You may at times feel as if you don’t know what someone just said to you. In fact, it may even sound like a foreign language. This list of terms will help add to your knowledge of medical jargon. Please remember, though, to ask questions about anything you may not understand about your medical care. Our staff is here to serve you.
Ambulate - To walk
Anesthesia - Use of medication to remove sensations including pain during surgery: general anesthesia puts you to sleep; local anesthesia stops pain in a particular part of your body
Arterial Blood Gas (AG) - A measurement of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
Attending Physician - The doctor in charge of your care
Barium Enema (BE) - Injection of liquid into the intestine by way of the anus so that the lower intestines can be x-rayed
B.M. - Bowel movement
B.P. - Blood Pressure
Cardiology - Medical specialty dealing with diagnosis and treatment of heart problems
CAT Scan - Computerized axial tomography; a special type of x-ray
Catheterize - To remove urine from the bladder through a tube.
CCU - Coronary Care Unit
Consulting Physician - Physician trained in a special area of medical practice
Discharge Planning - Plans made while you are still at the hospital for your care at home or at another facility
Echocardiography - An examination of the heart using sound waves
Electrocardiogram (EKG) - A recording of the heart's electrical action
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - A recording of brain impulses
Electromyography (EMG) - An examination of the muscles
Emesis Basin - A container used to collect vomit
ENT - Medical specialty dealing with the ear, nose and throat
Fasting - No food or liquid after a certain time
Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) - Blood samples drawn before eating breakfast to measure sugar levels in your blood
Foley - Tube inserted into the bladder for urine drainage
G.I. - Gastrointestinal; the digestive system
I.&O. - Intake and Output; measure of fluid taken in and the urine put out
ICU - Intensive Care Unit
Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) - An x-ray of kidneys and urinary tract
IPPB - Delivery of oxygen under pressure to the lungs
I.V. - Putting fluid or medications into a vein
Neurology - Medical specialty dealing with the nerves and the brain
Non-invasive - Examination using methods, such as sound waves, that do not pierce the skin
NPO - Nothing by mouth
Nuclear Medicine - Examinations that use tiny amounts of radiation rather than x-rays
Obstetrics (OB) - Medical specialty dealing with pregnancy and childbirth
Oncology - Medical specialty related to the treatment and diagnosis of cancer
Ophthalmology - Medical specialty related to the eyes
Orthopedics - Medical specialty dealing with bones, joints and muscles
Pathology - The department that provides many types of tests, especially on blood, urine and body tissue
Physical Therapy (PT) - Heat and exercise treatment
Psychiatry - Medical specialty dealing with mental illness
Specimen - A sample of blood, urine, saliva or tissue for laboratory analysis
Stat - Immediately
Telemetry - A continuous cardiac monitoring system
TENS - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; a battery-operated electrical device to alleviate pain
TPR - Temperature, pulse and respiration
Ultrasound - A special type of examination that uses sound waves to make images of the body's organs for diagnostic purposes
Urology - Medical specialty that diagnoses and treats the organs that form and excrete urine
Vital Signs - Blood pressure, temperature, pulse and breathing
Void - Urinate |