Stenosis
constriction or narrowing of a passage or opening such as heart valves
Cardiac hypertrophy
increased size of the heart from thickening of the heart wall
dysrythmias
irregular myocardial contractions from electrical disturbances in the heart.
arteriosclerosis
loss of vascular wall elasticity from thickening and hardening
chronic
long term, progressing gradually
acute
with rapid onset
Neuropathy
any disease of the nerves. “Peripheral neuropathy” involves weakness, numbness, tingling, or other neuropathic symptoms in the extremities
Osteoporosis
loss of bone minerals that results in brittle bones
kyphosis
abnormal curvature of the spine with convexity backward
silent heart attack
a myocardial infaction that does not cause chest pain
CHF
Congestive heart failure. Disease in which the heart cannot pump blood effectively.
Pulmonary edema
fluid in the lungs. Left ventricle starts to eject less blood than the right, resulting in excessive pressure in the vessels in the lungs.
Pulmonary embolism
blockage in the arteries of the lungs. This occurs when a blood clot breaks free from veins of the lower extremities or pelvis and is transported back thru the right side of the heart. Clot eventually lodges somewhere in the arteries of the lungs.
Pneumonia
Infection of the lungs, usually from a bacterium or virus. Will have a fever with it.
Aspiration pneumonia
lung inflammation from aspiration of vomitus or foreign matter.
COPD
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary diseases such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Results from the gradual deterioration of the pulmonary structures. Causes a disturbance in gas exchange in the lungs.
Stroke
Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked by a clot, obstructing blood flow, or ruptures and allows blood to accumulate in the brain tissue.
ICP
Intracranial pressure. Pressure in the brain causes nerve cells in the brain to die or malfunction from the pressure. Level of CO2 in the brain increases, which causes cerebral vessels to dilate and further increases ICP.
TIA
Transient ischemic attack. Strokelike symptoms that disappear within 24hrs.
Seizure
a sudden and temporary alteration in the mental status caused by massive electrical discharge in a group of nerve cells in the brain
syncope
brief unresponsiveness from lack of blood flow to the brain; fainting.
HHNS
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome. Condition where the blood glucose level elevates because of inadequate insulin secretion or action on target cells, but enough insulin is secreted to keep mass amounts of fat from being metabolize for energy. Listen for Kussmaul breathing
Drug toxicity
an toxic reaction to a drug or drugs, is a condition for which the elderly patient is more at risk than the younger patient.
Dementia
Dementia is a condition resulting from the malfunctioning of normal brain activity.
Delirium
not an emergency in itself; rather, it is indicative of a significant disturbance in some body system. It is a sudden onset of illusions, disjointed thoughts, incoherent speech, and increased or decreased psychomotor activity
Alzheimer disease
Characterized by cerebral function loss. Affects more than 2 million Americans and responsible for 100,000 deaths/year in USA.
Glaucoma
abnormal increase in intraocular pressure that damages the optic nerve., resulting in peripheral vision loss and eventually blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy
Occurs when the long-term effects of their disease damage the small blood vessels of the eye.
Cataracts
lens of the eye becomes cloudy from pathologic changes within the lens itself.
dysarthria
defective speech caused by impairment of the tongue or other muscles.
Bariatrics
Medical management of obese patients.
paraplegic
paralysis from the waist down
apnea monitor
device that monitors breathing and emits a warning signal if breathing stops
tracheostomy
a surgical opening in the trachea
stoma
a permanent surgical opening into the trachea
Quadriplegic
paralyzed from the neck down
condition where patient is paralyzed from the neck up
Vegetable (according to Amanda Waterhouse)
CPAP
continuous positive airway pressure. device that provides a constant level of back pressure during inhalation and exhalation to keep bronchioles open and improve ventilation and oxygenation
BiPAP
bilevel positive airway pressure. device that provides back pressure, higher during inhalation and lower during exhalation, to keep bronchioles open and improve ventilation and oxygenation.
VAD
Vascular access device. a medical device that is used when a patient is in need of ongoing intravenous medications.
Central Intravenous Catheter
a catheter that is designed to deliver medication into the central circulation of the body.
surgically implanted medication delivery devices
med administration devices surgically placed beneath the skin outside the rib cage. also called a “TIVAS”
Tivas
totally implantable venous access system that is a surgically implanted medication delivery device.
ARF
acute renal failure. rapid loss of renal function that results in poor urine production and disturbance of electrolyte and fluid balances.
CRF
chronic renal failure. progressive loss of kidney function over a period of months to years. aka CKD (chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease
same as CRF (chronic renal failure)
dialysis
medical procedure designed to support lost function of the kidneys
dialysis shunt
a joining of arterial and venous systems in such a way that the repeated needlesticks for dialysis cause a minimal damage to the body.
Enteral feeding
provision of nutrition through a tube inserted through the nose, the mouth,h or a surgical opening in the abdomen into the GI system
ostomy bag
pouch or bag that is attached outside the body to collect feces that are removed from the body thru an opening in the abdominal wall
itraventricular shunt
a tube plaaced in a ventricle of the brain that extends to a blood vessel in the neck, heart, abdomen, or an external collector to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain and keep intracranial pressure at an acceptable level.
terminally ill
condition of a pt with a diseas that is expected to result in death, despite medical treatment
hospice
a philosophy of care aimed at relief of symptoms for patients and support for their families during late stages of a terminal condition.
