Chemical Pneumonia Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

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

Aspiration pneumonia: Inflammation of the lungs due to aspiration.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

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

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 ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

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

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

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

Chloride: The major anion (negatively charged substance) in the blood and extracellular fl...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cyanosis: A bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen i...

Cyanotic: Showing cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to n...

Delirium: A sudden state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function, sometime...

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

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

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

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

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

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

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...

Life support: 1. A therapy or device designed to preserve someone's life when an es...

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

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

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Nurse: 1) A person trained, licensed, or skilled in nursing. 2) To feed an infant at the ...

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

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

Oxygen mask: A mask that covers the mouth and nose and is hooked up to an oxygen tank. It ...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pleuritis: Inflammation of the pleura. When the pleura becomes inflamed, it can produce m...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Poison: Any substance that can cause severe organ damage or death if ingested, breathed in...

Poison control center: A special information center set up to inform people about how to r...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Psychiatric: Pertaining to or within the purview of psychiatry, the medical specialty conc...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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

Respiratory rate: The number of breaths per minute or, more formally, the number of moveme...

Saliva: a watery secretion in the mouth produced by the salivary glands that aids in the d...

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

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

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

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

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

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

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

Ventilator: A machine that mechanically assists a patient in the exchange of oxygen and ca...

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

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

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

Vomit: Matter from the stomach that has come up into and may be ejected beyond the mouth, ...

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