Medical jargon

About this list

The terms a doctor or nurse character uses without thinking, from hospital shorthand to anatomy. Wiktionary’s medical entries are vast, so the list keeps the ones common enough to appear in a novel.

200 terms, A to Z

A band

A strip of proteins, in the myofibril, that stains dark.

A negative

Of a blood type within the ABO and Rh blood grouping system. Blood type A negative has a phenotype of "A" and a Rhesus system classification of negative.

A positive

Of a blood type within the ABO and Rh blood grouping system. Blood type A positive has a phenotype of "A" and a Rhesus system classification of positive.

A wave

A wave on an electrocardiogram representing the upward deflection in the right atrial pressure occurring during right atrial contraction.

A-line

Arterial line.

action potential

A short-term change in the electrical potential that travels along a cell such as a nerve or muscle fiber.

active transport

Movement of ions or molecules across a cell membrane into a region of higher concentration, assisted by enzymes and requiring energy.

anti-episode

Against or acting or working against an episode.

anti-K

A highly potent and clinically significant antibody.

art line

Arterial line.

association time

The amount of time elapsing between the moment of a stimulus and the moment of its verbalized response.

attack rate

the proportion of people in a population exposed to a disease who fall ill. (Ill people divided by total population)

B cell

A lymphocyte, developed in the bursa of birds and the bone marrow of other animals, that produces antibodies and is co-responsible for the immune system.

ball joint

A ball-and-socket joint.

bathroom

To assist a patient with using the toilet and general personal hygiene.

behind the counter

Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.

black drop

A narcotic preparation consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.

blood bank

A place where human blood or blood plasma is typed and stored for use in transfusions.

blood cancer

A form of cancer that attacks blood, bone marrow, or lymphatic system.

blood cell

Any of the cells normally found in blood, namely erythrocytes and leukocytes, sometimes including the platelets.

blood count

A blood test that provides information about the cells in a patient's blood.

blood loss

the loss of blood caused by heavy bleeding

blood sugar

Glucose in the blood.

blood test

A laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or by fingerprick.

blood work

A blood test.

blue baby

A baby born with cyanosis as a result of a congenital defect.

blue mass

A pill of prepared mercury, used as an aperient, etc.

body hair

Hair of the body; in particular, androgenic hair, to the exclusion of facial hair and the hair atop one's head.

body part

Any part of an animal organism, such as an organ, limb or extremity.

brain cancer

Any of various types of cancer associated with brain tumors.

brain cell

A neuron.

brain death

An irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

brown bag test

The practice of having a patient bring all of their existing medications to an appointment with the doctor, as a way to see what has previously been prescribed and what drug interactions might be occurring.

C-value

The amount of DNA (in picograms) in a haploid nucleus (a measure of the genome size)

cancer cell

A cell that divides continually, forming solid tumors or flooding the blood or lymph with abnormal cells.

case mix

A group of statistically related patients considered together for purposes of classification.

case report

A detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient, possibly containing a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describing an unusual or novel occurrence.

cell body

The main body of a cell, containing its nucleus and organelles (as opposed to various projections or elements of external structure such as cell wall, flagella, dendrites, etc.).

cell line

A biological tissue or group of individual cells that are genetically identical as a result of dividing mitotically from a single progenitor cell.

cell type

A morphologically distinct form of cell

cell wall

A rigid, non-living structural layer located outside the cell membrane in certain cells, such as those of plants, fungi, bacteria, and some algae, providing support, shape, and protection.

chair time

The amount of time in which a patient spends in the chair of a doctor or other medical professional.

character state

A changeable attribute of a character; the state that a character is in.

chief cell

A cell located in the stomach and parathyroid gland that secretes precursor enzymes.

club cell

A dome-shaped cell with short microvilli, found in the bronchioles of the lungs, and capable of secreting glycosaminoglycans, in order to protect the bronchiole lining.

code blue

The condition of the occurrence of a medical emergency.

color center

A network primarily centered around Area V4 (Visual Area 4) in the fusiform gyrus within the ventral occipital lobe, crucial for processing color perception and color constancy (perceive consistent object colors…

common cold

A very common, mild viral infection of the nose and throat, whose symptoms typically include sneezing, sniffling, a running or blocked nose, a sore throat, coughing and a headache.

community spread

The transmission of an illness through unknown untraced members of the greater community, indicative of a reservoir of anonymous infected individuals.

complete blood count

A measure of the number, concentration, and size of white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells in one's blood.

conservative model

A model of DNA replication that leaves intact the original DNA molecule.

cook back

To recook a drug (especially crack cocaine) in an aqueous solution (water) in order to isolate and concentrate the active ingredients, thereby increasing its potency.

copy number

The number of copies of a gene or plasmid within a cell's genome.

crash team

An emergency medical team operating a crash cart.

critical care

Intensive care.

critical condition

A precarious state of health of a person, who is in need of intensive care to remain alive. (This entry is a translation hub.)

cross-birth

A birth in which the fetus is positioned with neither the head nor the feet lying in the direction of the birth canal.

cross-dress

To display (on the surface of a dendritic cell) antigens produced by a different cell.

day-blind

Unable to see clearly in bright light; hemeralopic.

death drive

The drive toward death and self-destruction.

delivery room

An operating theatre or similar room in a hospital or other medical facility, furnished with suitable equipment and staffed by physicians, surgeons, or other medical workers, for the purpose of assisting mothers with…

die

per day

digital health

A discipline that includes digital care programs and other technologies to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

double-cross

Of breeding, to cross twice in hybridization, as (A × B) × (C × D); for example, in commercial hybrid seed corn, A through D are classically inbreds, and their grandoffspring is the seed for sale.

dress-out

The process of medical staff or patients dressing and equipping themselves in preparation for leaving the hospital.

drop attack

A person's unexpected fall to the ground, without loss of consciousness, associated with neurological dysfunction.

drug of choice

The best-choice medication designed to treat a particular medical problem.

end piece

The axoneme on the flagella of a spermatozoon.

end-feel

The quality of resistance that occurs when a joint is at the end of its range of movement.

end-feet

Button-like terminals of axons that make synaptic connections with other nerve-cells.

end-foot

the enlarged end of a nerve fiber that terminates adjacent to the dendrite of another nerve cell; a terminal button.

end-of-life

The time near death; (attributively) concerning medical care options for patients who are considered critically ill with prognosis of approaching death.

energy field

The spiritual or etheric energy produced by an individual living being.

evidence-based medicine

Health care whose policies and practices are derived from the systematic, scientific study of the effectiveness of various treatments.

expressed

transcribed

eye job

A plastic surgical procedure to alter the appearance of the eyelid(s), especially for cosmetic reasons.

eye-apple

The eyeball or pupil

face job

A plastic surgical procedure to alter the appearance of the face, particularly for cosmetic reasons.

family history

Information concerning the disorders suffered by the direct relatives of a patient; especially useful if the disorders are genetic.

fat cell

A cell of the body whose primary function is to store fat.

fifth disease

The manifestation as rashes of an infection by erythrovirus.

first aid

Basic medical care that is administered to a victim of an injury, usually where the injury is slight or where better care is unavailable.

fit

To suffer a fit.

flat feet

A physical condition where the soles of the feet are in full contact with the ground, either because the arches have collapsed or because they never developed.

flight of ideas

Excessive speech at a rapid rate that involves causal association between ideas, typically seen in bipolar disorder.

food noise

A mental preoccupation with food that is differentiable from hunger and from cravings but tends to urge people to overeat.

funny current

Synonym of pacemaker current.

gas and air

An equal mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, used as a mild analgesic and anaesthetic, particularly during childbirth, for dental procedures, and in emergency medicine.

general surgery

A surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland and certain diseases…

God committee

Synonym of God squad (“ethics committee”).

gold salt

A chemical compound containing gold, historically prescribed to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis.

green cancer

Chloroma.

hair loss

Loss of hair from the head or body due to a medical condition.

health education

The profession of educating people about health.

health risk

Something that endangers a person's health; any situation, condition or practice that raises the likelihood of illness, disease or injury.

health science

The application of scientific concepts to health, encompassing medicine and disease prevention.

hearing loss

A partial or total inability to hear.

heart block

A disease in the electrical system of the heart, opposed to coronary artery disease, which is disease of the blood vessels of the heart.

heart failure

The chronic inability of the heart to pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body, leading to a pooling of blood and shortness of breath.

heart sound

Any of the noises that can be heard on auscultation over the heart, generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it.

high blood pressure

Synonym of hypertension (“abnormally high blood pressure”).

high-grade

Severe.

high-T

High levels of testosterone in a body.

holding time

Of a blood or sample test, the elapsed amount of time from the moment of collection to the moment of the initiation of the preparation or analysis.

index case

The first documented case in a disease epidemic within a population or the first case of interest in an epidemiological investigation: the case of patient zero (the index patient).

injury current

the electric current due to an injury potential

injury potential

the electric potential arising in a muscle or nerve from trauma injury

international unit

A particular, minute unit of mass, defined differently for different substances, but so that varying substances of the same general type have the property that one international unit of the one has the same effect on…

joint space

The space in a joint between two bones.

killed

Inactivated.

labour pain

The pain suffered by a woman in labour during childbirth.

late effect

A condition that appears after the acute phase of an earlier, causal condition has run its course.

lead line

A blue-gray line along the junction of the gums with the teeth, a symptom of lead poisoning.

life support

The maintenance of vital functions of a critically ill or comatose person or a person undergoing surgery.

life-flight

To transport (a patient) by air ambulance.

load-and-go

The process of packaging a patient and loading them onto an ambulance to be taken to hospital.

long case

A form of assessment in which the candidate obtains a full history and examination from a patient, and subsequently presents the case and discusses the issues therein with one or more examiners.

long-acting

Having a pharmaceutical effect principally in the long term.

lower arm

The section of an arm from the elbow to the wrist; forearm.

lower surgery

Synonym of bottom surgery.

managed care

Medical services which are planned, directed, and controlled—especially by a health insurance company—in a manner designed to maximize the efficiency of the delivery and financing of health care.

mass effect

The anatomic and physiological effect that an ectopic mass (such as a tumor, hematoma, or pleural effusion) causes by displacing or pushing against eutopic structures. It may squeeze and thus occlude blood vessels or…

medical journal

A peer-reviewed scientific journal that communicates medical information to physicians and other health professionals.

medical report

An official account or record of a person's health and medical history.

memory cell

A type of lymphocyte that is capable of responding to an antigen long after the initial exposure.

mid cell

A white blood cell, such as a monocyte or blast cell, with around 100 femtoliters in volume, greater than most lymphocytes and less than most granulocytes.

middle body

The midsection of the body.

mind-body

Describing the interrelationship between physical and mental health.

moon eye

A kind of diseased eye in horses.

moon-face

A swollen and rounded face in a non-obese patient, most often associated with Cushing's syndrome or treatment with corticosteroids.

morning report

A teaching round, based on clinical cases, for medical resident physicians.

nuclear body

A membraneless structure found in the cell nuclei of eukaryotic cells.

on the district

Of a midwife: associated with a particular hospital, and travelling to attend patients in the nearby area.

open-heart surgery

A surgical operation on the heart done though a large incision in the chest.

out of bed

Indicating on a medical chart that a patient has become ambulatory.

over-the-counter

Of medicine and other treatments, legal for sale or distribution without the requirement of a prescription.

P wave

A wave on an electrocardiogram that represents the electrical changes generated by the depolarization of the atria.

pack-year

A unit of measure for estimating the number of cigarettes a person has previously smoked, equivalent to average number of packs (each containing 20 cigarettes) smoked per day multiplied by the number of years the…

path

Pathology.

personal crisis

A type of crisis in which a person can no longer cope with a situation, preceded by an event of an extraordinary nature triggering extreme tension and stress within a person.

physical

A physical examination.

physical map

A map showing how much DNA separates two genes, measured in base pairs, as opposed to a genetic map.

place cell

A type of pyramidal neuron within the hippocampus that becomes active when an animal enters a particular place in its environment (known as the place field).

point of care

The time and location at which clinicians deliver medical care and healthcare services to patients.

post

A post mortem (an investigation of a body's cause of death).

post-

behind.

power chain

An elastic chain that holds braces in place

pressure injury

Synonym of pressure ulcer.

pressure of speech

a proclivity to speak with rapidity and intensity without apparent motivation, commonly seen as a marker for a manic episode of bipolar disorder

pure O

A form of obsessive-compulsive disorder mainly characterized by obsessive thoughts, with few observable compulsions.

put under

To anesthetize someone or render them unconscious through the use of narcotic substances, usually either alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs.

raise the line

To take measures to increase healthcare capacity.

read count

A count of the sequence of bases read in a genomic analysis

read length

A length of nucleic acid that has been sequenced.

red blood cell

A type of cell in the blood of vertebrates that contains hemoglobin and transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues; an erythrocyte.

red cell

A type of cell in the blood of vertebrates that contains haemoglobin and transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues; a red blood cell.

represent

To present again, for instance for medical attention.

risk factor

A variable associated with an increased risk of a medical condition.

rock up

To turn powder cocaine into crack cocaine by cooking.

role player

One of the ten classifications of necrophilia based on the increasing severity of the disorder as defined by the American forensic psychologist Anil Aggrawal (Class I).

room air

The natural, unassisted air that humans breathe in everyday environments; it contains a stable concentration of approximately 21% oxygen.

round window

A membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the cochlea of the inner ear.

save shot

An injection of an anti-overdose medication given to a recreational drug user as an emergency measure in life-threatening circumstances.

second brain

The enteric nervous system.

second gas effect

A phenomenon in which a rapid uptake of a large volume of a gas (e.g. nitrous oxide) taken up from alveoli into pulmonary capillary blood leads to an increase in the concentration of gases remaining in the alveoli.

self report

A report of a respondent of a survey or an interview about their internal state or perception, such as of pain, contrasting to measurement using a measuring device and to observations made by other people.

self-treatment

The action of attempting to cure one's own medical condition.

short-acting

Having a pharmaceutical effect principally in the short term.

similar

A material that produces an effect that resembles the symptoms of a particular disease.

small animal

A cat or dog, as opposed to large or exotic pets.

small of the back

The relatively narrow, lumbar region of the back.

social history

The history of an individual's social interactions and/or support network.

sound

A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde.

source control

Measures applied to the source of an infection to reduce further contamination and spread.

space medicine

The branch of medicine that deals with the effects of space travel on human beings

space oil

Any substance containing etomidate.

sports medicine

The branch of medicine that deals with the effects of sport and exercise on the body, especially the treatment of injuries so received, and also studies the physiology of exercise

stay and play

The treating of casualties at the scene of an accident or injury, rather than transporting them to a hospital or other facility.

step time

Of a gait cycle, the moment in time from the initial contact of one foot to the moment in time of the initial contact of the opposite foot.

T cell

A lymphocyte, from the thymus, that can recognise specific antigens and can activate or deactivate other immune cells.

T wave

A wave on an electrocardiogram that represents the electrical changes generated by the repolarization of the ventricles.

target control

A management or technique which is aimed at controlling an infection within a target population.

term

Born or delivered at term.

TIM

Translocon on Inner cellular Membrane

time test

A test of fitness in which a person exercises for a defined period

train-of-four

Relating to a monitoring protocol for neuromuscular blockade, where the muscle response to four consecutive stimuli delivered along the path of a nerve is measured to determine the level of blockade.

visit

A meeting with a doctor at their surgery or the doctor's at one's home.

W-sitting

An abnormal posture in which a person sits with their knees forward and feet splayed outward.

watch and wait

Watchful waiting.

water birth

A form of childbirth in which the mother is supported in a birthing pool so that the child is delivered into the warm water.

water doctor

A physician who treats diseases with water; a hydropathist or hydrotherapist.

water memory

The supposed ability of water to retain a memory of substances previously dissolved in it after an arbitrarily large dilution.

water pick

A device that is used to clear away food debris from the mouth, mostly used by people with braces or periodontal problems.

weight loss

The reduction of total body mass due to loss of fluid, fat, tissue, etc.

weight-bear

To bear weight; to support or withstand the weight of the body.

white blood cell

A type of blood cell that is involved with an immune response, or part of the immune system.

white matter

A region of the central nervous system containing myelinated nerve fibres and no dendrites.

whole blood

Blood taken directly from a human in which no components have been removed (which is common after blood donation).

worried well

Users of medical or psychiatric services who are not suffering from any diagnosable disease.

yard

One hundred, usually referring to currency or money's worth.