Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Atherosclerosis Literally, hardening of the fatty stuff. High fat diets can lead to formation of fatty
plaques lining blood vessels. These fatty areas can become calcified and hard leading to arteriosclerosis,
hardening of the arteries. When blood vessels become less stretchable, blood pressure rises and can result in
heart and kidney damage and strokes. Double cheese bacon burger, anybody?
Myocardial infarction (MI) You know we are talking about heart muscle, right, myocardial? An
infarction is blockage of blood flow resulting in death of muscle tissue. Laymans language for this is a
heart attack. The blockage occurs in one of the arteries of the heart muscle itself, a coronary artery.
Depending upon how much tissue dies, a victim of an MI may survive and undergo cardiac rehabilitation,
strengthening the remaining heart muscle, or may die if too much muscle tissue is destroyed. Did you
exercise at the gym this week?
Mitral prolapse, stenosis, regurgitation Blood flows through four chambers in the heart separated by
one-way valves. A major valve is the one separating the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the
heart. The left side is especially important because freshly oxygenated blood returning from the lungs is
circulated out of the heart to the rest of the body. The left valve, called atrioventricular, for the chambers it
separates, is also called the mitral valve, because it is shaped like an upside down Bishops hat, a miter. If
the flaps of this valve tear away due to disease, the process is called prolapse, a falling forward. This
results in leakage and backward flow called regurgitation (get the picture?). Sometimes a valve is
abnormally narrow causing partial obstruction constricting flow. Stenosis means a narrowing.
Angina pectoris Literally, pain in the chest. But, this is a special kind of pain associated with the heart
and is distinctive as crushing, vise-like, and often accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue and
nausea. Anginal pain indicates not enough blood is getting to the heart muscle, and the heart is protesting
and begging for more. People with a history of angina often take nitroglycerine tablets to relieve the pain
by increasing blood flow to the heart muscle.
Arrhythmia/dysrhythmia Abnormal heart rates and rhythms all have special names like ventricular
tachycardia, fibrillation, but generically are termed arrhythmias or dysrhythmia, meaning no rhythm and
abnormal rhythm. There are fine distinctions between the two, but they are often used interchangeably.
Ischemia Sometimes the heart muscle is not getting enough blood flow, more importantly, the oxygen the
blood carries is insufficient to sustain muscle which has a very high metabolic rate, and oxygen demand.
The term loosely means not quite enough blood. Typically, the patient suffers angina pain (see above)
and they may think they are having a heart attack. And, they may be!
Circulatory System Procedures
Cardiologist a physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the circulatory system,
especially, the heart. However, after diagnosis, he/she may refer to a cardiovascular surgeon. A cardiologist
does not do surgery.
Hematologist a physician specializing in diseases of the blood.
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) a printout recording of the electrical activity of the heart. A frequently
used instrument in the hands of a cardiologist.
Echocardiography using ultra high frequency sound waves (beyond human hearing), similar to sonar,
to form an image of the inside of the heart. This procedure can demonstrate valve damage, congenital
(before birth) defects and other abnormalities.
Cardiac catheterization a long hollow tube, a catheter, can be threaded into an artery up into the heart.
Then material opaque to X-rays can be released into the blood flow through the heart imaging the details of
coronary arteries. Typically used to identify a blockage and location in the coronary circulation.
Phlebotomist/venipuncturist the specially trained nurse or technician draws blood for lab tests and may
also start IVs (intravenous fluids). The Greek and Latin versions of cutting into a vein.
Quiz Two
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electrocardiogram
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Which of the following cells gives the red color to the blood?
erythrocytes
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phlebitis
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The medical technician who draws blood from a vein for laboratory tests is called a
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phlebotomist
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A physician determines that the heart murmur (abnormal heart sound) in a patient is caused by
narrowing of a heart valve passageway. The term for this condition is
stenosis
CHALLENGE QUESTION: Read through this final question carefully. You will have to recall three
different word parts and then identify a term you have never been presented. You can do it! A
hemangioma means
a tumor of blood vessels
by CT (see above), no X-rays are involved. The patients body is placed in a strong magnetic field. Radio
pulses affect the resonance or spin of atoms in the tissues. A computer analyzes this information to show
subtle differences in tissue molecular structure producing very high resolution and better differentiation of
soft tissue, such as a tumor within the liver.
Quiz Three
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Meningitis refers to
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A meningomyelocele describes
herniation of both protective membranes and spinal cord
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speak
Which of the following procedures involves injecting a radioactive element into a patients vein that
may mark the presence of a tumor?
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A brain scan
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A patient may have a brain tumor, and the physician decides to use a procedure that will give the
highest resolution of imaging soft tissues. He gives orders for
magnetic resonance imaging
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A tumor of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord is called a/an
meningioma
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A patient suddenly has difficulty speaking and her right arm feels stiff and weak. After four hours,
she has complete return of normal speech and movement. This patient most likely suffered a/an
transient ischemic attack
20.
CHALLENGE QUESTION! (Thought you already had one?) The following question requires that
you know three word parts, and the parts do not come in the usual order. You can do it! Abnormal or
lack of development of part of the spinal cord is termed
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Myelodysplasia
Digestive System Diseases
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Severe heartburn in laymens language. Weakness of the
valve between the esophagus and stomach may allow stomach acid to reflux (regurgitate, backup) into the
esophagus and irritate and inflame the lining. This results in chest pain which can mimic that of angina
Endoscopy use of a flexible fiberoptic instrument attached to a video camera that can be used to directly
visualize the esophagus, stomach and large bowel. Special names may be used for each area explored such
as colonoscopy.
Ultrasonography (ultrasound) a procedure using high frequency sound waves to visualize internal
organs. Primarily used to visualize abdominal and pelvic organs, such as the pregnant uterus.
Digestive System Medical Record
You should be getting pretty good at making sense of medical terminology. But, nothing beats practical
application! Following is an abstract of a simulated patients medical record. Note words in italics. Take
them apart. Look for the root meaning. Read the record and answer the questions that follow to
yourself. If you cant think of the meaning, hover your cursor over the word for a tip.
A 48 year old male complains of abdominal discomfort after meals, especially, high fat meals. At those
times he also has aching in his right shoulder and back. An ultrasound of the upper abdomen
revealed cholelithiasis. A consult with a gastroenterologist determined that cholelithotripsy was considered
but it was decided that a laparoscopic cholecystectomy would be the first procedure attempted. If
complications were encountered then an open cholecystectomy would be performed.
Significant medical history: patient had a coronary angiography performed at age 46 following
suspected myocardial infarct.
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Did the procedure performed to aid in the diagnosis involve use of X-rays?
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Induce vomiting
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Introduction of a fiberoptic instrument through the abdominal wall for diagnostic purposes is called
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laparoscopy
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cholecystectomy
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You read in a medical report that a patient had a proctoscopic examination. You conclude that the
physician will be looking for, among other possibilities, a tumor in the
rectum
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A patient from a car accident has a swollen belly and the surgeon suspects bleeding into the
abdomen. He/she will puncture the belly and drain any fluid looking for blood. This procedure is
termed abdominocentesis
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CHALLENGE QUESTION! The following question has multiple word parts, some from previous
modules. Take it apart piece by piece. Make me proud! Cholangioenterostomy describes a procedure
that
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degeneration of the liver
blood in the stool
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swallowing
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severe heartburn