Ordered Alphabetically:
A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
M N O P
Q R S T
U V W X Y Z |
| Glossary Term |
Definition |
|
abdominal wounds |
sores from surgery on the front of the body between the chest and the pelvis |
| abscess |
a localized collection of pus and inflammation |
| ACE inhibitors |
medications that relax the arteries |
| albumin |
a form of protein |
| amputation |
the surgical removal of a limb or appendage |
| anemic |
deficient in red blood cells, in hemoglobin, or in volume of blood |
| anesthesia |
medical pain relief causing partial or total loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness |
| Ankle-Brachial Indices (ABI) |
a test that measures blood pressure at the foot, ankle, calf, thigh |
| arterial ulcers |
sores related to impaired blood flow through the arteries |
| atherosclerosis |
hardening of the arteries due to plaque build-up |
| bacteria |
a common term for microscopic organisms; some bacteria can cause serious infections |
| Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) |
a test to measure basic blood chemistry |
| cardiologist |
a physician who specializes in treating the heart and its diseases |
| cataracts |
the milky clouding of the lens which prevents clear vision |
| CBC with differential |
a complete blood count |
| cellulitis |
an inflammation or infection of cellular or connective tissue |
| chest X-ray |
shows the size and shape of the heart, any fluid present, any abnormalities in the lungs, and the major blood vessels in the chest |
| chronic |
of long duration; continuous; on-going |
| coagulation profile |
a test that measures the blood's ability to clot |
| creatinine |
a chemical found in both urine and blood; elevated levels indicate impaired kidney function |
| CT or CAT scan |
computer assisted tomography, a non-invasive imaging procedure |
| debridement |
the surgical removal of foreign matter or dead tissue from a wound |
| dermatitis |
inflammation of the skin; can cause itching, redness, and skin lesions |
| dermis |
the connective tissue underlying the skin's surface (epidermis) |
| diabetologist |
a physician who specializes in the treatment of diabetes |
| eczema |
chronic dermatitis |
| edema |
swelling; fluid retention |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG) |
a test to measure the heart's electrical activity |
| endocrinologist |
a physician who specializes in the treatment of the hormonal systems of the body |
| epidermis |
outer layer of skin |
| eschar |
a dry scab especially following cauterization or burn |
| fascia |
a fibrous membrane covering and separating muscles; unites skin with underlying tissue |
| fibroblasts |
a cell which develops connective tissue |
| foot ulcers |
sores on the feet, most commonly affecting people with diabetes |
| general anesthesia |
medical pain relief of the whole body, including loss of consciousness |
| growth factors |
synthetic hormones injected to promote healing |
| heel lift |
shoe insert that shifts weight on foot, potentially relieving pressure on a foot ulcer |
| hematocrit (HCT) |
the percentage of mature red blood cells in a given volume of blood |
| hemoglobin |
the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood |
| Hemoglobin A1c |
a test to measure blood sugar level |
| heparin |
an anticoagulant; prevents the blood from clotting |
| holistic |
complete; in total |
| infection |
the spread of disease; implantation of a germ |
| insulin |
a hormone produced by the pancreas that is necessary to metabolize and maintain blood sugar; some individuals with diabetes require oral insulin or insulin injections |
| International Normalized Ratio (INR) |
the ratio of the patient's clotting time to the lab's mean reference value; corrects for variations between hospitals and reagents used to perform the test |
| ischemia |
temporary anemia due to restricted circulation of the blood |
| ischial |
located in the buttock region |
| IV antibiotics |
IV antibiotics are medications administered through a needle directly into the bloodstream |
| keratinocytes |
proteins similar to those responsible for tough cells, e.g., hair and nails |
| lipid panel |
measures fat in the blood |
| local anesthesia |
pain medication affecting the location of the wound only |
| multipodus |
heel lifts |
| necrosis |
death of areas of tissue surrounded by healthy parts |
| necrotic tissue |
dead tissue |
| nephrologist |
a physician who specializes in diseases of the kidneys |
| neurologist |
a physician who specializes in treating diseases of the nervous system |
| neuropathy |
disease of the nerves |
| NIFs |
see Non-Invasive Flow |
| Non-Invasive Flow (NIF) studies |
imaging tests that do not penetrate the skin, such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan |
| NPO |
nothing to eat or drink after midnight |
| offloading |
shifting weight from sensitive points through use of orthotics and specialized shoes |
| ophthalmologist |
a physician who specializes in the eye and its diseases |
| oral antibiotics |
medications taken by mouth to counter specific infections |
| osteomyelitis |
an infection of the bone |
| Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) |
a test that measures the blood's ability to clot |
| pathology |
study of the nature and cause of disease from tissue samples |
| platelets |
an element in blood that aides in coagulation |
| podiatrist |
a person who specializes in foot care |
| prealbumin |
a marker of nutrition |
| pressure ulcers |
sores causes by stress on the skin, most common in people with limited mobility |
| Prothrombin Time (PT) |
the time it takes prothrombin, a clotting chemical, to clot the blood |
| regional anesthesia |
pain management of part of the body, with or without loss of consciousness |
| renal failure |
failure of the kidneys |
| revascularization |
improvement of circulation of the blood |
| revascularization surgery |
surgery to repair blood vessels, thereby improving circulation |
| sacral |
located in the tailbone |
| sickle cell anemia |
a hereditary form of anemia in which the red blood cells are abnormally shaped |
| sickle cell ulcers |
sores caused by sickle cell anemia |
| subcutaneous |
under the skin |
| therapeutic bed |
bed designed to relieve pressure and minimize bedsores |
| topical dressings |
bandages applied to sores |
| topical treatments |
treatment applied to affected, localized surface area only |
| Transthoracic Echocardiography (TEE) |
ultrasound of the heart and cardiac blood flow |
| trochanteric |
located in the hip |
| tumor |
an abnormal swelling or growth, may be benign or cancerous |
| ultrasound |
a non-invasive imaging method using sound waves |
| Vacuum-Controlled Assisted Closure (VAC) Therapy |
a device to assist healing of wounds |
| venous reflux |
backward flow of blood in the veins |
| venous ulcers |
sores related to impaired blood flow through the veins |
| ventral hernia |
stretching of the abdominal wall, allowing the gut to bulge under a thin layer of skin |
| white blood count/WBC |
a test to measure the number of white blood cells in the blood |
| X-ray |
a non-invasive imaging technique |
