Tumor: A mass or swelling of cells that may or may not relate to cancer. Outpatient: A patient who receives care, doesn't require observation or hospital admittance and may leave after treatment. Observation: A temporary status in which patients receive care for a specific amount of time and a physician decides to admit or discharge them. Intravenous: Fluid or medication delivered via a vein. Inpatient: A patient who requires admittance to the hospital for treatment and observation. It is blood under the skin caused by trauma.Ĭritical: A critical patient may be unconscious and have vital signs outside of the normal range.Įdema: Puffiness or swelling called by excess fluid building up in the body's tissues. Here are some common general medical terms:Ībrasion: A scrape or cut that is generally not serious.Ībscess: A fluid-filled pocket that's tender and often forms in tissue as a result of an infection.Īcute: A severe condition that often begins abruptly and resolves quickly.īiopsy: A medical professional may collect a biopsy, or a small tissue sample, to use for testing.Ĭhronic: A condition that's recurring, persistent and may be severe.Ĭontusion: Also called a bruise. Related: What You Need To Know About a Career as a NICU Nurse 19 common medical terms Stat: A medical professional may use this term when they need something immediately. Rx: A prescription (Rx) is often for medication, but may refer to other prescribed or recommended treatments. PT: Physical therapy (PT) is a treatment method that helps patients recover from an injury or treatment that uses movement. PRN: Pro re nata (PRN) is a Latin term used to describe taking medication as needed. Psych: This refers to the psychiatric ward or psychiatry in general, referring to the unit dedicated to diagnosing, treating and preventing medical disorders. OR: The operation room (OR) is the place where medical professionals perform surgeries. OD: Once daily (OD) relates to instructions to take a medication once a day. ![]() NICU: The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is the specialized unit that provides care for premature infants. LDL-C: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) refers to a person's unhealthy or bad cholesterol levels. HDL-C: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) refers to healthy or good cholesterol levels. ![]() It's typically expressed as heartbeats per minute. HR: Heart rate (HR) refers to the speed of a heartbeat. Here are common medical abbreviations, acronyms and definitions:īMI: Body mass index (BMI) is a measurement of a person's body fat based on height and weight.īP: Blood pressure (BP) measures the pressure of circulating against blood vessels' walls and results from how the circulatory system pumps blood through the circulatory system.ĬPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), also called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, is a life-saving technique to restart a heart that stops beating.ĭNR: Do not resuscitate (DNR) refers to a medical order to not perform CPR or other life-saving techniques.ĮD/ER: Emergency department (ED) or emergency room (ER) refers to a common unit for medical care.ĮKG: An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a way to monitor a person's heart and test it for problems. Here are some important medical terminology to be familiar with as you prepare for a health care profession: 17 medical abbreviations and acronyms Related: 32 Career Paths in the Medical Field To Explore 71 medical terms to learn It modifies the central meaning of the word based on what or who is interacting with the body part or what's happening to it. Suffix: A suffice is at the end of the term. Root wood: A root word is in the middle term, identifying the central meaning of the term. Prefix: A prefix is at the beginning of the medical term to identify a subdivision or part of the central meaning of the term. Learning these base components may help you further understand medical terminology. Medical terms typically contain three parts that form a more complex term. Learning medical terms will also help you learn more about your patients and enable you to educate them about their conditions successfully. It will allow you to communicate intelligently and effectively with others in your field. Learning medical terminology is important to build a successful career as a health care employee. Why is it important to know medical terminology? In this article, we further discuss why it's important to know medical terminology and define different types of medical terms to learn. If you want to work in the health care field, it's important to become familiar with the terminology to communicate effectively. ![]() Jargon refers to special expressions or words within a specific profession or group use to communicate.
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