Perioperative Care and Endocrine Disorders Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture material on perioperative care, thyroid disorders (hyper- and hypothyroidism), and diabetes mellitus.

Elective Surgery

A surgical procedure that is planned in advance and is not urgent for immediate survival or organ preservation (e.g., knee replacement or cosmetic surgery).

Emergency Surgery

A surgical procedure required immediately to save life, limb, or organ function (e.g., appendectomy or evacuation of a subdural hematoma).

Ambulatory Surgery

Also known as outpatient surgery, a procedure performed on patients who arrive, undergo surgery, and are discharged home on the same day.

Informed Consent

A voluntary, written legal permission obtained by the surgeon after full disclosure of the procedure's nature, risks, benefits, alternatives, and expected outcomes.

Emancipated Minor

An individual under the legal age of adulthood who is legally recognized as independent and authorized to give self-informed consent for medical procedures.

Unrestricted Zone

The region of the surgical suite where street clothes are permitted, including areas such as holding rooms, locker rooms, and the nurses' station.

Semi-Restricted Zone

An OR suite area comprising support corridors and storage facilities where staff must wear surgical scrub attire and hair coverings.

Restricted Zone

The sterile operating room and scrub sink area where personnel must wear full scrub attire, hair covers, and surgical masks.

Scrub Nurse

A sterile surgical team member who prepares the operating field, passes sterile tools to the surgeon, and assists with instrument and sponge counts.

Circulating Nurse

A non-sterile nurse who remains outside the sterile field to coordinate OR activities, perform safety Time-Outs, document proceedings, and manage handoff communication.

General Anesthesia

A drug-induced loss of consciousness in which the patient is unarousable, lacks protective reflexes, and requires advanced airway support (endotracheal tube or LMA) with mechanical ventilation.

Moderate Sedation

Also known as conscious sedation, a depressed level of consciousness where the patient responds purposefully to verbal or tactile stimuli while independently maintaining airway and respiration.

Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC)

A diagnostic or therapeutic anesthesia service managed by a dedicated anesthesia provider where sedation depth ranges from minimal to deep, with readiness to manage airways if needed.

Regional Anesthesia

The injection of a local anesthetic agent near a central nerve trunk or spinal pathway to cause reversible loss of sensation and motor function in a targeted body region (e.g., epidural or spinal block).

Local Anesthesia

Direct administration or injection of a local anesthetic agent into a specific, limited tissue area to block pain sensation without affecting system-wide consciousness.

Malignant Hyperthermia

A rare, life-threatening hypermetabolic reaction to volatile anesthetic gases or succinylcholine in genetically susceptible individuals, treated primarily with IV dantrolene.

Recovery Position

A lateral position with the body on its left side and the upper leg flexed forward to keep the airway open and prevent aspiration in an unconscious or emerging postop patient.

Atelectasis

The collapse of lung alveoli due to hypoventilation, airway blockage, or anesthetic action during surgery, prevented by incentive spirometry and deep-breathing exercises.

Emergence Delirium

A neurological condition during PACU awakening characterized by restlessness, agitation, confusion, disorientation, and uncooperative motor behavior.

Postoperative Ileus

A temporary lack of intestinal peristalsis without physical mechanical obstruction, characterized by abdominal distention, diminished/absent bowel sounds, and failure to pass gas or stool.

Wound Dehiscence

The separation and reopening of previously joined surgical incision layers (internal or external) without visceral organ protrusion.

Wound Evisceration

A surgical emergency where a dehisced abdominal wound completely separates, resulting in the protrusion of internal abdominal organs through the incision.

Graves' Disease

An autoimmune disorder marked by diffuse thyroid gland enlargement and excessive secretion of thyroid hormones, serving as the leading cause of hyperthyroidism.

Thyrotoxicosis

The clinical hypermetabolic syndrome resulting from abnormally elevated tissue levels of circulating thyroid hormones ($T_3$ and $T_4$).

Acute Thyrotoxicosis

Also known as Thyroid Storm, a crisis caused by a sudden release of excess thyroid hormones, presenting with extreme hyperthermia ($105^\times\text{F}-106^\times\text{F}$), severe tachycardia, agitation, and shock.

Exophthalmos

An ocular manifestation of Graves' disease characterized by abnormal protrusion of the eyeballs caused by fluid and fat accumulation in retro-orbital tissues.

Acropachy

A rare sign associated with Graves' disease presenting as soft-tissue swelling of the hands and clubbing of the fingers.

Subtotal Thyroidectomy

The surgical removal of approximately 90\text{\null}\null\text{\%} of the thyroid gland to correct severe hyperthyroidism or goiter while preserving sufficient tissue to prevent lifelong hormone deficiency.

Myxedema Coma

A life-threatening complication of severe hypothyroidism characterized by severe hypothermia, cardiovascular collapse, hypoventilation, facial edema, and profound mental sluggishness or coma.

Levothyroxine

A synthetic thyroid hormone drug (Synthroid) administered orally on an empty stomach daily for lifelong replacement therapy in hypothyroidism.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

An autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, causing an absolute lack of insulin secretion and requiring lifelong exogenous insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

A chronic metabolic condition marked by insulin resistance in peripheral tissues alongside a relative deficit in pancreatic insulin secretion.

Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)

A diagnostic blood test that measures average blood glucose exposure over the preceding 2 to 3 months; a value of \neq 6.5\text{\null}\null\text{\%} confirms diabetes.

Rapid-Acting Insulin

An exogenous insulin formulation (e.g., Lispro, Aspart, Glulisine) with an onset of 10 to 30 minutes, administered right before meals to manage postprandial glucose spikes.

Long-Acting Insulin

A peakless exogenous insulin formulation (e.g., Glargine, Detemir) that maintains a continuous basal insulin concentration in the body for up to 24 hours.

Lipodystrophy

Subcutaneous adipose tissue hypertrophy or atrophy caused by repeated insulin injections at the same anatomic location, prevented by systematic site rotation.

Somogyi Effect

Rebound early-morning hyperglycemia triggered by unrecognized hypoglycemia occurring around 2 to 3 AM, which stimulates the release of counter-regulatory stress hormones.

Dawn Phenomenon

Early-morning hyperglycemia caused by the natural, normal early-morning circadian surge of growth hormone and cortisol without preceding nighttime hypoglycemia.

Metformin

A biguanide oral antidiabetic drug that reduces hepatic glucose production and increases peripheral insulin sensitivity, serving as first-line therapy for Type 2 DM.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

An acute metabolic emergency in diabetes (mainly Type 1) caused by severe insulin deficiency, resulting in severe hyperglycemia, ketone production, metabolic acidosis, and Kussmaul respirations.

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS)

A life-threatening complication of Type 2 DM characterized by profound hyperglycemia ($\neq 600\text{ mg/dL}$) and severe osmotic dehydration without significant ketoacidosis.

Diabetic Retinopathy

A microvascular complication of chronic hyperglycemia causing damage and fluid leakage in retinal blood vessels, leading to dark spots, visual impairment, or blindness.

Diabetic Neuropathy

Peripheral nerve damage resulting from long-standing hyperglycemia, causing burning pain, tingling, numbness, or loss of sensation in the lower extremities.

Diabetic Nephropathy

Microvascular damage to the renal glomeruli secondary to chronic hyperglycemia and hypertension, marked by albuminuria and progressing toward end-stage renal disease.

Acanthosis Nigricans

A cutaneous marker of systemic insulin resistance characterized by velvety, light brown-to-black skin thickening in flexures, axillae, and the neck.

Diabetic Dermopathy

The most frequent skin manifestation of diabetes, presenting as reddish-brown, round-to-oval scaly patches on the shins that gradually flatten and become indented.