Clinical Terminology and Acronym Briefing

Vocabulary flashcards covering medical acronyms, infection control, safety protocols, professional communication, and vital signs from the lecture text.

Airborne precautions

Specialized protocols used for patients known or suspected to be infected with pathogens transmitted by small-particle residue that can remain suspended in the air.

Asepsis

The state of being free from disease-causing microorganisms.

Bacteremia

The presence of bacteria within the bloodstream.

Contact precautions

Measures designed to prevent the transmission of infectious agents through direct or indirect contact with the patient or the patient's environment.

Cultures

Diagnostic tests used to identify microorganisms by allowing them to grow in a controlled medium from a provided sample (such as blood or urine).

Droplet precautions

Protocols implemented to prevent the transmission of pathogens spread through close respiratory or mucous membrane contact with respiratory secretions.

Granulation tissue

New vascular tissue in granular form on an ulcer or the healing surface of a wound.

Health care associated infection

An infection acquired by a patient while receiving treatment in a healthcare facility for a different condition.

Infection control bundles

A structured group of evidence-based practices that, when performed together, result in better patient outcomes than when implemented individually.

Leukocytosis

A clinical condition characterized by an elevated white blood cell count, often indicating infection or inflammation.

Medical asepsis

Also known as "clean technique," these are procedures used to reduce the number and spread of microorganisms.

Surgical asepsis

Known as "sterile technique," these are procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms from an area or object.

Septicemia

A serious systemic infection where pathogens or their toxins circulate in the blood; often referred to as blood poisoning.

Standard precautions

The primary tier of infection control used for all patients, regardless of diagnosis, to prevent transmission of pathogens via blood and body fluids.

Thrombocytopenia

A medical condition characterized by an abnormally low concentration of platelets in the blood.

Alarm fatigue

The desensitization of healthcare providers to medical alarms due to the high volume of sensory overload, potentially leading to delayed responses.

Barrier restraint

A physical object or structure, such as a side rail, used to limit a patient’s movement or protect them from falling.

Bullying

Repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons by one or more perpetrators.

Chemical restraint

The use of medication to control a patient's behavior or restrict their freedom of movement, which is not a standard part of their medical treatment.

Hospital-associated infections

Infections that occur while a patient is hospitalized that were not present or incubating at the time of admission.

Hourly rounding

A systematic approach where nursing staff check on patients every hour to address their immediate needs, such as pain, position, and personal care.

Mechanical restraint

A device, such as a strap or vest, attached to or adjacent to the patient's body to restrict movement.

Medication reconciliation

The process of creating the most accurate list possible of all medications a patient is taking and comparing it against the doctor's admission, transfer, and discharge orders.

Near miss

An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage—but had the potential to do so.

Physical restraint

Any manual method or physical device that restricts a patient's freedom of movement or normal access to their body.

Rapid response team

A team of clinicians who bring critical care expertise to the bedside of a patient whose condition is deteriorating.

Restraints

Various methods (physical, chemical, or mechanical) used to limit a patient’s movement to ensure their safety or the safety of others.

Active listening

A communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and then remembering what the patient is saying.

Boundaries

Professional limits set to maintain a therapeutic relationship and protect both the patient and the healthcare provider.

Elderspeak

A condescending way of speaking to older adults that resembles baby talk, characterized by slow speed and simplified vocabulary.

Emotional intelligence

The ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions while also influencing the emotions of others.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of a patient from their perspective.

Incivility

Rude, intimidating, or insulting behavior in the workplace.

Lateral violence

Aggressive behavior or psychological harassment directed by healthcare professionals toward their peers.

Open and close-ended questions

Open-ended questions encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge/feelings; close-ended questions encourage short or single- word (yes/no) answers.

Afebrile

The state of being without a fever; having a normal body temperature.

Apical pulse

A pulse point located at the apex of the heart, measured using a stethoscope.

Apnea

The temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep.

Arrhythmia

An irregularity in the rhythm or force of the heartbeat.

Auscultatory gap

A period of diminished or absent Korotkoff sounds during blood pressure measurement.

Basal metabolic rate

The rate at which the body uses energy while at rest to keep vital functions (like breathing) going.

Bradycardia

A condition where the heart rate is abnormally slow, typically under 60 beats per minute in adults.

Cardiac output

The volume of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in one minute.

Diastole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood.

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath.

Eupnea

Normal, good, unlabored ventilation, sometimes known as quiet breathing.

Hypertension

A condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high (high blood pressure).

Mean arterial pressure

The average arterial blood pressure during a single cardiac cycle.

Orthostatic hypotension

A form of low blood pressure that happens when standing up from sitting or lying down.

Oxygen saturation

A measure of the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood relative to the total hemoglobin.

Pulse deficit

The difference between the apical pulse rate and the radial pulse rate.

Pulse pressure

The difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.

Tachycardia

A condition that makes the heart beat more than 100 times per minute.

Tachypnea

Abnormally rapid breathing.

Tidal volume

The amount of air that moves in or out of the lungs with each respiratory cycle.