Medical-surgical Nursing Demystified

(Sean Pound) #1

Glossary^585


CHAPTER 5


ADL:Activities of daily living.


Afferent:Nerve signals which travel from the peripheral nervous system to the cen-
tral nervous system.


Aphasia: Unable to speak, write and/or understand due to brain damage.


Arachnoid mater:The middle portion of the meninges that encloses the brain and
spinal cord.


Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP):Device used to provide oxygen to a
person who has sleep apnea.


Coninuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): Device used to provide oxygen to a
person who has sleep apnea.


Diabetes insipidus:A condition characterized by excessive thirst and increased urina-
tion.


Efferent:Nerve signals which travel from the central nervous system to the peripheral
nervous system.


Lumen:The hollow area of a tube.


NG:Nasal gastric.


Nystagmus:Rapid involuntary eye movement.


Petechial:Small purple spot caused by a hemorrhage.


Pia mater:The inner portion of the meninges that encloses the brain and spinal cord.


Postcal stage:The final stage of an epileptic seizure in which the patient gradually
recovers. Also known as ictal.


Stenosis:Abnormal narrowing of a passage.


Vagal:Related to the vagus nerve.


CHAPTER 6


C-Reactive Protein (CRP):Increases during the inflammatory process and is part of
an early defense system against infections.


Haversian canals:Tubes around the channels in the region of a bone called compact
bone.


Uricosuric agent:Medication that increases the excretion of uric acid.


CHAPTER 7


A & D Ointment:All purpose skin protection ointment.


ALT:Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase is an enzyme that is elevated in liver
disease.

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