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| 24/7 | 24 hours a day, seven days a week – the amount of time a family member needs to be with a patient while the patient remains hospitalized |
| Acute | sharp as in pain or of sudden onset |
| Acute Kidney Failure | when the kidneys fail suddenly as opposed to through disease which is called chronic |
| Acute Pancreatitis | when the digestive juices manufactured in the pancreas are blocked from reaching the stomach and, instead, attack the pancreas |
| ADL | abbreviation for Activities of Daily Living are the activities that one performs in the course of everyday living such as eating, dressing, brushing one's teeth, going to the bathroom, or bathing |
| Advanced Directive |
two types of documents signed by a competent
person giving direction to healthcare providers about treatment choices
in certain circumstances:
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| Afebrile | without a fever |
| Agency Nurse | a contract nurse, not employed by the hospital but employed instead by a temporary agency |
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AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) |
also known as HIV in the early stages |
| Air Bed | an inflatable, sometimes rotating bed that assists in the prevention of bedsores |
| Allergy Bracelet | a plastic band, usually red, that is attached around a patient’s wrist and identifies any known drug or food allergy |
| Anemia | too few red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen to tissues and organs |
| Anesthesiologist | the doctor who puts you to sleep before surgery, monitors you during surgery and wakes you up after surgery |
| ARDS | Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, also called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and shock lung, a lung failure that can result from any disease that causes large amounts of fluid to collect in the lungs, caused by a breakdown of a membrane that normally keeps fluid from leaking out of the small blood vessels of the lung into the breathing sacs |
| ART Line | an intravenous arterial line, usually in the wrist, used to monitor blood pressure and draw blood without “sticking” the patient |
| Aspiration | the drainage of fluid from a cyst or body cavity, typically done with a needle |
| A FIB | acronym for Atrial Fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia in which the upper chamber of the heart quivers instead of pumping in an organized way. In this condition, the upper chambers (atria) of the heart do not completely empty when the heart beats, which can allow blood clots to form |
| Bag | an actual bag like the one used to blow on flames in a fireplace that can be used, in an emergency or when deep breathing is required, to deliver air through a mask of a ventilator to a patient |
| Bedsore |
also called a pressure wound, decubitus or
pressure ulcer, chronic ulcer that appears in pressure areas in
debilitated patients confined to bed or otherwise immobilized, due to a
circulatory defect from the enhanced tissue pressure in high-contact
areas, often occurring over a bony prominence
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| Blood Transfusions | the transfer of blood provided by a donor to a patient. The donated blood must be type matched to the patient’s blood |
| BP | Blood Pressure |
| Brady Down | a condition where a patient’s blood pressure steadily drops into a danger zone and, without rapid intervention and treatment with blood pressure enhancing medications, may result in death. |
| Cardiologist | doctors who specialize in the heart |
| Cardioversion | an attempt to return the heart to its normal beat and rhythm by “shocking it" with electric clappers to the chest" |
| Care Partner | new term for a Nurse’s Aid |
| Care Coordinator | a generalist or specialist nurse who oversee all the specialists/treatment for any given case |
| CAT Scan | also known as Computerized Axial Tomography or CT Scan, a painless procedure in which multiple x-ray pictures are taken of a body part and processed by a computer producing 2 dimensional cross-sectional images |
| CBC | also known as Complete Blood Count, a test that is done with drawn blood that can determine whether infection (the number of white blood cells = WBC) or anemia (the number of red blood cells = RBC) is present |
| Census | the number of patients (beds occupied) in a hospital |
| Central Line | an intravenous line inserted into a large vein in the neck or under the collarbone |
| Chair Bed | chairs that converted into beds by pulling out a section and rearranging the cushions |
| CDAD |
acronym for Clostridium Difficile–Associated
Disease, also know as “C. diff,” occurs when the normal
intestinal flora is altered, allowing C. difficile to flourish in the
intestinal tract and produce a toxin that causes a watery diarrhea. C.
diff causes approximately three million cases of diarrhea and colitis
per year. Individuals with C. difficile-associated disease shed spores
in their stools that can be spread from person to person. Spores can
survive up to 70 days in the environment and can be transported on the
hands of healthcare personnel who have direct contact with infected
patients or with environmental surfaces (floors, bedpans, toilets,
telephones, stethoscopes, etc.) contaminated with C. difficile. C.
difficile manifests as –
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| CODE BLUE | technical jargon for medical emergencies in the United States, sometimes called, “Code 99,” or simply, "code," used to represent a real or suspected imminent loss of life — the patient has stopped breathing and their heart has stopped beating |
| CODE ORANGE |
technical jargon for a bomb threat, the
threat should be reported immediately to security and/or call 911, if
made by phone, the person receiving the phone call should note and write
down the time of the threat and the exact wording the caller uses, also
helpful to note the caller's voice and describe it and any background
noises, if caller can be kept on the phone, ask the following questions
in this order –
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| CODE PINK | technical jargon for a possible infant or child abduction from a hospital, as soon as the abduction is suspected, call 911 and inform the charge nurse, maintain vigilance for any suspicious people leaving the area, often security has a special plan deploying its personnel and blocking all exits from the area until the child is either found or the abduction found to be a false alarm |
| CODE RED |
technical jargon for a fire, instructions
are often offered using the acronym, “RACE” Rescue - get people out of the area, shutting doors behind you Alarm - activate the nearest fire alarm and call 911 Contain - close doors and windows in the area. Turn off air conditioners and fans if possible Extinguish - if this can be done safely, use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire |
| CODE TRIAGE | technical jargon for an internal hospital disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or flood, sometimes this code has different levels, indicating the severity of the disaster |
| CODE YELLOW |
technical jargon for a hazardous materials
emergency, such as a chemical spill, gas leak or biohazard spill
(cultures of bacteria or viruses). The procedure is to
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| Contact Precautions | the steps that anyone must take when entering a room or being exposed to a contagious patient |
| Convulsion | also called a seizure, repetitive muscle jerking |
| CPAP | acronym for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, the maintenance of pressure provided by a ventilator during both inhalation and exhalation, used to keep the airway open |
| CPR |
acronym for Cardio-Pulmonary
Resuscitation, a lifesaving procedure that is performed when
someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped, as in cases of electric
shock, drowning, or heart attack. CPR is a combination of:
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| Crash Cart | a cart on wheels that is kept in each ward/floor of a facility and contains necessary equipment and medication to revive a patient who has either stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped beating |
| D5W and D10W | sugar solutions administered through an IV |
| D/C’D | shorthand term for discontinue |
| Desaturate | when oxygen consumption falls well below acceptable levels |
| Dialysis | a process by which the blood from a patient’s body is drawn out slowly and eventually returned through a port and a tube following a chemical washing designed to remove toxins not being removed by the kidneys |
| DIC | acronym for Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, a condition that occurs when the blood stops clotting, usually because of some insult to the liver |
| DNR | acronym for Do Not Resuscitate, an order by the patient through a Living Will or Advanced Directive that tells the physician that the patient does not want CPR or the ventilator used to maintain the patient’s life |
| Drainage | the systematic withdrawal of fluids and discharges from a wound, sore or cavity |
| Dressing | a bandage |
| DMPA | acronym for Durable Medical Power of Attorney, a document that is signed by the patient and states that a designated person has the legal right to make healthcare decisions for the patient, should the patient become incapacitated, also called an Advanced Directive |
| ECHO | a test that is done to a patient experiencing heart trouble that determines, by bouncing x-rays off the heart, whether the heart has been damaged and to what extent |
| EEG | acronym for electroencephalogram, a scan of the bran accomplished by placing electrodes on the patients head and monitoring their brain waves |
| EKG | acronym for electrocardiogram, a scan of the heart that monitors its electrical activity and is recorded on a paper strip |
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Emergency Signs (as defined by the American College of Emergency Physicians) |
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| EMT | acronym for Emergency Medical Technician, a healthcare specialist with particular skills and knowledge in pre-hospital emergency medicine, the entry-level professional allowed to ride ambulance or operate as an emergency responder within a Fire Department |
| Endocarditis | an infection in a heart valve |
| End Stage Renal Failure | the process by which the kidneys fail to operate at all, ultimately requiring dialysis to maintain the patient |
| Epilepsy | a condition of seizures that happen repeatedly and may be accompanied by repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions |
| Extubate | the removal of a breathing tube from a patient’s throat that no longer needs breathing assistance, usually done with the patient conscious |
| Face Mask | also called an “oxygen mask,” the easiest way to deliver a high level of oxygen to patients who are lacking oxygen, does not “breathe” for the patient like a ventilator |
| Febrile | having a temperature above normal |
| Fellow | a doctor that has completed their class and practical application work and, having decided to specialize in a certain department/discipline, works with a seasoned doctor in the same field. The Fellow rounds with the doctor and his/her team, dressed in the longest white coat (typically about knee length) |
| Foley | a plastic tube inserted into the urinary bladder that drains urine. It is used with patients that are unconscious and/or patients that cannot control their urine output |
| GI | acronym for gastrointestinal, refers to the esophagus, intestines, stomach, liver and pancreas |
| Gloves |
a sterile covering for the hands used to protect the patient and the
person wearing the gloves from sources for infection, classified as:
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| G-Tube | gastrostomy tube, a gastric feeding tube that delivers nutrition from outside to inside the body through the stomach |
| Hard Stick | it is difficult to find a suitable blood vessel from which to draw blood, usually due to dehydration or overuse |
| Hospitalist | a general practitioner (M.D.) who oversee all the specialists/treatment for any given case |
| Housekeeping | the department that cleans rooms, removes dirty linens, trash and food trays and practices such infection control procedures as disinfecting doorknobs, telephones, television remote controls and bathrooms |
| Iatrogenic Disease | any undesirable condition in a patient occurring as the result of treatment by a physician (or other health professional), especially to infections acquired by the patient during the course of treatment |
| ICU |
acronym for Intensive Care Unit where the most
sick, critical patients are placed and which has a significantly lower
nurse-to-patient ration, usually one nurse to one or two patients
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| ID | acronym for identification, a plastic band typically worn around a patient’s wrist that provides name, address, insurance and, most importantly for the patient, allergies |
| Idiopathic | of unknown cause |
| Ileus | the cessation of bowel movements |
| Intern | a student who is completing class work prior to becoming a doctor and allowed to make rounds with the doctor and his/her team, dressed in the shortest white coat (typically about hip length) |
| Intravenous Solution (IV) | a preparation of liquid medication, fluid, blood products or nutrition that is delivered through a vein to a patient |
| Intubate | the placement of a breathing tube down the throat of an unconscious patient that requires breathing assistance from the ventilator |
| Isolation | a closed room where a contagious patient is kept separate from other patients |
| IV | acronym for intravenous, a small tube inserted into the veins of the arm to provide medication, fluid, blood products and nutrition |
| IVD | intravascular devices, catheters and other devices that allow access to the bloodstream and the leading cause of bloodstream infections in the United States and worldwide |
| IV Tree/Pole | a metal stand with arms that holds the various solutions dripping into a patient through IV lines |
| J-Tube | acronym for a Jejunostomy Tube that delivers nutrition from outside to inside the body through the small intestine (jejunum) |
| Leads | the parts of a line that attach to the body or the equipment |
| Line Maintenance | the daily inspection and cleaning of an IV line and the periodic replacement of the line by moving it to a different site (vein) |
| Living Will | a document signed by a patient that specifies extraordinary efforts not be used to prolong that patient’s life should the patient become terminally ill or have little chance of regaining a meaningful life, also called an Advanced Directive |
| Load | to give a full dose of a medication, one high enough to manage the symptoms/problem |
| MARS | acronym for Medication Administration Record Sheet, used by the nursing staff for every patient and specifies the name, strength, dosage, delivery and timing of each medication |
| Mean | the average, not the act of being |
| Medical Waste |
defined under state regulations, often described as any solid waste that
is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human
beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production
or testing of biologicals, including but not limited to:
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| Medicine Administration - 5 Rules |
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| MODS | acronym for Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome, previously known as Multiple Organ Failure (MOF), the precise definition of multiple organ failure is still debated within the medical community, altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to enable a patient’s body to regulate its internal environment so as to maintain a stable condition, typically involving at least two organs usually as a result of serious illness or shock, results in a mortality of 50% to 70% |
| Monitor | a visual screen filled with patient vital statistics gathered from devices attached to the patient, such as blood pressure cuffs |
| MRI | acronym for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a special imaging technique used to image internal structures of the body, particularly the soft tissues using a strong magnetic field in combination with radio frequency waves, rather than radiation. An MRI image is often superior to (and significantly more expensive than) a normal X-ray image |
| MRSA |
acronym for Methicillin (an antibiotic) Resistant Staphylococcus
Aureus, also known as Multiple Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
and the “hospital staph.” MRSA manifests most often as a skin infection,
like a boil or abscess. It also shows up in a surgical wound or IV site.
The area will look swollen, red, painful or pus-filled. These infections
may also be serious and infect the bloodstream, bones or joints. When
MRSA is carried throughout the bloodstream, sepsis may result.
Central-line associated MRSA blood stream infections (sepsis) are the
third most common health-care-associated infections reported by ICUs,
carrying an estimated attributable mortality of 12% to 25% for each
infection. Sepsis is characterized by –
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| Nasal Cannula | a soft plastic tube with two prongs placed in the nose used to deliver oxygen to a patient, does not “breathe” for the patient like a ventilator |
| NG Tube | acronym for NasoGastric Tube, a tube passed through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach used to remove fluid and air |
| Necrosis | dead or dying tissue |
| Nephrology | doctors who specialize in the kidneys |
| Neurologist | doctors who specialize in the brain and spinal cord |
| Nosocomial | illnesses acquired in the hospital inpatient environment not resulting from the reasons the patient was admitted (i.e., hospital-acquired pneumonia, etc.) |
| NP |
acronym for Nosocomial Pneumonia, also known as hospital-acquired
pneumonia, HAP, community-acquired pneumonia, CAP, ventilator-associated
pneumonia or VAP. NP is one of the most common diagnoses occurring in
medical and surgical intensive care units. It is frequently found in
patients receiving mechanical ventilation. NP also occurs in patients on
the general hospital wards who are not being ventilated. NP tends to be
more serious than other types of pneumonia because defense mechanisms
against infection are often impaired, and the kinds of infecting
organisms are more dangerous than those generally encountered in the
community. Risk factors predisposing people to hospital-acquired
pneumonia are alcoholism, older age, immunosuppression from medications
or diseases, recent illness and risk of aspiration. Nosocomial pneumonia
manifests as—
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| NPO | acronym for Latin Non Per Os, means “nothing by mouth” |
| Nurse To Patient Ratio | the number of patients for which a typical nurse has responsibility, typically “lower” (less patients) in ICU and Step Down Units, typically “higher” in Rehab Units and areas where patients are able to care for themselves |
| Occupational Therapy | exercises designed and guided by an occupational therapist in an attempt to strengthen everything from the waist up |
| Orderly | also called transporters, individuals who are trained in lifting and moving patients within the hospital |
| Osteoporosis | a decrease in bone mass and bone density accompanied by an increased risk and/or incidence of fracture |
| OT | both an acronym for an Occupational Therapist and the act of occupational therapy |
| Oxygen Therapy | when oxygen levels in the body are low, the administration of oxygen through a mask, nasal tube or directly through the trachea in an attempt to prevent damage to vital organs that are sensitive to low oxygen levels |
| Pain Scale | typically a chart on a piece of paper with faces, a numerical and a descriptive scale on it, provided to assist the patient in determining their level of pain. See Pain Assessment Tool in Appendix D: Hospital Forms |
| Palliative Care | end-of-life care, focusing on enhancing a dying patient's quality of life, with an emphasis on pain relief, management of physical symptoms, and the provision of emotional support to both the patient and family. Palliative care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, as well as by the patient's family or other loved ones |
| Pancreatitis | a condition that occurs when the pancreas, an organ behind the stomach, becomes inflamed. Can either be acute (short duration) or chronic (ongoing) |
| Paramedic | a trained medical professional typically, the higher level professional allowed to operate as an emergency responder within a Fire Department |
| Patient Advocate | you or a person assigned by the hospital to represent the patient’s best interests |
| Patient Bill Of Rights | proposed legislation to protect the rights and confidentiality of patients |
| PCA | acronym for Patient-Controlled Analgesia, a means for a patient to self-administer analgesics (pain medications) intravenously by using a computerized pump that introduces specific doses into an intravenous line |
| Physical Therapy | exercises designed and guided by a physical therapist in an attempt to strengthen everything from the waist down |
| Physician’s Partner | someone who practices medicine in the same group/office as one of your doctors and who you are likely to see on nights and weekends, especially in private hospitals |
| Power Of Attorney | signed by the patient and specifies a specific party to legally make any decision for the incapacitated patient |
| Pneumonia | a serious infection or inflammation of one or both lungs characterized by an inflammation and/or thickening of the fluids in the lungs |
| Pet Therapy | when a specially trained dog is allowed to visit hospital patients, accompanied by a handler, typically lowers blood pressure and anxiety |
| Phlebotomist | a medical technician who draws blood |
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Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) |
a reference book found at each nursing station in which each drug is detailed along with their purpose and side effects |
| Port | a semi-permanent vein opening for use in long term IV therapy, typically put in by a surgeon |
| PPN | acronym for Partial Parenteral Nutrition, normally prescribed for patients who can tolerate some oral feedings but cannot ingest adequate amounts of food to meet their nutritional needs, usually administered through a peripheral intravenous catheter |
| Pressor | a drug administered intravenously to elevate blood pressure through a restriction of blood to the extremities. It also stimulates the heart while dilating the coronary arteries. Used in extreme low blood pressure situations such as sepsis and may cause future circulation problems with the extremities deprived of blood/oxygen |
| Pressure Wound |
also called a bedsore, decubitus or pressure ulcer, chronic ulcer that
appears in pressure areas in debilitated patients confined to bed or
otherwise immobilized, due to a circulatory defect from the enhanced
tissue pressure in high-contact areas, often occurring over a bony
prominence
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| Preventative Care | treatment that is given to stop or prevent a condition from occurring, done in advance of the appearance of the condition |
| Primary Doctor | one or more of the main and most frequently involved doctors, often the “gatekeeper” who certifies the need for specialists |
| Private Hospital | a for-profit hospital owned by a company and/or shareholders |
| Proof Of Service | a document signed by a party that is receiving a legal document and used to verify that the party received the document |
| Pseudocysts | a collection of tissue, fluid, debris, pancreatic enzymes, and blood that can develop after acute pancreatitis |
| PT | acronym for a Physical Therapist and the act of physical therapy |
| Public Hospital | a not-for-profit hospital typically associated with a university of charitable institution |
| Pulmonologist | a doctor who specializes in respiration (breathing) and the lungs |
| Pulse OX | acronym for Pulse Oximeter, also called a sat monitor, clothes pin-type probe attached to either a finger or the ear lobe and connected to an oximeter machine that is used to estimate the level of oxygen in the blood |
| Quiet Room | a room provided in some hospitals for family members to use |
| Radiology | the study of X-rays in the diagnosis of a disease. Also an abbreviation for the Department of Radiology |
| RBC | acronym for Red Blood Cell count, a measure of the number of red blood cells in a blood sample, used to check for anemia |
| Red Bag | the bag into which is placed all contaminated items for cleaning |
| Red Outlet | an electrical plug that is hooked up to the back up generator in the hospital and will have power supplied from the back-up generator during a power failure |
| Rehab | the act of rehabilitation or an abbreviation for the Rehabilitation Unit |
| Reiki Therapy | a form of therapy that uses simple hands-on, no-touch and visualization techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person, pronounced ray-key, Reiki means "universal life energy" in Japanese and practitioners are trained to detect and alleviate problems of energy flow on the physical, emotional and spiritual level |
| Resident | a doctor that has completed their class work and is doing practical application work in a number of different departments in order to get experience. They make rounds with the doctor and his/her team and are dressed in a middle length white coat (typically about mid-thigh length) |
| Resp | acronym for respiration or breathing |
| RT | acronym for Respiratory Therapist, a non-physician who is trained to assess breathing needs, provide oxygen, set up and maintain the ventilator and deliver breathing medication through the ventilator |
| Restraints | either thumbless gloves or soft but strong fabrics ties that are attached to the patients hands and tied or anchored to the bed. Restraints are used when a patient is confused and has a history of removing tubes, lines, etc. that cannot be removed |
| Rotating Bed | a bed that tips from left to right and used for unconscious patients who cannot roll over as a prevention for bedsores |
| Rounds | the visitation of a doctor’s patient by the doctor and his/her group of Interns and Residents |
| RT | respiratory therapist, a trained specialist who monitors breathing, with or without a ventilator |
| SAT Monitor | also called a pulse oximonitor, clothes pin-type probe attached to either a finger or the ear lobe and connected to an oximeter machine that is used to estimate the level of oxygen in the blood |
| Saturation | represents what percentage of oxygen the patient is breathing in is actually getting to the location of the sensor, usually a finger or earlobe. 90% or higher is good, less than 90% is problematic |
| SCD’S | acronym for Sequential Compression Device, boots that inflated and deflate when attached to a machine that triggers the process and wrapped around the legs of a long-term hospital patient or a patient who is susceptible to blood clots |
| Sepsis | a poisoning of body cells through toxin or infection, often a result of an infected IV line or tube, the leading cause of intensive care unit mortality nationwide, accounting for 210,000 deaths in the United States annually. A recent epidemiologic analysis estimates that 750,000 people become septic each year at a hospital cost of $16.7 billion and the death rate from overwhelming infection has increased more than 90% over the last 20 years |
| Seizure | also called a convulsion, a sudden disruption of the brains normal electrical activity accompanied by altered consciousness and/or neurological and behavioral symptoms |
| Sharps | red locked box used for this purpose. Once the sharps go in the container, it is nearly impossible for an unauthorized person to remove them. Sharps are collected and then decontaminated by either incineration or steam sterilization |
| Social Worker | a trained professional who can help in interactions outside the hospital such as those with Social Security, Medicare and hospice care |
| Speech Therapist | conducts exercises designed to stimulate the mind, improve mental alertness/thinking and re-learn the acts of speaking and swallowing |
| Sputum | spit |
| Stat | a hospital term for “make it fast” |
| Step Down Unit | a nursing unit between ICU and lower levels of care where a patient’s vital signs are typically monitored continuously |
| Sterile | not infected (as in part of a body) or contaminated (as in a clean dressing) |
| Stethoscope | the “y-shaped” devise that hangs around a doctor and nurse’s neck used to magnify the sounds of the heart and lungs when placed on a patient’s chest |
| Sundowner’s Syndrome | occurs when a patient is denied access to the outside world and thus is denied the opportunity to orient him or herself to the time of day |
| SVT | acronym for Sinus Ventricular Tachycardia, a type of tachycardia in which the heart rate is over 100 (as high as 240) beats per minute, tachycardias can be treated by an electric shock to the heart, by antiarrhythmic drugs and by pacemakers |
| Technician | an individual who is specially trained in the conduct of specific procedure(s) such as a x-ray technician, the phlebotomist (person who draws blood), the EKG technician |
| Thoracic Surgeon | a specialist who conducts surgery on the chest |
| Titrate | a slow process of gradually increasing the dosage of a medication to a patient |
| Tracheotomy | an opening surgically created through the neck into the trachea (windpipe) through which a tube is usually placed to provide an airway and remove secretions from the lungs |
| Tracheostomy | also called a trach tube, the tube used in a tracheotomy |
| Transport | the department that manages the movement of patients within a hospital |
| Triple Lumen | an IV port that has three different lines delivering different medications into the same vein |
| Trusted Medical Adviser | a medically trained person who can offer you information and support in decision making, usually not one of the treating physicians or nurses |
| TPN | acronym for Total Parenteral Nutrition, the practice of feeding a person intravenously, circumventing the gut, normally used following surgery, when feeding by mouth or using the gut is not possible, when a person's digestive system cannot absorb nutrients due to chronic disease, or, if a person's nutrient requirement cannot be met by tube feeding and supplementation |
| Valsalva | bearing down (as during a bowel movement) which decreases venous blood return to the right side of the heart |
| Ventilator | the machine that is hooked up through a breathing tube to a patient and which either breathes for that patient or provides oxygen to the patient upon demand, also known as mechanical ventilation, used with patients whose lungs are injured or starting to heal |
| Vital Signs | heart rate/rhythm, blood pressure and respiration (breathing), typically monitored continuously on critically ill patients |
| V Fib | acronym for Ventricular Fibrillation, uncoordinated contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart's ventricles (see arrhythmia). Causes include heart attack, electric shock, anoxia, abnormally high potassium or low calcium in the blood, and digitalis or epinephrine poisoning (see drug poisoning). Death soon follows if circulation is not restored with electric shocks (defibrillation) or drugs supplemented by chest compressions (as in cardiopulmonary resuscitation) |
| Weaning | slowly getting a patient off the ventilator by requiring the patient to do more and more of the work of breathing on their own |
| White Blood Cell Count OR WBC | a measure of the number of white blood cells in a blood sample, used to check for infection |
| X-Ray | type of radiation used for imaging purposes that uses energy beams that can penetrate most substances and provide a “picture” |
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