Term
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Definition
| Atrial fibrillation (a severe cardiac arrhythmia) |
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Term
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Definition
| Alkaline phosphatase (a lab value for a chemical in the blood). |
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Term
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Definition
| Appendectomy or appendicitis (excision of the appendix or infection/inflammation of the appendix). |
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Term
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Definition
| Bicarbonate (one of the electrolytes, with sodium, potassium, and chloride). |
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Term
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Definition
| Bilirubin (a lab value for liver function testing). |
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Term
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Definition
| CBC (complete blood count) with differential (the percentages of different types of white cells in the blood). |
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Term
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Definition
| Capsules (a form of medications). |
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Term
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Definition
| Catheter or catheterization (a tube or the placement of tubes in the body). |
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Term
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Definition
| Chemotherapy (treatment with chemical compounds, usually referring to cancer regimens). |
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Term
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Definition
| Cholecystectomy (excision of the gallbladder). |
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Term
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Definition
| Hematocrit (test for packed red cells in the blood). |
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Term
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Definition
| Discontinue or discharge, past tense DC'd, sometimes dc/dc'd (acceptable in a clinic or nurse's note but not in a formal document). |
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Term
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Definition
| Detoxification (treatment for acute alcohol abuse or other drug overuse). |
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Term
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Definition
| Digoxin or digitalis; pronounced with a short i and g sounding like j (medication for cardiac problems). |
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Term
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Definition
| Dipyridamole sestamibi (a nuclear x-ray exam). |
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Term
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Definition
| JJ stent (a surgical device for keeping tubes in place). |
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Term
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Definition
| Echocardiogram (recording of heart function by analyzing sound waves). |
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Term
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Definition
| Eosinophils (white blood cells that are part of the CBC with differential). |
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Term
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Definition
| Examination (evaluation, as in physical examination or Mental Status Examination). |
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Term
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Definition
| Flexible sigmoidoscopy (inspection of the sigmoid, the S-shaped lower portion of the colon, with a flexible endoscopic instrument) |
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Term
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Definition
| Foley catheter (a catheter commonly used during surgical procedures for draining urine from the bladder). |
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Term
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Definition
| Hydrochlorothiazide (a medication for the control of hypertension and edema). |
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Term
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Definition
| Hematology/oncology (the medical specialty that deals with cancer and blood problems). |
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Term
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Definition
| Hepatitis C (A, B) (liver disease characterized by infection and inflammation). |
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Term
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Definition
| Potassium (the chemical symbol for the element potassium. This is an acceptable usage.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Potassium chloride (the chemical formula for potassium chloride; it is often given to cardiac patients whose potassium is depleted by diuretic medications, such as Lasix. This is an acceptable usage.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Laceration (a cut produced by trauma). |
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Term
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Definition
| Lymphocytes (another type of white blood cell included in the CBC with differential). |
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Term
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Definition
| Electrolytes (usually sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate; they are blood chemistries evaluated in laboratory studies). |
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Term
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Definition
| Magnesium (a chemical in the blood, also a medication given for some medical conditions, such as alcohol overdose). |
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Term
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Definition
| Medications (drugs given to patients; pharmacopeia). |
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Term
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Definition
| Metastases, singular met/metastasis (the spread of malignant neoplasm—cancer—from the primary site to one or more secondary sites). |
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Term
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Definition
| Milligrams, written as mg (metric unit of measurement, the most common form of drug dosage). |
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Term
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Definition
| Micrograms, written as mcg (metric unit of measurement smaller than the milligram, also used in some drug dosages). |
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Term
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Definition
| Monocytes (white blood cells that are a part of the CBC with differential). |
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Term
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Definition
| Nebulizers (an aerated form of medications given for pulmonary problems such as asthma). |
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Term
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Definition
| Neurological or neurology (referring to the medical specialty or to the part of the physical exam that evaluates neurologic or central nervous system function). |
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Term
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Definition
| Neuropsychiatric or neuropsychiatry (pertaining to the study of the combination of neurology and psychiatry—often related, since both study brain function). |
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Term
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Definition
| Oxygen saturation (the amount of oxygen present in the blood; measured by pulse oximetry). |
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Term
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Definition
| Pathology (the study of the essential nature of disease, particularly as it relates to changes in tissues, organs, etc. Also the cause of disease). |
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Term
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Definition
| Perforation (a hole, as in a perforated eardrum or perforated bowel). |
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Term
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Definition
| Preoperative (before an operation). Occasionally, but rarely, a dictator will use the term "preopped" (alternative spelling "preopp'd"). This is not really a short form for anything that can reasonably be expanded without rewriting the sentence. It is an example of a slang/jargon term that "more accurately communicates meaning" than any possible expansion of it would. |
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Term
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Definition
| Postoperative (after an operation). |
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Term
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Definition
| Prepared (a short form commonly used in surgical reports; e.g., "The patient was prepped and draped"). |
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Term
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Definition
| Psychiatry, psychology (the specialties that address the mind and mental processes). |
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Term
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Definition
| Pulse oximetry (the process of determining oxygen saturation by use of machine measurements). |
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Term
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Definition
| Regurgitation (flow in the opposite direction from normal, as in vomiting stomach contents or backward flow of the blood through vascular structures). |
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Term
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Definition
| Rehabilitation (the process of restoring normal form and function after injury or illness by means of physical, psychosocial, vocational, or recreational activities). |
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Term
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Definition
| Saturation (a measure of the degree to which oxygen is bound to the hemoglobin in the blood; it is given as a percentage, and reflects pulmonary function). |
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Term
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Definition
| Sedimentation rate (a laboratory value related to the action of red blood cells). |
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Term
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Definition
| Segmented neutrophils (white blood cells that are part of the CBC differential). |
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Term
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Definition
| Total bilirubin (a bile pigment that is measured in liver function studies). |
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Term
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Definition
| Tablets (a form of medication, pills). |
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Term
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Definition
| Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA, a cardiovascular anomaly). |
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Term
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Definition
| Ventricular tachycardia (an increased ventricular heart rate). |
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Term
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Definition
| Vocational rehabilitation (rehabilitation for those who need to retrain in a former or new vocation due to illness or injury). |
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