Medical Terminology and Procedures: A Comprehensive Lexicon

Posted on Feb 13, 2025 in Medicine & Health

Medical Terminology and Procedures

Basic Medical Definitions

Prescription: A written order for medication from a doctor.
Patient: An individual receiving medical treatment.
Treatment: The management and care of a patient.
Medication: A substance used to treat illness or pain.
Ward: A division of a hospital for patients.
Analgesic: A substance used to relieve pain.
Nurse: A person trained to provide medical care.
Symptoms: Physical signs indicating a condition.

Common Medications and Their Uses

Ibuprofen: Reduces fever and pain.
Amoxicillin: Treats infection.
Metformin: Controls blood sugar levels.
Aspirin: Reduces inflammation and pain.
Lisinopril: Treats high blood pressure.
Side effects: Possible allergic reactions, nausea.
Penicillin: Can cause stomach upset.
Antibiotics: Used to treat bacterial infections.

Medical Concepts and Specialties

Pharmacology: The study of how drugs interact with biological systems.
Hematology: Focuses on the study of blood and its disorders.
Homeostasis: Maintaining homeostasis is crucial for the body to function optimally despite external changes.
Contraindication: The use of certain medications may have a contraindication, indicating situations where the drug should not be used.
Therapeutic Approach: A therapeutic approach to treatment considers both the physical and psychological needs of the patient.
Diagnosis: Accurate diagnosis is essential for determining the appropriate treatment for a patient.
Vaccination: Vaccination is a form of prophylaxis used to prevent infectious diseases.
Etiology: The etiology of a disease refers to its cause or origin.

Medical Professionals

General Practitioner (GP): Médecin généraliste
Doctor/Physician/MD: Medical doctor (Médecin)
Pharmacist: Pharmacien
Dentist: Dentiste
Physiotherapist: Kinésithérapeute
Paramedic: Ambulancier
Pediatrician/Pediatrist: Pédiatre
Gynecologist/OB-GYN: Médecin gynécologue
Nurse:
- Staff Nurse: Infirmière de service
- Degree: BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
- Children Nurse: Puéricultrice
- Certified/Registered Nurse (e.g., L/D Nurse = Labor and Delivery Nurse)
- Charge/Senior Nurse: Coordinatrice
Medical/Laboratory Technicians: Laborantins
Radiology Technologists/Radiographers: Manipulateurs en radiologie

Other specialties: Psychiatrist, Cardiologist, Radiologist, Critical Care Physician, Intensivist/Anesthesiologist (Médecin réanimateur).

Common Suffixes

-emia: Presence in blood
-penia: Lack of
-oma: Mass or tumor
-itis: Inflammation
-ology: The study of
-opathy: Disease
-ectomy: Removal
-osis: Condition or disease
-pnea: Breathing
-scopy: Looking for/examining
-rrhea: Flow/discharge

Common Prefixes

A-/An-: Absence
Brady-: Slow
Tachy-: Fast
Hyper-: Excessive or high
Hypo-: Deficient or low
Inter-: Between
Intra-: Within
Peri-: Around
Sub-: Under or below

The Admission Process

Hospital/Walk-in Clinic

We have two types of patients:

Ambulatory: Doesn’t need an ambulance or a wheelchair (out-patient).
Non-ambulatory: Cannot stand (in-patient).

Administrative Aspect

Check-in: The patient is taken in.
Forms are filled out.
The patient is scheduled for X-ray or MRI if needed.
Insurance: The patient checks the policy of the structure so they can pay upfront with their credit card, or if they have insurance, they will be reimbursed.

Medical Aspect

The patient will be looked after by the attending/on-call nurse, doctor, or midwife.
Triage will be performed to identify emergency cases.
The patient will be assessed or diagnosed.
Guidelines will be made to take care of the patient.

Equipment and Medical Tools

First-aid kit: Trousse de premiers secours
Surgical gloves: Gants stériles
Bandage: Bandage ou pansement
Syringe: Seringue
Stitches: Points de suture
Needle: Aiguille
Plaster/Band-aid: Sparadrap
Tourniquet: Garrot
Cotton wool or pads: Coton
IV tubing: Tubulure
Catheter: Sonde urinaire
IV bag: Perfusion
Cannula: Cathéter
Inhaler: Inhalateur
Gauze pads: Compresse
Stethoscope: Stéthoscope
Dressing: Pansement
Thermometer: Thermomètre
Tongue depressor: Abaisse-langue
Ointment: Pommade
Scissors: ciseaux
Blade: Lame bistouri

Example Conversation: Blood Draw

Nurse: So you are here for a blood draw!
Patient: Yes.
Nurse: Have you had anything to eat in the last 12 hours?
Patient: No.
Nurse: Could you please straighten your arm? I’m going to apply the tourniquet.
Patient: For sure.
Nurse: All good.
Patient: Yeah.
Nurse: Would you please make a fist? That’s all.

Body Parts and Organs

A. Body Parts

Head parts: Hair, forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes, eyelids, eyes, nose, temples, nostrils, ears, cheeks, lips, teeth, tongue, chin, jaw.

Upper body: Hands, nails, fingers (thumb, index, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger/pinky), palm of the hand, knuckle, fist, wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulders, upper arms, armpits, chest, and back. Abdomen or belly.

Lower body: Hips, thighs, legs, knees, calves, foot, toes (big toe, second toe, middle toe, fourth toe, and little toe), heel, sole, and ankle.

Organs: Stomach (Estomac), Liver (Foie), Kidney (Rein), Adrenals (Surrénales), Gallbladder (Vésicule biliaire), Intestines (Intestins), Thyroid (Thyroïde), Spleen (Rate), Brain (Cerveau), Uterus/Womb (Utérus), Pancreas (Pancréas), Lungs (Poumons), Appendix (Appendice), Bone marrow (Moelle osseuse), Spinal cord (Moelle épinière).

Neonatal Care

Post-Delivery and Newborn Medication

Memory trick: Baby B’s

Erythromycin: Given prophylactically against ophthalmia neonatorum (blindness).
Vitamin K: For bleeding.
Hep B vaccine: For Hepatitis B.

Translating Words

Identity tag: Bracelet d’identité
Newborn/Infant: Nouveau-né/Nourrisson
Incubator: Couveuse
Stroller: Poussette
Heating table/Radiant warmer: Table chauffante
Bib: Bavoir
Weight, length, and head circumference: Poids, taille et périmètre crânien
Bassinet/Cradle/Crib: Berceau
Pacifier: Sucette
Suction machine/Bulb: Aspirateur
Onesie: Body suit
Birth certificate: Certificat de naissance
Footed pajamas: Grenouillère
Baby wipes: Lingettes pour bébé
NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit): Unité de réanimation néonatale
Diapers/Nappy: Couches
Swaddle a baby: Emmailloter un bébé

Common Abbreviations in NICU

PROM: Premature rupture of membranes
PTL: Preterm labor
PNC: Prenatal care
SGA: Small for gestational age
LGA: Large for gestational age
APGAR: Appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration
(V)LBW: (Very) low birth weight

Delivery Room

Interview

Take history from the laboring woman: Name, age, blood type, number of pregnancies, parity (multiparous, nulliparous, primiparous), LMP (last menstrual period).
Calculate the theoretical age and the ultrasound gestational age.
Determine the due date to figure out if it’s a full-term (FT) pregnancy, preterm labor (PTL), prolonged/post-term and overdue, EDD (estimated delivery date).
Inquire about the history of previous pregnancies: miscarriage, intrauterine fetal demise or death, or any complications/diseases (hemorrhage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placental abruption (HRP), placenta previa, VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean)).
Review ultrasounds:
- Dating scan (1st trimester)
- Anatomy scan (2nd trimester)
- Growth scan (3rd trimester): polyhydramnios, oligohydramnios, intrauterine growth restriction.
Verify her routine check-up:
- CBC (complete blood count): red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
- Fasting blood sugar
- CRP, and so on

Examine the Patient

Spontaneous labor: Mucus plug, SVD (spontaneous vaginal delivery)
Induced labor:
- Hormone drip (medication)
- Membrane sweep: Mechanical removal of membranes from the uterine wall
Vaginal exam or cervix check-up: Written in partogram
- Dilation from 0 to 10 centimeters
- Effacement: The cervix goes shorter and thinner
- Station: The positioning of the baby’s head with the pelvis (head high, mobile, applied, in the process of engagement, or engaged)
- Verify the amniotic sac (amniotic fluid): Water is breaking, ROM (rupture of membranes)
  - Ruptured
  - Fissured
  - Memory trick: TACO (time, amount, color, and odor)
  - Spontaneously or by an amnihook
- Monitoring of the baby and the mother:
  - See the contractions by a Toco
  - Fetal monitoring to see if the baby is reactive or not (look for accelerations and decelerations).

Stages of Labor

Labor: Latent, active, and transition phase.
Delivery of the baby:
- Pushing and descent
- Fetal head crowning
- Birth of the baby (delivery of the head and shoulders)
Delivery of placenta:
- Baudelocque method
- Duncan method
- Uterine revision/artificial or assisted delivery

Dystocia

Prolonged latent phase (Dystocie de démarrage)
Failure to engage (Défaut d’engagement)
Arrest of dilation (Dilatation stationnaire)

NB: Everything is noted in a partogram. GGD (good general condition), GUG (good uterine globe), and minimal bleeding. FHS (fetal heart sounds), FAM (fetal active movement), LLD (left lateral decubitus), BOA (born on arrival).

If there is an issue, a referral letter is written.

Medications Used During Labor and Delivery

Oxytocin (Pitocin): Stimulates uterine contractions.
Narcotic Pain Relievers (e.g., Fentanyl, Meperidine): Help manage pain.
Antiemetics (e.g., Ondansetron, Metoclopramide): Given to relieve nausea and vomiting.
Antibiotics: For the risk of infection.
Tocolytics (e.g., Nifedipine): Used to slow or stop premature labor.
Misoprostol and Cervidil (Prostaglandins): Soften the cervix to prepare it for dilation and labor induction.

Instruments Commonly Used During Delivery

Fetal Heart Monitor
Amnihook: Used to rupture the amniotic sac (breaking the water)
Forceps
Vacuum Extractor: A suction device placed on the baby’s head to assist in delivery.
Needle Holder, Sutures, and Scissors
Hemostats: Clamping instruments used to control bleeding and to clamp the umbilical cord before cutting it.
Umbilical Cord Clamp and Scissors
Speculum: Used to view the cervix if an internal examination or procedure is needed.

Early and Late Post-Partum

Neonatal Terms and Immediate Post-Birth/Maternal Care

Skin-to-Skin Contact: Le peau à peau
Delayed Cord Clamping: Clampage tardif
Lochia: Postpartum vaginal discharge that includes blood, mucus, and uterine tissue.
Uterine Involution: The process of the uterus shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size, which can take about 6-8 weeks.
Perineal Healing
Breast Changes:
- Engorgement is common around 3-5 days postpartum when milk production increases.
- Colostrum, the nutrient-rich first milk
- Nipples may become sore, especially if breastfeeding is challenging; guidance on latch and positioning can be crucial
Lactation Consultant: A specialist who assists mothers with breastfeeding (latching, lip-tapping, pumping, breastfeeding, formula feeding, or mixed/combined feeding).
Let-Down Reflex: The release of milk from the breast in response to the baby’s suckling.
Cluster Feeding: When the baby feeds more frequently for short periods, often in the early weeks.
Lactational Amenorrhea: Exclusive breastfeeding can delay the return of menstruation.
Contraception Counseling: BC (birth control). Options include IUDs, implants, and barrier methods, among others.

Complications

Maternal:

Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH)
Preeclampsia
Gestational Diabetes
Postpartum Infection: Infections occurring after delivery, potentially involving the uterus, perineum, or breast (e.g., mastitis). Breast engorgement or swelling.

Neonatal:

Jaundice: Leads to yellowish skin and eyes.
Meconium Aspiration: A condition where the baby inhales a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid at birth, which may require NICU attention.
Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): A common breathing issue in premature infants due to immature lungs.

Medical Terminology and Procedures: A Comprehensive Lexicon