Med Term Definitions

Front 1

Adventitious Sounds

Back 1

1. Acquired, accidental, sporadic. (in breath sounds: abnormal lung sounds eg. wheezing, crackles, stridor)

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Aerobic

Back 2

taking place in the presence of oxygen

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Afebrile

Back 3

without fever

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Alopecia

Back 4

absence or loss of hair

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Anaerobic

Back 5

taking place in the absence of oxygen

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Anesthesia

Back 6

partial or complete loss of sensation, with or without loss of consciousness

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Antipyretics

Back 7

agents that reduce fever

Front 8

Anthropometry

Back 8

of measuring the body eg. height and weight measurements (and much more)

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Aphasia

Back 9

absence or impairment of ability to communicate (spoken, written, signs, etc.) due to brain dysfunction

Front 10

Atherosclerosis

Back 10

condition where cholesterol/lipid/calcium deposits in arteries and restricts blood flow

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Auscultation

Back 11

listening for sounds within the body

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Bradycardia

Back 12

slow heart rate-below 60BPM in adults

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Bruit

Back 13

adventitious sound of venous or arterial origin heard on auscultation of carotid artery/jugular vein

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Cholecystitis

Back 14

inflammation of the gall bladder usually due to blockage of bilary ducts by stones

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Cirrhosis

Back 15

chronic liver disease characterized by liver scarring with loss of normal hepatic architecture and areas of ineffective regeneration

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Conjunctivitis

Back 16

inflammation of conjunctiva (in eye)

Front 17

Cyanosis

Back 17

blue/gray discoloration of the skin due to deoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood

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Cytolysis

Back 18

destruction of living cells

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Dermis

Back 19

layer of skin lying directly under the top layer of skin: true skin

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Dementia

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progressive, irreversible decline in mental function (memory loss, cognitive decline, decline in judgment, etc.)

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Diaphoresis

Back 21

profuse sweating

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Distension

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stretched out, inflated

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Dysphagia

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inability to swallow or difficulty swallowing

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Dysrhythmia

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abnormal, disordered, or disturbed rhythm

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Edentulous

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without teeth

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Edema

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excessive amount of interstitial fluid causing swelling

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Essential Amino Acids

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the nine α-amino acids that cannot be synthesized by humans but must be obtained from the diet

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Epidermis

Back 28

outermost layer of the skin

Front 29

Erythema

Back 29

reddening of the skin; nonspecific sign of skin irritation

Front 30

Eupnea

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normal, unimpaired respiration

Front 31

Exostosis

Back 31

bony growth that arises from surface of a bone, often involving ossification of muscular attachments

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Febrile

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feverish; pertaining to fever

Front 33

Gag Reflex

Back 33

contraction of the pharyngeal constrictor muscle elicited by touching the back of the pharynx

Front 34

Geriatric

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describes an aged or older patient

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Gerontology

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study of processes and effects of aging and age-related diseases

Front 36

Halitosis

Back 36

offensive odor of the breath

Front 37

Hemorrhoids

Back 37

veins of internal or external anus; most often referred to when diseased (painful, bleeding, enlarged, etc.)

Front 38

Hepatitis

Back 38

inflamation of the liver usually caused by an infectious agent

Front 39

Hernia

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protrusion of an anatomical structure through the wall that normally contains it.

Front 40

Hirsutism

Back 40

excessive growth of hair or presence of hair in unusual places

Front 41

Hydrocephalus

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excessive amounts of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain

Front 42

hemiplegia

Back 42

paralysis of one half of the body

Front 43

Hemiparesis

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muscular weakness on one side of the body

Front 44

Hypersomnolence

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A condition in which one sleeps for an excessively long time

Front 45

Hypertension

Back 45

high blood pressure (in adults higher than 140/90, three separate readings)

Front 46

Hyperthermia

Back 46

body temperature elevated above normal range, unusually high fever

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Hypoxia

Back 47

oxygen deficiency in body tissues; low O2 in inspired air

Front 48

Hypothermia

Back 48

low body temperature (below 35` C-95` F)

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Indurated

Back 49

the act of hardening; an area of hardened tissue

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Inspection

Back 50

examination of external body, its posture, and movements

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Integument

Back 51

the skin; dermis and epidermis

Front 52

Jaundice

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yellow staining of body tissues and fluids as a result of excessive bilirubin buildup in the bloodstream

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Ketoacidosis

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occurs due to an excess of ketone bodies. It occurs in individuals who do not produce adequate insulin to sustain normal fat metabolism

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Kyphosis

Back 54

of curvature of the posterior spine (humpback)

Front 55

Leukocytosis

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increase in the number of leukocytes (usually above 10,000/mm3) in the blood

Front 56

Leukoplakia

Back 56

formation of white spots or patches on the mucous membrane of the tongue or cheek.

Front 57

Lithotomy

Back 57

The incision of a duct or organ, esp. of the bladder, for removal of a stone

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Lordosis

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Abnormal anterior convexity of the lumbar spine

Front 59

Malabsorption

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disordered or inadequate absorption

Front 60

Melanoma

Back 60

A malignant tumor of darkly pigmented cells (melanocytes) that often arises in a brown or black mole

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Menopause

Back 61

The period that marks the permanent cessation of menstrual activity, normally occurring in the U.S. between the ages of 40 and 58. It is said to have occurred once the woman has experienced 12 full months without any menstrual bleeding

Front 62

Metabolism

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All energy and material transformations that occur within living cells; the sum of all physical and chemical changes that take place within an organism

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Metacarpal

Back 63

Pertaining to or any of the bones of the fingers

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Murmurs

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An abnormal sound heard when listening to the heart or neighboring large blood vessels

Front 65

Natural Immunity

Back 65

the resistance of the normal animal to infection

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Neurotransmitters

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A chemical (e.g., acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin) that is released when the axon of a presynaptic neuron is excited and acts by inhibiting or exciting a target cell

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Nosocomial

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Pertaining to or occurring in a health care setting, such as a hospital or nursing home

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Necrotic

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Relating to or descriptive of death of a portion of tissue

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Normal floras

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The mixture of bacteria normally found at specific body sites

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Nystagmus

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Involuntary back-and-forth or cyclical movements of the eyes

Front 71

Palate

Back 71

horizontal structure separating the mouth and the nasal cavity; the roof of the mouth

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Palpatation

Back 72

Examination by application of the hands or fingers to the external surface of the body to detect evidence of disease or abnormalities in the internal organs

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Passive Immunity

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antibodies are acquired thru mother’s breastmilk or other passive transfer

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Pathogen

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A microorganism capable of producing a disease

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Perfusion

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The circulation of blood (or other: e.g. oxygen) through tissues

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Peristalsis

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A progressive wavelike movement that occurs involuntarily in hollow tubes of the body, esp. the alimentary canal

Front 77

Peritonitis

Back 77

Inflammation of the serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and its viscera

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Petechiae

Back 78

Small, purplish, hemorrhagic spots on the skin that appear in patients with platelet deficiencies (thrombocytopenias) and in many febrile illnesses

Front 79

Pulse deficit

Back 79

the difference between the heart rate and the pulse rate in atrial fibrillation

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Pigmentation

Back 80

caused by deposition of pigments

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Polyps

Back 81

swelling or excrescence (tumor) emanating from a mucous membrane

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Posterior

Back 82

In human anatomy, pert. to or located at or toward the back; dorsal. In human anatomy, “caudal,” “dorsal,” and “(term)” mean the same thing.

Front 83

Presbycusis

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Progressive loss of hearing with aging, typically resulting from sensorineural hearing loss

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Presbyopia

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(farsightedness) The permanent loss of accommodation of the crystalline lens of the eye that occurs when people are in their 40s, marked by the inability to maintain focus on objects held near to the eye

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Prognosis

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Prediction of the course and end of a disease, and the estimate of chance for recovery

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Prominences

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A projection or protrusion

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Purulent

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Suppurative; forming or containing pus

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Sanguineous

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1. Bloody; relating to blood. 2. Having an abundance of blood

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Scoliosis

Back 89

A lateral curvature of the spine. It usually consists of two curves, the original abnormal curve and a compensatory curve in the opposite direction

Front 90

Serous

Back 90

Thin or watery, rather than syrupy, thick, or viscous.

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Septicemia

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The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the blood

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Sims

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A semiprone position with the patient on the left side, right knee and thigh drawn well up, the left arm along the patient’s back, and the chest inclined forward so that the patient rests on it

Front 93

Stenosis

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The constriction or narrowing of a passage or orifice

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Striae

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A line or band elevated above or depressed below surrounding tissue, or differing in color and texture

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Syncope

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Transient (and usually sudden) loss of consciousness, accompanied by an inability to maintain an upright posture

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Tachycardia

Back 96

An abnormally rapid heart rate, greater than 100 beats per minute (bpm) in adults

Front 97

Turgor

Back 97

The resistance of the skin to deformation, esp. to being grasped between the fingers (indicates hydration level)

Front 98

Varicosities

Back 98

distended, swollen, knotted veins

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Ventilation

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The movement of air into and out of the lungs

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Virulence

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The relative power and degree of pathogenicity possessed by organisms