Personal Protective Equipment Glossary of Terms

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

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Activated charcoal: Charcoal that has been heated to increase its ability to absorb molecu...

Adjacent: Lying nearby. Related terms include superjacent, subjacent, and circumjacent. Fr...

Aerosol: A fine spray or mist. Medications in aerosol form can be administered via a nebul...

Aerosolization: The production of an aerosol -- a fine mist or spray containing minute par...

Anthrax: A serious bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis that occurs primarily ...

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

Bypass: An operation in which a new pathway is created for the transport of substances in ...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Chemical terrorism: Terrorism using chemical agents. These chemical agents are poisonous g...

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

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

Cyanide: Poisoning with cyanide, a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can ex...

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

Encapsulated: Confined to a specific area. For example, an encapsulated tumor remains in a...

Environmental Protection Agency: The US government agency founded to "protect human health...

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

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

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Gastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract.

Hemorrhagic: Pertaining to bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

HEPA: Acronym that stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air and for High-Efficiency Part...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

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

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

JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. JAMA began publication in 1883. It ...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

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

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

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

MPH: Master of public health, a degree designating successful training in analyzing past, ...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Mycobacterium: A large family of bacteria that have unusually waxy cell walls that are res...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: The bacterium that causes tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis has un...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Nitrogen: Element number 7, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is biologically impo...

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

Open wound: An injury that is exposed because of broken skin. An open wound is at high ris...

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

Organic: 1. A chemical compound that contains carbon.
2. Related to a...

OSHA: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the US government un...

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

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Perspiration: 1) The secretion of fluid by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. These small, ...

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

Plague: The plague is an infectious disease due to a bacteria called Yersinia pestis.

Pneumonic plague: Infection of the lungs by Yersina pestis, the bacterial agent that cause...

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...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances a...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

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

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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

Smallpox: A highly contagious and frequently fatal viral disease that is characterized by ...

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

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

Toxicology: The study of the nature, effects, and detection of poisons (toxins) and the tr...

Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Tuberculosis: A highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium ...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

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

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

Visual field: The entire area that can be seen when the eye is directed forward, including...