heart; responsible for the continual pumping of blood.

Central Nervous System

One of the two major divisions of the nervous system which includes the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

One of the two major divisions of the nervous system which includes the nerves leading to and from the central nervous system.

Smooth Muscle

Type of muscle present in organs like the small intestine and structures like arteries; helps “tubelike” structures contract and dilate.

Skeletal Muscle

Type of muscle attached to bones; provides movement of the body.

Axial Plane

Directional term which divides the body horizontally into superior and inferior halves.

Coronal Plane

Directional term which divides the body longitudinally into anterior and posterior halves.

Sagittal Plane

Directional term which divides the body longitudinally into right and left halves.

Distal

Directional term which describes away from the body trunk.

Proximal

Directional term which describes close to the body trunk.

Lateral

Directional term which describes close to the body’s midline.

Autoclave

Sterilization method using high temperatures to sterilize reusable instruments.

Dry Heating

Sterilization method using a dry heat oven or similar heat apparatus to sterilize medical equipment.

Solvent Sterilization

Sterilization method used for instruments with components too delicate to be put in an autoclave.

Surgical Asepsis

Elimination of all microorganisms for invasive procedures through sterile techniques.

Medical Asepsis

Aims to reduce the risk of infection in healthcare settings using aseptic techniques (or environment free from pathogens).

Anaphylaxis

Acute, sudden and life-threatening allergic reaction.

Biohazard Containers

Used to store noninfectious, non-sharp waste.

Biomedical Waste

Dangerous waste contaminated by blood, bodily fluids or infectious material.

Doffing

Process of removing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Donning

Process of putting on personal protective equipment (PPE).

Hazard Communication

Process outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for communicating about hazards.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Documents which include information about the properties, health hazards, toxicity, storage, handling, transportation and disposal requirements of chemicals.

Shredding Bins

Containers used to dispose of medical records and maintain HIPPA compliance.

Vehicle-Borne Transmission

Occurs when an object passively carries the infectious agent or provides an environment for the infectious agent to multiply.

Normal Heart Rate: Adult (18-75 years old)

$$60\text{--}100\text{ bpm}$$

Normal Heart Rate: Infants (less than 1 year)

$$120\text{--}150\text{ bpm}$$

Normal Respirations: Adult (18-75 years old)

$$10\text{--}20\text{ breaths per minute}$$

Normal Blood Pressure: Elderly (more than 75 years)

$$95\text{--}145 / 70\text{--}90\text{ mmHg}$$

Normal Blood Pressure: Adult (18-75 years old)

$$95\text{--}90 / 30\text{--}65\text{ mmHg}$$

Normal Oral Temperature: Adult (18-75 years old)

$$96\text{--}98^\circ\text{F}\ (36\text{--}37^\circ\text{C})$$

Normal Oxygen Saturation: Elderly (more than 75 years)

$$95\%$$

Orthostatic Blood Pressure

Any drop in BP or lightheadedness is abnormal.