Whether aspiring to become a doctor or watching medical series regularly, complicated healthcare terms can leave you with a spinning head. Knowing an array of complicated jargon while watching your favorite show amplifies your fun and understanding of the show’s plot. Similarly, if you want to become a doctor, knowing medical terms will keep you a step ahead of your level in medical studies.
Besides the above situations, knowing some basic medical terminologies can benefit everyone. You can talk to your physician more confidently and know your condition more clearly.
But how would you decide which are the most important Healthcare Terminology Terms? We have solved this for you by curating a list of the most important healthcare terms.
Medical terms for diseases and health conditions
- Biopsy:
It is the process of taking a tiny tissue sample for testing to know the reason and magnitude of a medical condition or disease. - Abrasion:
It is a mild injury that affects the outer skin only and can easily be treated at home. Abrasion occurs when your skin grazes against a rough surface. - Benign:
The term is usually used when talking about cancer or tumor growth; it means not cancerous. A benign condition means the illness cannot spread to other body parts. - Diagnosis:
Discovery and identification of a disease based on the evaluation of tests, samples, symptoms, and other factors - Aneurysm:
Refers to a bulge in the artery wall causing weakening of the artery; it can rupture the artery. When the blood passes through the weakened part of the artery, the blood pressure causes it to swell, making it bulge. - Bradycardia:
The healthcare terminology used to describe the slowing down of the heart rate. You use this term when adults’ heart rate is less than 60 beats/minute. Most Students aspiring to become healthcare professionals don’t know this terminology; however, it is one of the important ones to know. - Acute:
This term is used to signify a condition that comes to the forefront suddenly and is serious. An acute can be a broken bone or a sudden attack of asthma. The symptoms of acute conditions require urgent care. - Chronic:
The term describes cyclical and persistent conditions that last more than three months. Chronic diseases are usually found in older adults and can be treated for their symptoms but cannot be completely cured. - Contusion:
The term describes a bruise that happens as a result of force or pressure. A contusion is a hematoma characterizing blood accumulation outside the blood vessel. As a result of contusion, capillaries and blood vessels get injured, causing the blood to leak into the surrounding area. - Embolus:
It describes a situation in which an air bubble, blood clot, or any other hindrance blocks blood flow in affected vessels. - Myocardial infarction:
The situation in which an obstruction in the artery slows down or entirely blocks the blood’s flow to the heart; is commonly known as a heart attack. - Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA):
Condition when the brain doesn’t get oxygen or blood due to an obstruction or a rift in the blood vessel; is commonly known as stroke. - Sepsis:
It describes a situation when the body’s mechanism to fight serious infections gets impacted. Sepsis can result in complete failure of the organs.
Medical terminologies to describe the patient status
- Critical:
A patient is critical when their vital signs are not in the normal and healthy range, and the patient is unconscious. - Inpatient:
When a patient requires care for more than a few hours and needs to be hospitalized, their status is “inpatient.” - Outpatient:
When a patient needs care for a few hours without needing to stay in the hospital overnight, their status is “outpatient.” Outpatient visits include surgeries, routine doctor visits, same-day treatments, etc.
Medical terminologies for tools and techniques
- Fluoroscope:
Refers to an X-ray machine used to capture still or moving images, resembling an animation created with the help of x-ray images. - Endoscope:
A small tube looks into a person’s body; it is flexible and has a camera and light integrated. Doctors use endoscopy to examine a patient’s stomach, esophagus, and duodenum. - Intravenous (IV):
Intravenous refers to the passage of fluids or medicine through veins with the help of a soft and flexible tube. The tube is usually inserted in the vein of an arm or hand. - Sublingual:
It refers to a method of administering medication in which medicine is placed under the tongue. The substance diffuses into the blood through tissues present under the tongue. - NS (Normal Saline):
The fluid contains a mixture of water and salt, resembling the fluid produced in the body.
Medical terminologies for tests and procedures
- Blood pressure:
It measures proper blood circulation; in adults, normal blood pressure is approximately 120/80. - Bowel disimpaction:
It is manually removing hardened fecal matter from a patient’s rectum. It happens when the patient struggles to pass stool due to constipation, spinal cord injuries, etc. - Blood gas:
Refers to a test that shows the blood’s gaseous parts, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide (CO2), etc. The test also mentions the acidity (PH) level of your blood. The sample of the blood is taken from the artery with the help of a needle. - C-section:
It is a short-term cesarean section— surgically delivering the baby by cutting the mother’s abdomen. Healthcare professionals often use this method for safer delivery of the baby in complicated delivery situations. - Central line:
A catheter is placed in a larger vein to allow fluids and medications easy and quick delivery. The central line also makes drawing blood easier. - Pulse/ox:
A measure of blood oxygen saturation is also called pulse oximetry. It is an easy and painless way of measuring how effectively oxygen is sent to the various parts of your body. - Dialysis:
It filters the blood of patients with kidney malfunction. It removes wastes and fluids from the blood. The procedure involves diverting blood to a machine that filters the blood.
Conclusion
Those mentioned above are the most commonly used terms in the medical field. A student getting into the medical field must be familiar with these terms. Their basic understanding will help a lot when they are actually in med school. In addition, knowing these terminologies might help you communicate with your doctor and comprehend diagnoses in daily life.
