Medical Terminology

ataxia

staggering, unsteady gait that can occur with excessive alcohol or drug ingestion

bradycardia

adult heart rate of less than 60 bpm

bradypnea

adult respiratory rate of less than 12 rpm

cachectic

condition in which the patient looks emaciated or very thin, with sunken eyes and hollowed cheeks

cyanosis

bluish discoloration of the skin caused by an inadequate amount of oxygen in the blood

diastolic blood pressure

resting pressure that that the blood exerts between each ventricular contraction

eclampsia

occurence of seizures that cannot be attributed to other causes in a woman with preeclampsia

isolated systolic hypertension

systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater and diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or lower

jaundice

yellowing of the skin caused by an excessive amount of bilirubin in the blood

kyphosis

hunched back; commonly associated with osteoporosis

lesion

area of tissue with impaired function resulting from disease or physical trauma

lethargic

condition in which the patient drifts off to sleep easily, looks drowsy, and responds to questions very slowly

lordosis

inward curvature of the spine, typically located in the lower back

pallor

abnormal paleness of the skin resulting from reduced blood flow or decreased hemoglobin level

preeclampsia

pregnancy specific syndrome of reduced organ perfusion secondary to vasospasm and activation of coagulation cascade

stupor

condition in which patient responds only to persistent and vigorous shaking and answers questions with only a mumble

systolic blood pressure

max pressure felt on the arteries during ventricular contraction

tachycardia

adult blood pressure greater than 100 bpm

tachypnea

adult respiratory rate greater than 20 rpm

arcus senilis

gray-white arc or circle around the cornea

cataracts

complete or partial opacity of the ocular lens

conjunctivitis

inflammation of the clear mucous membrane of the eye

ectropion

turning outward of the lower lid of the eye

entropion

turning inward of the lower lid of the eye

exophthalmos

protrusion of the eyeball as a result of increased volume of orbital content; also known as proptosis

glaucoma

group of eye disorders involving optic neuropathy and characterized by changes in the optic disc and loss of visual sensitivity and field

mydriasis

long-continued or excessive dilatation of the pupil of the eye

nystagmus

involuntary oscillating eye movements

otalgia

ear pain

otitis externa

inflammation of the skin lining the external auditory canal

otitis media

inflammation of the middle ear

presbycusis

hearing loss that occurs with aging as the auditory nerve degenerates

presbyopia

far-sightedness

proptosis

bulging eyes; also known as exophthalmos

pseudoptosis

upper lid of the eye resting on the lashes

scotoma

blind spot in the visual field surrounded by an area of normal or decreased vision

strabismus

deviation of one eye

styes

acute pustular infections of an eyelash follicle or sebaceous glands of the eye

xanthelasma

soft, raised, yellow plaques on lid at inner canthus

xanthomas

soft, yellowish, raised waxy lesions on or beneath the eyelid

acromegaly

abnormal enlargement of the bones of both the face and skull resulting from hyperactivity of the pituitary gland

acute sinusitis

inflammation of the sinuses that remains for 7-10 days or longer

chronic sinusitis

inflammation if the sinuses that is present for 8 weeks, occurs for periods of longer than 10 days on more than 4 occasions during a 1-year period, or repeatedly unresponsive to medical therapy

Cushing's disease

excessive plasma cortisol resulting in a central obesity, abnormal rounding of the face, excess hair above the lip and on the chin. These individuals may also present with striae, myopathy, muscular weakness, hypertension, glucose intolerance, menstrual a

gingivitis

inflammation of the gingivae; the most common and mildest form of periodontal disease

Graves' disease

autoimmune disorder in which thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins stimulate the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor to cause overproduction of thyroid hormones; characterized by thinning of the face and protruding or bulging eyes; also known as toxic diff

hydrocephalus

excess fluid in the skull; seen as an enlargement of the head without a change in the face

macroencephalopathy

disease of the brain resulting from an abnormally large skull

microencephalopathy

disease of the brain resulting from an abnormally small skull

periodontitis

inflammation of the tissue supporting the teeth

pharyngitis

inflammation of the pharynx and surrounding lymphoid tissues; often caused by viruses or bacteria

phonophobia

sensitivity to sound; associated with migraine headaches

photophobia

sensitivity to light; associated with migraine headaches

rhinitis

inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane

rhinorrhea

recurrent or chronic watery nasal discharge

asthma

chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways

bronchitis

inflammation and edema of the bronchioles causing excessive mucus production and airway obstruction

bronchophony

the sound of the voice as heard through the stethoscope

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

pulmonary disease characterized by airflow limitation (primarily expiratory flow) that is not reversible

crackles

short, sharp, or rough sounds heard with a stethoscope over the chest

egophony

condition in which the sound "ee" spoken by the patient is heard as "ay" through a stethoscope placed over the lungs, possibly indicating consolidation. In a normal test, a muffled "ee" sound would be heard

emphysema

respiratory disease characterized by an abnormal, permanent enlargement of airspaces distal to the bronchioles

friction rub

the sound, heard on the auscultation, made by the rubbing of 2 opposed serous surfaces roughened by an inflammatory exudate, or, if chronic, by nonadhesive fibrosis

hyperpnea

fast, deep breathing that occurs normally with exercise or with emphysema or a pneumothorax in which a large amount of air is present

hyperresonance

abnormally long, low-pitched sound that is heard with emphysema or a pneumothorax in which a large amount of air is present

hypoxemia

low oxygen concentration in the blood

orthopnea

shortness of breath that occurs while the patient is lying flat

paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

sudden gasping for air that occurs while sleeping at night

pneumonia

inflammation if the lungs; most commonly caused by a community-acquired bacterial infection

resonance

long, low-pitched sound that can usually be heard over all the lung fields

rhonchi

an added sound with a musical pitch occurring during inspiration or expiration, heard on auscultation of the chest, and caused by air passing through bronchi that are narrowed by inflammation, spasm of smooth muscle, or presence of mucus in the lumen

tactile fremitus

palpable vibrations that are transmitted through the bronchial tree to the chest wall when a patient speaks

wheezes

whistling respiratory sounds caused by turbulent airflow through constricted bronchi

whispered pectoriloquy

condition in which the words "one-two-three" whispered by the patient are heard distinctively and clearly through a stethoscope placed over the lungs; possibly indicitive of consolidation and pleural effusions. In a normal test, words would sound faint an

afterload

vascular resistance against which the ventricle must contract

angina pectoris

presence of intermittent chest pain caused by temporary oxygen insufficiency and myocardial ischemia

angioplasty

nonsurgical method of mechanically dilating a partially obstructed coronary artery

arteriosclerosis

condition in which the blood vessels become more rigid, lose elasticity, and become thicker as the body ages; calcification of weakened vessel walls

bruit

blowing, murmur-like sound of vascular rather than cardiac origin

cardiac output

volume of blood pumped from ventricle in 1 minute; product of the heart rate and stroke volume

circus senilis

white circle around the cornea that results from deposits of fat

congestive heart failure

condition in which the heart cannot pump a sufficient amount of blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body

contractility

ability of the cardiac muscle, when given a load, to shorten and contract

corneal arcus

lipid deposits in the periphery of eye that may be detected when light is directed to the iris

coronary heart disease

degenerative changes in coronary circulation that are caused by an imbalance between myocardial oxygen demand and blood supply; also termed coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease

diastole

phase of the cardiac cycle during which the ventricles relax, the atrioventricular valves open, and blood passively flows from the pressure-filled atria into the low-pressure ventricles

first heart sound

S1, heart sound that is produced by closure of the atrioventricular valves and that signals the beginning of systole; characterized as "lub" and usually loudest over the apex area of the heart

hepatojugular reflex

sustained elevated jugular venous pressure that occurs during abdominal compression; indicates that hepatic venous congestion is present

hypertension

elevated systolic blood pressure (>140 mmHg) and/or diastolic blood pressure (>90 mmHg) measured on at least two seperate occasions; classified according to severity as stage 1 or 2

murmur

gentle, blowing, swishing sound heard on the chest wall of cardiac or vascular origin

myocardial infarction

occurence of myocardial cell death and necrosis caused by local , severe, or prolonged ischemia

orthopnea

shortness of breath that occurs while the patient is lying flat

preload

passive stretching of the ventricular muscle as the volume of blood in the ventricle at the end of diastole increases

Prinzmetal angina

a variant angina pectoris that occurs at rest

pulse pressure

difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure; reflects stroke volume

second heart sound

S2, heart sound produced by closure of the semilunar valves; signals the ending of systole

stable angina

angina that occurs most commonly when the workload of the heart increases through exertion or stress; usually associated with significant amount of atherosclerotic narrowing of one or more coronary arteries

stroke volume

amount of blood ejected in one full heartbeat

systole

phase of the cardiac cycle during which pressure in the ventricles

unstable angina

angina characterized by an increased frequency of anginal pain; anginal attacks are usually precipitated by less exertion or may occur at rest, are more intense, and last longer than episodes of stable angina