Pancreatitis 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 cavity: The cavity within the abdomen, the space between the abdominal wall and...

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

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

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...

Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge...

Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would b...

Amylase: An enzyme produced in the pancreas and salivary glands that helps in the digestio...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Belly: That part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and t...

Bicarbonate: In medicine, bicarbonate usually refers to bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarb...

Biliary: Having to do with the gallbladder, bile ducts, or bile. The biliary system itself...

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...

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Blood transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood components from one person (the donor) i...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

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

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Carbohydrate: One of the three nutrient compounds, along with fat and protein, used as ene...

Carbohydrates: Mainly sugars and starches, together constituting one of the three principa...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

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...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Cholecystectomy: Surgical removal of the gallbladder. This procedure may be done by laparo...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic pancreatitis: A form of pancreatitis in which there is persistent inflammation of ...

Circulatory: Having to do with circulation, the movement of fluid in a regular or circuito...

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...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

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

Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or ...

Duct: A walled passageway, such as a lymph duct, that carries fluid from one place to anot...

Duodenum: The first part of the small intestine. The duodenum is a common site for peptic ...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

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

Endoscope: A lighted optical instrument that is used to get a deep look inside the body. A...

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Abbreviated ERCP. A procedure done to diag...

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

ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography, a diagnostic procedure used to exam...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fats: Plural of the word "fat". See the definition of fat.

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

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

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Gallstones: Stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones can be as smal...

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

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

Hypoxia: A lower-than-normal concentration of oxygen in arterial blood, as opposed to anox...

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...

Insulin: A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar gluco...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Jaundice: Yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally h...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Liquid diet: The Liquid diet is the restriction of solid food intake, and replacement of s...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

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...

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

Mumps: An acute (sudden, shortlived) viral illness that usually presents with inflammation...

Nasogastric: Referring to the passage from the nose to the stomach. Abbreviated NG.

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

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

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. 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...

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

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Pancreatic: Having to do with the pancreas.

Pancreatic cancer: A malignant tumor of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer has been called a ...

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

Peritoneum: The membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal ...

Peritonitis: Inflammation of the peritoneum (The peritoneum is the tissue layer of cells l...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

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

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Red blood cell: The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Rupture: A break or tear in any organ (such as the spleen) or soft tissue (such as the ach...

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

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

Small intestine: The part of the digestive tract that extends from the stomach to the larg...

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

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Tired: A feeling of a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment,...

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

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

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

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

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

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