Nurse Aide Unit 2: Basic Needs and Body Systems Key Terms

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic human needs and pathological/anatomical terms across all major human body systems from Nurse Aide Unit 2.

Basic Human Needs

Needs that all people share for life, including food, water, shelter, protection from the environment, and love.

Cognitive

The ability to think, reason, make decisions, and have memory.

Development

The increase in mental, emotional, and social skills.

Developmental Tasks

Social, emotional, and psychological tasks that are expected to happen at different stages of life.

Dignity

The quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect; promoting self-esteem and self-worth.

Growth

Physical changes that occur in the body such as increase in size and strength.

Intervention

Actions taken to prevent harm or improve functioning.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs

Five levels of human needs where the most basic physiological needs required for survival must be met before advancing to secondary needs such as safety, love and belonging, and self-esteem.

Self-Actualization

The highest level of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs that includes reaching your highest potential.

Self-Esteem

A person's overall feelings of value and self-worth.

Angina Pectoris

Chest pain, pressure, or tightness due to narrowed coronary arteries which temporarily reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle.

Atherosclerosis

Hardening of the arteries resulting from plaque accumulation inside the artery walls which narrows the pathway within the arteries causing increased blood pressure.

Arteriosclerosis

Hardening of the arteries which decreases the elasticity of the artery walls and leads to an increase in blood pressure.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

A condition in which the heart does not pump effectively enough to empty completely, causing blood to back up into the abdomen and lower extremities (causing edema/swelling) or into the lungs (causing congestion and dyspnea).

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

A condition in which narrowed coronary arteries reduce the flow of blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle itself.

Hypertension

An abnormally high blood pressure of 130/80 or higher.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Also known as a heart attack; a condition in which a coronary artery is blocked, preventing oxygen or nutrients from reaching the heart muscle past the blockage, causing the affected muscle to die.

Pericardium / Pericardial Sac

A protective membrane that surrounds the heart.

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

Poor circulation or blood flow that affects blood vessels outside of the heart, most commonly affecting the legs and feet.

Crohn's Disease

An inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and damage of the intestines.

Diverticulosis

A condition of having pouches in the large intestine called diverticula.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

A condition in which stomach acid enters the esophagus (gastric reflux) causing burning in the throat.

Peptic Ulcers

Sores in the stomach that can be painful.

Ulcerative Colitis

An inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and sores/ulcers in the large intestine.

Diabetes

A condition in which the pancreas produces too little insulin or does not properly use insulin, resulting in elevated blood sugar.

Hyperglycemia

High blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar.

Polydipsia

Excessive thirst.

Polyphagia

Excessive hunger.

Polyuria

Excessive urination (more than 3,000 mL in 24 hours).

Cellulitis

Bacterial skin infection that appears most commonly on the legs, arms, or face.

Dermatitis

A general term that means inflammation or irritation of the skin.

Eczema

A type of dermatitis that causes dry, itchy, bumpy patches of skin.

Contact Dermatitis

A type of dermatitis that causes an itchy, bumpy rash that may have blisters that drain.

Athlete's Foot

The most common type of fungal infection, characterized by red, itchy, flaky, and peeling skin between the toes.

Ringworm

A reddened, circular fungal skin rash that looks like a red ring that is clear in the center.

Pressure Injuries

A skin injury due to lack of blood flow resulting from unrelieved pressure (formerly known as pressure sores, pressure ulcers, decubitus ulcers, or bed sores).

Shingles

Red, painful, itchy rash with fluid-filled blisters caused by the Varicella Zoster virus.

Abductor (Abduction) Wedge (Pillow)

A device that keeps the resident's legs properly aligned to support the hip joint.

Amputations

The removal of body parts by surgery, most often all or part of an upper or lower extremity (hand, arm, foot, leg).

Arthritis

Inflammation and swelling of joints that causes pain and a decrease in mobility.

Bursitis

Inflammation of bursae (fluid-filled sacs that provide cushion in the joints) that causes pain and limited range of motion.

Contractures

A permanent shortening/contracting of muscles.

Foot Drop

A type of contracture where the resident is unable to lift the top part of the foot.

Foot Board

A device used to prevent foot drop that can be attached to the foot of the bed to keep the feet properly positioned.

Fractures

Broken bones that can occur due to falls or other accidents.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Arthritis resulting from wear and tear of the joints.

Osteoporosis

Bone loss that causes bones to be weak, porous, and brittle.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

An autoimmune type of arthritis in which the body attacks its own cells, potentially resulting in debilitating joint deformities, pain, and swelling.

Tendonitis

Inflammation of the tendons that causes pain where the affected tendon is located.

Total Hip Replacement (THR)

Surgical replacement of the hip joint due to wearing of the joint, injury, or fracture.

Total Knee Replacement (TKR)

Surgical replacement of the knee joint due to wearing of the joint, injury, or fracture.

Trochanter Roll

A device placed alongside the outside of the resident's hips and legs to prevent the hips from rotating externally (away from the midline of the body).

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

A condition occurring when blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks or ruptures within the brain; also called a stroke or a brain attack.

Epilepsy

A condition that causes seizures due to abnormal electrical impulses in the brain.

Grand Mal Seizures

A severe seizure that causes loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions, along with possible loss of bowel and bladder control.

Petit Mal Seizures (Absence Seizures)

A mild seizure that affects only a small part of the brain, may not even be noticeable, and includes a brief, blank stare.

Jacksonian Seizures

A mild seizure that affects a small part of the brain while consciousness is maintained.

Parkinson's Disease

A progressive, degenerative disease of the nervous system that presents with symptoms like tremors, muscle rigidity, and shuffling gait.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A progressive disease in which the protective covering of nerve cells (myelin sheath) breaks down, impairing nerve function and causing numbness, speech and muscular coordination impairment, blurred vision, and severe fatigue.

Prostate Gland

A gland in males that surrounds the urethra at the base of the bladder that can become enlarged and interfere with the flow of urine.

Asthma

A chronic condition involving narrowing of the airways that causes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A chronic, progressive condition with no cure that is most common in smokers, comprising chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Chronic Bronchitis

Continual inflammation of the lining of the bronchi.

Emphysema

A chronic condition affecting the bronchioles and alveoli where alveoli lose elasticity, interfering with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Influenza

A contagious viral infection ('the flu') causing symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, and fatigue.

Tuberculosis (TB)

A contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but may affect other organs.

Cataracts

A condition resulting in cloudiness of the lens of the eye that interferes with vision and may cause blindness.

Glaucoma

A condition that causes increased pressure inside the eye that can result in blindness if untreated.

Macular Degeneration (MD)

A slowly developing condition causing decreased frontal vision (dark/blurred spots, dim objects, distorted lines) while leaving peripheral vision unaffected.

Ménière's Disease

A condition that affects the pressure of the inner ear, leading to periods of severe dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and nausea and vomiting.

Anuria

Absence of urination (a = without; uria = urination).

Chronic Renal Failure

Kidney failure in which the kidneys are unable to remove waste products from the blood and body.

Cystitis

A bacterial infection of the bladder.

Dysuria

Difficult or painful urination (dys = painful or difficult; uria = urination).

Oliguria

Urinating in scant or insufficient amounts, defined as less than 400 mL in 24 hours (oli = few or scant; uria = urination).

Nocturia

Urinating frequently during the night (noc = nighttime; uria = urination).

Urinary Incontinence

A decrease in the ability to control when urine leaves the body.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

A bacterial infection of any part of the urinary tract, including the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra.