Perioperative Client Vocabulary

Front 1

Ablative

Back 1

removal or excision. Ablation is usually carried out surgically.

Front 2

Anticholinergic

Back 2

The action of certain medications taht inhibit the transmission of parasympathetic nerve impulses and thereby reduce spasms of smooth muscle

Front 3

Appendectomy

Back 3

is the removal by surgery of the appendix, the small worm-like appendage of the colon (the large bowel).

Front 4

Atelectasis

Back 4

Failure of full expansion of the lung at birth or a collapse thereafter of the lung. The word comes from the Greek "a-" (without) + "telos" (complete) + "rectasis" (expansion) = without complete expansion.

Front 5

Conscious sedation

Back 5

This type of sedation induces an altered state of consciousness that minimizes pain and discomfort through the use of pain relievers and sedatives. Patients, who receive conscious sedation usually are able to speak and respond to verbal cues throughout the procedure, communicating any discomfort they experience to the provider. A brief period of amnesia may erase any memory of the procedure.

Front 6

Convalescence

Back 6

to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness

Front 7

Dehiscence

Back 7

the parting of the sutured lips of a surgical wound <wound dehiscence resulting from infection>

Front 8

Embolism

Back 8

Pulmonary embolism is a condition that occurs when one or more arteries in your lungs become blocked. In most cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body — most commonly, your legs.

Front 9

Endotracheal tube

Back 9

a tube inserted (as through the nose or mouth) into the trachea to maintain an unobstructed passageway especially to deliver oxygen or anesthesia to the lungs—called also breathing tube

Front 10

Epidural anesthetic

Back 10

An anesthetic agent injected into the epidural space, the space outside the dura -- the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membranes (meninges) covering the spinal cord -- in order to bath the spinal nerve roots in the anesthetic agent and numb the lower abdomen, pelvis, and legs.

Front 11

Evisceration

Back 11

to remove an organ from (a patient) or the contents of (an organ)

Front 12

Hematocrit

Back 12

Hematocrit is a blood test that measures the percentage of red blood cells found in whole blood. This measurement depends on the number of red blood cells and the size of red blood cells.

The hematocrit is almost always ordered as part of a complete blood count.

Front 13

General Anesthesia

Back 13

Is a treatment that puts you to sleep during medical procedures, so you don't feel or remember anything that happens. General anesthesia is commonly produced by intravenous drugs or inhaled gasses

Front 14

Hemoglobin

Back 14

Is the oxygen-carrying protein pigment in the blood, specifically in the red blood cells.

Front 15

Incentive Spirometer

Back 15

An incentive spirometer is used to examine the health of your lungs by measuring inspiratory volume. This means that an incentive spirometer measures how well you are filling your lungs with each breath. Though typically used for people recovering from surgery or with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, an incentive spirometer is used by people who need to exercise their lungs.