Medical Study Guide Flashcards

This set of flashcards covers key medical concepts, terms, and procedures to aid study and preparation for examinations.

Risk factors for Cirrhosis

A chronic liver disease characterized by the replacement of healthy liver tissue with scar tissue, often caused by alcohol, fatty liver, or chronic hepatitis B & C.

Body planes

sagittal (left and right), coronal (front and back), and transverse (top and bottom).

CLIA

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments; regulations requiring labs to obtain certification before processing human specimens for diagnostics.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Fire extinguisher pin check

Ensuring the safety pin on a fire extinguisher is present, intact, and sealed.

R A C E

Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish, or Evacuate

Nitroglycerin

A medication used to treat or prevent episodes of angina (chest pain) in people with cornary artery disease (CAD); taken sublingually.

Range of time P wave and Rwave

0.12-0.20

P wave duration

The normal range for the P wave in an EKG is 0.08 to 0.10 seconds.

R wave measurement

The upward deflection on an EKG; less than 26mm in leads V5 and V6 and less than 10mm in limb leads.

Surgical gloves

puncture-resistant, sterile, and intended for use in surgery; made of latex or nitrile

Regular Gloves

lower-risk tasks, not sterlie

Head circumference for newborns

Normal range of head circumference for full-term newborns is 33-38 cm. Boys 33-35 cm, Girls 32-34 cm.

Proper placements for EKG (amputation pt)

upper legs, close to trunk/ if standard placements not feasible, consider placing the right leg lead of the shoulder and the left leg lead on the chest

Sterilization

A process that kills all pathogens and spores.

Disinfection

A process that kills pathogenic organisms or renders them inactive.

Sanitization

A process that reduces the number of microorganisms to a safe level.

Order

santizing, disfecting, sterillizing

Venipuncture techniques

Methods of drawing blood, including intradermal (10-15° angle), subcutaneous (45° angle), and intramuscular (90° angle) injections.

Clean catch urine sample

A method to obtain a urine sample by cleaning the genital area and collecting midstream to avoid contamination.

Warfarin

An anticoagulant medication, commonly referred to as a blood thinner.

CPAP

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; a treatment for sleep apnea.

Symptoms: extreme fatigue during daytime. Snoring or loud breath. Awakening in middle of the night, difficult breathing, or gasping for air.

Crohn's Disease

A chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the digestive tract.

E. coli

A diverse group of bacteria, some of which can cause infections in the gut and urinary tract.

Topical medication

Medications applied directly to the skin in various forms like creams, gels, or patches.

Patient care

Comprehensive services provided to individuals to manage health needs.

Medication reconciliation

A formal process to create an accurate list of a patient's current medications.

Pharmaceutical calculations

Calculating dosages, conversions, or other medication-related metrics.

Chain of Infection

The sequence of factors that lead to disease transmission.

Autoclave

A device that uses steam under pressure to sterilize equipment.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; legislation to protect patient health information.

Anaphylactic shock

A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction requiring immediate medical attention.

Radiant heat therapy

Use of heat to relieve pain and improve circulation.

Normal adult heart rate

60-100 beats per minute.

Signs of an infection

Symptoms may include fever, increased swelling, pain, or pus.

Blood pressure cuffs

Devices with sizes categorized based on the circumference of the arm for accurate measurement.

Burn classification

Types of burns based on severity: First, Second, and Third degree.

Chief complaint

The primary issue or reason a patient seeks medical care.

Mental health screenings

Assessments used to identify and evaluate the severity of mental health conditions.

1 pound = ___ kg

0.45

V5 lead (EKG)

placed on left anerior axillary line

axillary line

is a coronal line on the anterior torso, marks the point midway between the middle of clavicle and lateral end of the clavicle.

LUQ

spleen, stomach, pancreas, left kidney, left adrenal gland.

LLQ

parts of sigmoid colon, descending colon, and small intestine/ large

RUQ

liver, stomach, pancreas, left kidney, left adrenal gland.

RLQ

small and large intestines and appendiz

Most common injection sites (subcutaneous)?

abdomen, thighs, upper arms, upper back (buttocks)

Boundaries of the area that is considerd not sterile on a surgical tray?

1 inch border

needle gauge for IM injection

22-25 gauge, length 1-1.5 inch - adults. Children 25-27 gauge, 1 inch length

Gram stain-

detects bacterial infection

side effects of opioids

constipation, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, itching

surgical feild

sterile area where surgery is performed, crucial for preventing infections and ensuring successful operation