Care of Patients with Oral Cavity and Esophageal Problems

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the care of patients with oral cavity and esophageal problems.

Tissue Integrity

The state of maintaining the structure and function of tissue.

Nutrition

Process of providing or receiving the food necessary for health and growth.

Stomatitis

Inflammation of the oral cavity causing painful lesions.

Aphthous Stomatitis

Most common type of stomatitis, characterized by noninfectious ulcerations.

Candidiasis

A fungal infection caused by the overgrowth of Candida species in the mouth.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

A condition characterized by backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus.

Barrett Esophagus

A precancerous condition in which squamous epithelium of the esophagus is replaced with columnar epithelium due to long-term GERD.

Aspiration Pneumonia

A type of lung infection that occurs when food, saliva, liquids, or vomit are inhaled into the lungs.

Hiatal Hernia

Protrusion of the stomach through the esophageal hiatus into the chest cavity.

Esophagectomy

Surgical removal of all or part of the esophagus.

Esophageal Stricture

Narrowing of the esophagus often caused by long-term conditions like GERD.

Hairy Leukoplakia

White patches in the mouth that are notably associated with HIV infection.

Oral Cancer

Malignancy that can occur in various locations within the oral cavity.

Nystatin

An antifungal medication used to treat yeast infections in the mouth.

Hydration

The process of causing something to absorb water.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

Medications that reduce gastric acid production by irreversibly inhibiting the H+/K+ ATPase enzyme.