Abscess to hypokalemia

Abscess

Collection of pus in any part of the body

Acute

Severe and sudden onset

Adherence

The extent to which an individual's behavior coincides with medical or health advice

Adjunct

something added, attached, or joined

Afebrile

without fever

Agranulocytosis

A severely low level of white blood cells (life threatening).

Alopecia

hair loss

Ambulatory

able to walk

Amenorrhea

absence of menstruation

Amnesia

loss of memory

Analgesic

drug that relieves pain (without loss of consciousness)

Anaphylaxis

Severe allergic reaction

Andropause

The decrease of the male hormone testosterone.

Anemia

A condition in which the blood is deficient in healthy red blood cells

Anhedonia

inability to experience pleasure

Aneurysm

ballooning of a weakened portion of an arterial wall

Angioedema

Swelling of the blood vessels

Anorexia

loss of appetite

Anterior

Front surface of

Antiemetic

a medication that is administered to prevent or relieve nausea and vomiting

Antibiotic

a drug that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria

Anti-Inflammatory

reduces inflammation

Antipruritic

Relieves itching

Antipyretic

Reduces fever

Antiseptic

Nondamaging to living tissue/skin while reducing the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction

Antitussive

Prevents coughing

Aphagia

inability to swallow

Arrhythmia

Abnormal heart rhythm

Arthralgia

joint pain

Ascites

abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen

Aspiration

the drawing in of a foreign substance into the lungs

Asthenia

Physical weakness or lack of energy

Ataxia

lack of muscle coordination

Atrophy

to waste away

Auscultation

listening to sounds within the body

Axillary

pertaining to the armpit

Bilateral

both sides

Biopsy

the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body

Benign

a condition, tumor, or growth that is not cancerous

Bronchitis

inflammation of the bronchial tubes

Bradycardia

slow heart rate

Bradypnea

slow breathing

Buccal

cheek

Cachexia

a condition of physical wasting away due to the loss of weight and muscle mass that occurs in patients with diseases such as advanced cancer or AIDS

Candidiasis

yeast (candida) infection

Cardiovascular

pertaining to the heart and blood vessels

Catheter

Tube inserted into vessels or body cavities to permit injection or withdrawal of fluids or to keep a passage open

Chronic

continuing for a long time

Comorbidity

the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual

Compliance

Conforming to a request or demand

Constriction

narrowing

Contraception

prevention of pregnancy

Contraindication

a reason something is not advisable or should not be done

Contusion

bruise

Corticosteroids

Anti-inflammatory medication

Crackles

(rales) abnormal, discontinuous, adventitious lung sounds heard on inspiration

Cranial

of or relating to the skull or cranium

Cyanotic

Adj. having bluish skin color due to lack of Oxygen

Cyanosis

Noun: bluish discoloration of the skin

Delirium

a mental state in which you are confused, disoriented, and not able to think or remember clearly.

Dementia

a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes

Diagnosis

identification of a disease

Diaphoretic

Characterized by profuse sweating.

Differential Diagnosis

A list of conditions the patient may have based on the symptoms exhibited and the results of the exam

Distention

enlarged, swollen from internal pressure

Diastolic

occurs when the ventricles are relaxed; the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery

Diplopia

double vision

Diuretic

agent that increases urine output

diuresis

increased formation and secretion of urine

Dorsalis

relating to the back or top surface of an organ

Dose

The amount of substance given at one time.

Dyskinesia

uncontrolled, involuntary muscle movements

Dysphagia

difficulty swallowing

Dystrophy

the degeneration of tissue/muscle mass, due to disease or malnutrition

Dyspnea

difficulty breathing

Dysuria

painful urination

Edema

swelling from excessive accumulation of fluid in tissue

Effusion

an outpouring of fluid

Egophony

Increased resonance of voice sounds heard when auscultating the lungs

Ejection Fraction

measurement of the volume percentage of left ventricular contents ejected with each contraction

Electrolyte

An ionic compound whose aqueous solution conducts an electric current

Emesis

vomiting

Emollient

making soft or supple (usually pertaining to skin treatments)

Encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

Endocarditis

inflammation of the inner lining of the heart

Enema

the injection of liquid into the rectum and colon by way of the anus

Enteritis

inflammation of the small intestine

Epidural

Outside the dura (or an injection into the back that stops you from feeling pain in part of your body)

Epistaxis

bleeding from the nose

Erythema

redness of the skin

Etiology

cause of disease

Exacerbation

increase in the severity of a disease or its symptoms

Exfoliate

the shedding of surface components

Expectorant

a drug that breaks up mucus and promotes coughing

Extraocular

outside the eyeball

Extrapyramidal Symptoms

side effects such as restlessness, involuntary movements, and muscular tension produced by antipsychotic medications (drug induced movement disorder)

Extravasation

escape of blood from the blood vessel into the tissue

Exophthalmos

abnormal protrusion of the eyeball

Exudate

fluid that leaks out of blood vessels into nearby tissues

Febrile

fever