1.11 Basic Medical Terms to Describe Diseases

sign

objective evidence of disease, such as a fever

• objective means the sign can be evaluated or measured by the patient or others

symptom

subjective evidence of a disease, such as pain or a headache

• subjective means that it can be evaluated or measured only by the patient

syndrome

a set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a specific disease process

diagnosis

the identification of a disease

• to ______ is the process of reaching a diagnosis

differential diagnosis

also known as a rule out, is an attempt to determine which one of several possible diseases is causing the signs and symptoms

prognosis

a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease

acute

an ______ condition has a rapid onset, a severe course, and a relatively short duration

chronic

a _______ condition is of long duration

• although such diseases can be controlled, they are rarely cured

remission

the temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a disease without having achieved a cure

disease

a condition in which one or more body parts are not functioning normally

• some ________ are named for their signs and symptoms

• ex: chronic fatigue syndrome is a persistent, overwhelming fatigue of unknown origin

eponym

a disease, structure, operation, or procedure named for the person who discovered or described it first

• ex: Alzheimer’s disease is named for German neurologist Alois Alzheimer

acronym

a word formed from the initial letter of the major parts of a compound term

• ex: laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation