| coronary arteries | supply blood and oxygen to the myocardium |
| diastole | the relaxation phase of the heart |
| pulmonary circulation | flow of blood from the heart, to the lung and back to the heart |
| systemic circulation | flow of blood from the body cells to the heart and back out to the body cells |
| atherosclerosis | hardening of arteries due to plaque buildup |
| atrial septal defect (ASD) | small hole(s) in the interatrial septum |
| auscultation | listening with a stethoscope to sounds in the body |
| hypertension | increased blood pressure |
| Hypotension | decreased blood pressure |
| hypoxia | decreased oxygen to tissues |
| infarction | area of dead tissue |
| ischemia | lack of blood flow to tissues |
| murmur | an extra heart sound |
| occlusion | blockage |
| patent | open |
| patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) | condition in which the small duct between the aorta and pulmonary artery, which normally closes after birth, remains open |
| shock | inadequate tissue perfusion |
| sphygmomanometer | instrument that measures arterial blood pressure |
| CRT | Capillary refill time |
| EKG; ECG | electrocardiogram |
| PVC | premature ventricular contraction |
| VPC | ventricular premature contraction |
| atelectasis | incomplete dilation of a lung |
| agonal | respirations near death |
| aspirations | inhalation of a foreign substance into the respiration tract |
| percussion | tapping a surface to determine the density of the underlying structures |
| palliative | relieving symptoms but not curing |
| purulent | containing pus |
| disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) | formation of clots throughout microcirculation which leads to hemorrhage due to consumption of clotting factors |
| HCT | hematocrit |
| PCV | packed cell volume |
| interstitial fluid | fluid in the spaces between cells |
| autoimmune disease | disease in which the body makes antibodies against its own good cells and tissues |
| febrile | having a fever |
| Rx | prescription |
| TSH | thyroid-stimulating hormone, released by the pituitary and stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones |
| homeostasis | state of equilibrium of the body's internal environment |
| diabetes insipidus (DI) | metabolic disorder causing a lack of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion |
| diabetes mellitus (DM) | disorder characterized by lack of insulin secretion or resistance to insulin |
| DI | diabetes insipidus |
| DM | diabetes mellitus |
| DKA | diabetic ketoacidosis |
| PU/PD | polyuria / polydipsia (excessive urination/excessive drinking) |
| integumentary system | skin, hair, nails, and glands, collectively |
| alopecia | absence of hair in areas where it normally grows |
| pruritus | itching |
| dura mater | tough outermost layer of meninges |
| arachnoid membrane | middle layer of meninges |
| pia mater | innermost, delicate layer of the meninges which adheres to the brain and spinal cord |
| meninges | three protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord |
| motor nerves; also called efferent nerves | nerves that carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord |
| ataxia | lack of coordination |
| contraindication | any condition that renders a particular treatment undesirable |
| syncope | fainting |
| cones | photoreceptor cells of the retina responsible for color and central vision |
| esotropia | cross-eyed |
| miosis | abnormal contraction of the pupils |
| mydriasis | abnormal dilation of the pupils |
| nystagmus | rhythmic, rapid, back-in-forth movement of the eyes |
| aural hematoma | blood in the ear flap |
| AD | right ear |
| AS | left ear |
| AU | both ears |
| OD | right eye |
| OS | left eye |
| OU | both eyes |
| PLR | pupillary light reflux |
| FUO | fever of unknown origin |
| nephron | the functional unit of the kidney |
| azotemia | increase in non-protein nitrogenous wastes in the blood |
