SAmerica: Medical Terminology

Auscultation

Listening with a stethoscope

Baseline

The normal state

Differential Diagnosis

The diseases that a physician is considering as the reason for the patient's symptoms

Hemorrhage

Excessive or profuse bleeding

Hypertension

High blood pressure (typically >140/90)

Hypotension

Low blood pressure (typically <100/65)

Infarct

Area of dead tissue following prolonged ischemia

Ischemia

Localized lack of blood supply to an area

Malodorous

Foul smelling

Palpate/Palpable

Physically touching

Rupture

Breaking open of a body structure

Sepsis

Dangerous infection of the blood with pathological microorganisms or their toxins

Avulsion

A forcible pulling away of a part or structure

Crepitus

A crackling or grating sound

Effusion

Escape of a fluid into a cavity

Hemangioma

Tumor consisting of blood vessels

Benign

Normal; of no danger to health

Stellate

Star shaped; radiating from center

Acute

New onset (less than 3 months)

Acute on Chronic

Exacerbation of a chronic issue

Chronic

Long-standing (greater than 3 months)

Fluctuating

Symptoms are always present but change in severity

Intermittent

Symptoms completely resolve at times but continue to return

Resolved

Gone, no longer existing

Transient

Resolving spontaneously after onset

Abduction

Draws away from midline

Adduction

Draws toward the midline

Ambulatory

Able to move about, not confined to a bed, able to walk

Anatomical Position

Standing erect with arms at the sides and the palms turned forward

Anterior

Situated in the front of or directed toward the front

Axilla

Armpit

Cervical

Pertaining to the neck or the cervix of the uterus

Diffuse

Spread out over a wide area

Distal

Farther from the limb root

Dorsiflexion

Backward bending of the hand or foot

Everted

Turned outward

Extension

Straightening out

Flexion

Bending or angulation

Inferior

Closer to the feet

Lateral

Farther from the midline

Medial

Nearer to the midline

Midline

Plane that divides the body into left and right

Palmar/Volar

Palm side of the hand

Plantar

Sole of the foot

Posterior/Dorsal

Rear or back

Pronate

Turn palm of the hand downward

Prone

Body position lying face down with forearms and hands turned palm side down

Proximal

Close to the limb root

Radial Aspect

Pertaining to the radial (lateral) side of the arm

Superficial

Shallow; near the surface

Subcutaneous

Involving multiple skin levels; deep

Superior

Closer to the head

Supinate

Turn the palm upwards

Supine

Body position lying face up

Transverse Plane

Divides the body into upper and lower parts

Ulnar Aspect

Pertaining to the ulna (medial) side of the arm

Afebrile

Without a fever

Alert

Looking around, awake, attentive

Body Habitus

State of a patient's body, usually pertaining to obesity

Combative

Aggressively uncooperative

Emaciated

Extremely thin and malnourished; wasting

Febrile

With fever

Inconsolable

When an infant or baby is not able to stop crying from comfort

Disheveled

Poor self-hygiene

Atraumatic/Normocephalic

Normal external head inspection

Battle Signs

Bruising behind the ears

Angioedema

Swelling due to allergic reaction

Frontal

Forehead and anterior top of scalp

Meningitis

Infection of the meninges (membranes that contain the brain and spinal cord)

Occipital

Posterior part of the skull

Parietal

Location across the posterior sides of the scalp

Temporal

Location across the anterior sides of the scalp

Raccoon Eyes

Bruising around the eyes

Conjunctiva

The outer lining of the eye and eyelid

Cornea

Transparent frontal aspect of the eye

Fluorescein

Orange dye used to find corneal abrasions

Nystagmus

Involuntary eye movements

Photophobia

Light sensitivity

Sclera

Dense fibrous, opaque outer coat enclosing the eyeball

Scleral Icterus

Yellowing of sclera

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

Blood in the white part of the eye

Auricle

External portion of the ear

Cerumen

Earwax

Otalgia

Ear ache

Tinnitus

Ringing of the ear

Erythema

Redness

Edema

Swelling

Ecchymosis

Bruising

Pruritus

Itching sensation

Purulent

Pus-like

Tachycardia

Fast heart rate >100 bpm

Bradycardia

Slow heart rate <60 bpm

Tachypnea

Fast breathing rate

Bradypnea

Slow breathing rate

Epistaxis

Nose bleed

Rhinorrhea

Clear nasal discharge

Sputum

Discharge that is coughed up

Aneurysm

Localized ballooning of a vessel

Bruit

Whooshing sound heard during auscultation

Laceration

A cut