Medical glossary

 Medical glossary

acetylcholine:neurotransmitter that transmits impulses across the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system .

acetylcholinesterase:enzyme that can inactivate the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

 achalasia:failure to relax; usually referring to the smooth muscle fibers of the gastrointestinal tract, especially failure of the lower esophagus to relax, causing difficulty swallowing and a feeling of fullness in the sternal region .

action potential:electrical impulse that passes from cell to cell in the myocardium of the heart and stimulates the fibers to shorten, causing heart muscle to contract 

active immunity:type of immunity that occurs when the person is exposed to a disease and develops the disease, and the body makes antibodies to provide future protection against the disease .

acute pain:pain with duration of fewer than 6 months .

additive drug reaction:the combined effect of two drugs equals the sum of the effects of each drug given alone adjuvant:see adjunctive treatment .

adjunctive treatment:therapy used in addition to the primary treatment.

 adrenal insufficiency:deficiency in corticosteroids .

adrenergic:pertaining to the sympathetic branch of the nervous system, which controls heart rate, breathing rate, and ability to divert blood to the skeletal muscles .

adrenergic blocking:drug that blocks the neurotransmission of the sympathetic nervous system .

adverse reaction:undesirable drug effect

 affective domain:in regard to patient teaching, the patient’s or caregiver’s attitudes, feelings, beliefs, and opinions .

aggregation:clumping of blood elements agonist:drug that binds with a receptor to produce a therapeutic response .

agonist-antagonist:drug with both agonist and antagonist properties

 agonist (partial):agent that binds to a receptor but produces a limited response.

 agranulocytosis:decrease or lack of granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) akathisia:extreme restlessness and increased motor activity.

 allergic reaction:immediate hypersensitive reaction by the immune system, it presents as itching, hives, swelling, difficulty breathing; see hypersensitivity; see also anaphylactic shock.

 alopecia:abnormal loss of hair; baldness

alpha-adrenergic blocking:drugs use to block neurotransmission in the sympathetic nervous system.

 alpha/beta-adrenergic blocking:drugs that block both alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors.

 Alzheimer’s disease:progressive disorder that affects cognition, emotion, and movement .

anabolism:tissue-building process analeptics:drugs that stimulate respiratory center of the brain 

analgesic:drug that relieves pain 

analysis:using data to determine patient need or nursing diagnosis.

 anaphylactic shock(also called anaphylacticreaction or anaphylactoid reaction): sudden, severe hypersensitivity reaction with symptoms that progress rapidly and may result in death if not treated .

anaphylactoid reactions:unusual or exaggerated allergic reactions; see anaphylactic .

shock androgen:male hormone, testosterone and its derivatives.

 anemia:decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin value below normal.

 anesthesia:loss of feeling or sensation 

anesthesiologist:physician with special training in administering anesthesia

 anesthetist:nurse with special training who administers anesthesia; also called nurse anesthetist.

 angina (angina pectoris):acute pain in the chest resulting from decreased blood supply to the heart muscle.

 angioedema:localized wheals or swellings in subcutaneous tissues or mucous membranes, which may be due to an allergic response; also called angioneurotic edema.

 anhedonia:finding no pleasure in activities .

anorexia:loss of appetite anorexiants:drugs used to suppress the appetite antagonist:drugs that join with a receptor to prevent the action of an agonist .

antiadrenergic drugs:see adrenergic blocking drugs; also called sympatholytic drugs antibacterial:active against bacteria .

antibody:molecule with the ability to bind to a specific antigen; responsible for the immune response .

anticholinergic action:blockage of parasympathetic nervous system 

anticholinergics:see cholinergic blocking drugs; also called cholinergic blockersor parasympatholytic drugs 

anticonvulsants:drugs used to manage seizure disorders.

 antiflatulents:drugs that work against flatus (gas)

antigen: substance that is capable of inducing a specific immune response .

antigen–antibody response: antibodies formed in response to exposure to a specific antigen 

antihistamine: drug used to counteract the effects of histamine on body organs and structures 

antineoplastic: drug used to treat neoplasia (cancer) 

antipyretic: fever-reducing agent antipsoriatic: drug used to treat psoriasis

 antiseptic: agent that stops, slows, or prevents the growth of microorganisms

 antitussive: drug used to relieve coughing 

anuria: cessation of urine production anxiety: feelings of apprehension, worry, or uneasiness 

anxiolytics: drugs used to treat anxiety aplastic 

anemia: blood disorder caused by damage to the bone marrow resulting in a marked reduction in the number of red blood cells and some white blood cells 

arrhythmia: abnormal heart rate or rhythm; also called dysrhythmia 

assessment: collection of subjective and objective data

 asthma: respiratory disorder characterized by bronchospasm and difficulty in breathing, especially exhaling 

ataxia: unsteady gait; muscular incoordination 

atherosclerosis: disease characterized by deposits of fatty plaques on the inner walls of arteries 

atrial fibrillation: quivering of the atria of the heart attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impul sivity

 attenuate: weaken 

autonomic nervous system: division of the peripheral nervous system concerned with functions essential to the life of the organism and not consciously controlled (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, gastrointestinal activity) .

B bacterial resistance: phenomenon by which a bacteriaproduced substance inactivates or destroys an antibiotic drug 

bactericidal: drug or agent that destroys or kills bacteria 

bacteriostatic: drug or agent that slows or retards the multiplication of bacteria

 beta-adrenergic blocking drugs: drugs that decrease stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system on certain tissues in order to decrease heart rate and cardiac workload and dilate blood vessels; also called beta blockers

 beta-lactam ring: portion of the penicillin drug molecule 

biotransformation: process by which the body changes a drug to a more or less active form that can be excreted 

bipolar disorder: mental health disorder characterized by severe mood swings from extreme hyperactivity to depression

 blood–brain barrier: ability of the nervous system to prohibit large and potentially harmful molecules from crossing from the blood into the brain .

blood dyscrasias: abnormality of blood cell structure 

blood pressure: force of blood against artery walls 

bone marrow suppression: decreased production of all 

blood cells; also called myelosuppression 

booster: immunogen injected after a specified interval; often after the primary immunization to stimulate and sustain the immune response 

bowel preparation: treatment protocol to cleanse the bowel of bacteria before surgery or other procedures 

brachial plexus: network of spinal nerves affecting the arm, forearm, and hand brachial 

plexus block: see conduction block

 bradycardia: slow heart rate, usually below 60 beats per minute

 bradykinesia: slow movement

 broad spectrum: description of an antibiotic that affects a large number of different strains of bacteria 

buccal: space in the mouth between the gum and the cheek in either the upper or lower jaw 

C cachectic: malnourished, in poor health, physically wasted

 candidiasis: infection of the skin or mucous membrane with the yeast Candida albicans 

cardiac arrhythmia: abnormal rhythm of the heart .

cardiac output: volume of blood discharged from the left or right ventricle per minute 

catabolism: tissue-depleting process 

catalyst: substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without itself undergoing a change cell cycle 

.

nonspecific: pertaining to a drug used in cancer treatment, effective in any phase of cell division cell cycle

 specific: pertaining to a drug used in cancer treatment, affecting a specific phase of cell division cell-mediated 

immunity: immune reaction caused by white blood cells

 cerumen: ear wax chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ): group of nerve fibers located on the surface of the fourth ventricle of the brain that, when stimulated, results in vomiting 

chemotherapy: drug therapy with a chemical, often used when referring to treatment with an antineoplastic drug

 cholesterol: fat-like substance produced mostly in the liver of animals

 cholinergic blocking: affect the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system; also called anticholinergics

 cholinergic crisis: cholinergic drug toxicity choreiform 

movements: involuntary muscular twitching of the limbs or facial muscles

 chronic pain: pain that lasts more than 6 months 

cinchonism: quinidine toxicity or poisoning circumoral: encircling the mouth

 cognitive domain: intellectual activities such as thought, recall, decision making, and drawing conclusions 

conduction block: type of regional anesthesia produced by injection of a local anesthetic drug into or near a nerve trunk examples include: epidural, transsacral (caudal) and brachial

 constipation: hardened fecal material that is difficult to pass

 controlled release: see extended release 

controlled substances: drugs that have the potential for abuse and dependency, both physical and psychologica

l convulsion: paroxysm (occurring suddenly) of involuntary muscular contractions and relaxations

corticosteroids: glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid hormones

 coughing: forceful expulsion of air from the lungs 

cross-allergenicity: allergy to drugs in the same or related groups cross-sensitivity: see cross-allergenicity 

cryptorchism: failure of the testes to descend into the scrotum 

crystalluria: formation of crystals in the urine culture and sensitivity

 test: culture of bacteria to determine to which antibiotic the microorganism is sensitive

 cumulative drug effect: when the body is unable to metabolize and excrete one dose of a drug before the next is given 

Cushing’s syndrome: disease caused by the overproduction of endogenous glucocorticoids 

cyclooxygenase: enzyme responsible for prostaglandin synthesis cyclooxygenase-1 

(COX-1): enzyme that helps to maintain the stomach lining

 cyclooxygenase-2

 (COX-2): enzyme that triggers pain and inflammation 

cycloplegia: paralysis of the ciliary muscle, resulting in an inability to focus the eye

 cytomegalovirus (CMV): any of a group of herpes viruses infecting humans, monkeys, or rodents; the human CMV is found in the salivary glands and causes cytomegalic inclusion disease 

cystinuria: presence of cystine, an amino acid, in urine

 cystitis: inflammation of the bladder D

 decongestant: drug that reduces swelling of the nasal passages, which promotes drainage of the nasal sinuses 

delusion: false belief that cannot be changed with reason dementia: decrease in cognitive function 

denominator: part of a fraction (the number under the line) 

depolarization: movement of ions in a nerve cell from inside to outside and vice versa

 depression: feeling sad, unhappy, down in the dumps, hopeless

 diabetes insipidus: disease caused by failure of the pituitary gland to secrete vasopressin or by surgical removal of the pituitary 

diabetes mellitus: disease caused by insufficient insulin production

 diabetic ketoacidosis: life-threatening deficiency of insulin resulting in severe hyperglycemia and excessively high levels of ketones in the blood 

diarrhea: loose, watery stool digitalis toxicity: toxic drug effects from administration of digoxin

 digitalization: administration of digitalis at intervals to produce and maintain a therapeutic blood level 

dimensional analysis: method of calculating drug dosages based on fractions 

directly observed therapy (DOT): drug dose taken in front of the administrator 

disulfiram-like: pertaining to a reaction, usually to alcohol, characterized by flushing, throbbing head, vomiting, sweating, chills, and hypotension