06. Medical Terminology: Abbreviations

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER is a childhood mental disorder involving impaired or dimished attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING includes the activities usually performed in the course of a normal day in a person's life, such as eating, bathing, and brushing the teeth.

ACQUIRED IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY SYNDROME involves a defect in immunity that is manifested by various infections and poor prognosis if left untreated, caused by the HIV virus.

AMYTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS is a degenerative disease of the motor neurons characterized by weakness and atrophy of the muscles. It is also called the Lou Gehrig disease.

BID stands for twice daily and is used in prescriptions.

BLOOD PRESSURE is the pressure exerted by the circulating volume of blood on the walls of the arteries and veins and the heart chambers.

BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA is the nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate, usually in men over 50 years of age; BPH alsi is the abbreviation for benign prostatic hypertrophy.

BLOOD UREA NITROGEN is a measure of the amount of urea in the blood; this test is done to check the function of the liver and kidneys.

BIOPSY is the removal of a small piece of living tissue from an organ or other part of the body for microscopic examination.

CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT is when a section of vein grafted between the aorta and a coronary artery distal to an obstruction lesion of the coronary artery.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE is an abnormal condition that may produce pathologic effects and reduce the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart.

COMPLEIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE are forms of treatment that are used in addition to or instead of standard treatment.

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT is a laboratory test to determine the number of red and white blood cells per cubic millimeter of blood.

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE is a progressive and irreversible condition characterized by diminished capacity of the lungs.

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION is a basic emergency procedure for life support, consisting of artificial respiration and manual external massage.

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY is a radiographic technique that produces an image of a detailed cross section of tissue.

CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT is an abnormal condition of the brain characterized by an occlusion by an embolus, thrombus, or a cerebrovascular hemorrhage resulting in ischemia of the brain.

CHEST X-RAY is a radiographic image of the chest structures, including the heart, lungs and bones.

DILATION AND CURETTAGE is a widening of the uterine cervix and scraping of the endometrium of the uterus.

DIGITAL RECTAL EXAMINATION is a procedure in which the physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to examine the rectum and prostate gland for signs of cancer.

DEEP VEIN THROBOSIS is a disorder involving a thrombus in one of the deep veins of the body.

DIAGNOSIS is the identification of a disease or condition.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM is a graphic record produced by an electrocardiograph, a device for recording electricl condition through the heart. ECG is also the abbreviation for electrocardiograph (the instrument) and electrocardiography (the procedure).

ELECTRO-ENCEPHALOGRAPHY is the process of recording brain wave activity. EEG is also the abreviation for electroencephalogram (the recording) and electroencephalograph (the instrument).

EAR, NOSE AND THROAT.

FRACTURE is a traumatic injury to a bone in which the continuity of the bone tissue is broken.

GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE is a disorder in which there is a backflow of contents of the stomach that is often the result of incompetence of the lower esophageal sphincter.

HEART FAILURE is an abnormal condition that reflects impaired cardiac pumping.

HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS is a virus that is the cause of common warts of the hands and feet, and lesions of the mucous membranes of the oral, anal, and genetal cavities.

HISTORY is a systematic account of the medical, emotional, and psychosocial occurrences in a patient's life and of factors in the family, ancestors, and environment that may be relevant.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME is an abnormally increased motility of the small and large intestines, of unknown origin.

LEFT LOWER QUADRANT (of the abdomen)

LAST MENSTRUAL PERIOD is used to determine stage of pregnancy.

LUMBAR PUNCTURE is the introduction of a hollow needle into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord.

LEFT UPPER QUADRANT (of the abdomen)

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING is medical imaging based on the resonance of atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS is a progressive disease characterized by demyelination of nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord.

NOTHING BY MOUTH means patients are told not to take anything by mouth 12 hours before medical tests and procedures.

NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMATORY DRUG is any drug that has antipyretic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory effects.

OSTEOARTHRITIS is a form of arthritis in which one or many joints undergo degenerative changes.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and persistant thoughts, ideas, and feelings of obsessions or compulsions severe enough to cause distress or interfere with daily life.

ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS or birth control pills.

OTITIS MEDIA is inflammation or infection of the middle ear.

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE is any inflammatory condition of the female pelvic organs, especially one caused by bacterial infection.

AS NEEDED is an abbreviation used in prescriptions.

PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY is a technique in the treatment of atheroschierotic coronary heart disease in which plaques in the heart arteries are flattened against the arterial walls, resulting in increased circulation.

POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER is a psychiatric disorder characterized by an acute emotional response after a traumatic event has occurred.

PREMATURE VENTRICULAR COMPLEX/CONTRACTIONS is early or extreme heart heats that commonly occur and are usually harmless in normal hearts.

FOUR TIMES A DAY is an abbreviation used in prescriptions.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by symmetric inflammation of snynovial membranes and swelling of the joints.

RIGHT LOWER QUADRANT (of the abdomen)

RANGE OF MOTION is the extent of movement of a joint, measured in degrees of a circle.

RIGHT UPPER QUADRANT (of the abdomen)

PRESCRIPTION, THERAPY is an order for medication, therapy, or therapeutic device written by an authorized person and filled by a pharmacist.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE is an infection such as gonorrhea, syphilis, or herpes that is transmitted through sexual contact.

SYMPTOM is a subjective indication of a disease or change in condition as perceived by the patient.

TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK is an episode of cerebrovascular insufficiency, usually associated with partial occlusion of a cerebral artery by an atherosclerotic plaque or an embolus.

THREE TIMES DAILY is an abbreviation used in prescriptions.

TEMPERATURE, PULSE, RESPIRATIONS

UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION is any infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract.

URINARY TRACT INFECTION is an infection of one or more structures in the urinary system.

WHITE BLOOD COUNT is a a blood test that first counts the total number of the leukocytes, then measures the percentage of each type of leukocyte.