Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Glossary of Terms

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Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Acute pancreatitis: Sudden inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas abruptly becomes inf...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Respiratory failure of sudden onset due to fluid in t...

Adverse effect: A harmful or abnormal result. An adverse effect may be caused by administr...

Alveolar: Pertaining to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The exchange of oxyge...

Alveoli: The plural of alveolus. The alveoli are tiny air sacs within the lungs where the ...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Anteroposterior: From front to back. When a chest x-ray is taken with the back against the...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

ARDS: Acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also re...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bronchoscopy: A procedure that permits the doctor to see the breathing passages through a...

Carbon dioxide: A gas which is the byproduct of cellular metabolism and which collects in ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Central venous catheter: See: Catheter, central venous.

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Critical care: The specialized care of patients whose conditions are life-threatening and ...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Endotracheal tube: A flexible plastic tube that is put in the mouth and then down into the...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Head injury: Damage to any of the structures of the head as a result of trauma. While the ...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Hypoxemia: abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood. Hypoxemia may be mild to severe a...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Intensive care: See critical care.

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Mechanical ventilation: Use of a machine called a ventilator or respirator to improve the ...

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing ...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Organ failure: The failure of an essential system in the body. Multiple organ failure is t...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas. Of the many causes of pancreatitis, the most c...

Pathogenic: Capable of causing disease. For example, pathogenic E. coli are Eschericia col...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary artery: One of the two vessels which are formed as terminal branches of the pulm...

Pulmonary artery catheter: Also called a Swan-Ganz catheter. A light flexible balloon-tipp...

Pulmonary edema: Fluid in the lungs.

Pulmonary medicine: The branch of medicine that deals with the causes, diagnosis, preventi...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Residual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Respiratory failure: Inability of the lungs to perform their basic task of gas exchange, t...

Respiratory therapy: Exercises and treatments that help patients recover lung function, su...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

SARS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome. A severe form of pneumonia which appeared in outb...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sepsis: The presence of bacteria (bacteremia), other infectious organisms, or toxins creat...

Septic: Infected, or denoting infection. For example, septic shock is shock that is caused...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome: A severe form of pneumonia. Abbreviated SARS. A term ap...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Subclavian: Under the clavicle (the collar bone), as the subclavian artery or the subclav...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood products from one person (the donor) into the ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Vena cava: The superior vena cava is the large vein which returns blood to the heart from ...

Ventilation: The exchange of air between the lungs and the atmosphere so that oxygen can ...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Windpipe: The trachea, a tube-like portion of the respiratory (breathing) tract that conn...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...