Terminology ( Disease) Flashcards
ACID-FAST STAIN
A laboratory staining procedure used mainly to identify the tuberculosis (TB) organism
COMMUNICABLE / ko-MUN-IH-kah-bl
Capable of passing from one person to another, such as an infectious disease
ENDEMIC / en-DEM-ik
Occuring at a low level but continously in a given region, such as the common cold ( from en-, meaning “in” and GReek demos, meaning “people” )
EPIDEMIC / ep-ih-DEM-ik
Affecting many prople in a given region at the same time, a disease that breaks out in a large proportion of a population at a given time
EXACERBATION / eks-zas-er-BA-shun
Worsening of disease, increase in severity of a disease or its symptoms
IATROGENIC / i-at-ro-JEN-ik
Caused by the effects of treatment (from Greek root iatro-, meaning “physician”)
IDIOPATHIC / id-e-o-PATH-ik
Having no known cause ( root idio means “sefl-originating”)
IN SITU / in SI-tu
Localized, noninvasive (literally “in position”); said of tumors that do not spread, such as carcinoma in situ (CIS)
NORMAL FLORA / FLO-rah
The microorganism that normally live on or in the body and are generally harmless and often beneficial but can cause disease under special circumstances, such as injury or failure of the immune system
NOSOCOMIAL / nos-o-KO-me-al
Describing an infection acquired in a hospital (root nos/o means “disease”, and comial refers to a hospital), which can be serious problem, especially if it is resistant to antibiotics, such as strains of methicillin-resistant STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) AND VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT S. AUREUS ( VRSA)
OPPORTUNISTIC / op-por-tu-NIS-tik
Describing an infection that occurs because of a host’s poor or altered condition
PANDEMIC / pan-DEM-ik
Describing a disease that is prevalent throughout an entire region or the world; for example, AIDS is pandemic in certain regions of the world
REMISSION / re-MISH-un
A lessening of disease symptoms, the period during which such lessening occurs
SEPTICEMIA / sep-tih-SE-me-ah
Presence of pathogenic bacteria in the blood, blood poisoning
SYSTEMIC / sis-TEM-ik
Pertaining to the whole body
