Smoke Inhalation Glossary of Terms

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

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

Ammonia: A colorless gas with a very sharp odor. Made both by humans and by nature, ammoni...

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

Blood pH: The acidity or alkalinity of blood. The pH of any fluid is the measure of the hy...

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

Blood urea nitrogen: A measure of the urea level in blood. Abbreviated BUN. Diseases that ...

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 ...

Carbon monoxide poisoning: A potentially deadly condition caused by breathing carbon monox...

Carboxyhemoglobin: Hemoglobin that has carbon monoxide instead of the normal oxygen bound ...

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...

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

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

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

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

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

CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Creatinine: A chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine...

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

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

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

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

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

Hoarseness: Hoarseness is a term referring to abnormal voice changes. Hoarseness may be ma...

Hydrogen: The most plentiful element in the universe and one present in all organic compou...

Hydrogen cyanide: See: Cyanide.

Hyperbaric: Pertaining to gas pressures greater than 1 atmosphere* of pressure. Also perta...

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...

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

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...

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

Methemoglobin: A form of hemoglobin that is incapable of carrying oxygen, sometimes found ...

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

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...

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...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

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

Oxygenation: The addition of oxygen to any system, including the human body. Oxygenation m...

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

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

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

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...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for p...

Probe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e...

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

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

Reflex: An involuntary reaction. For example, the corneal reflex is the blink that occurs ...

Renal: Having to do with the kidney. For example, renal cancer is cancer of the kidneys.

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

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 ...

Skin color: The color of skin which is complexly determined. Skin color depends on many fa...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

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...

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the respiratory tract that connects the larynx with the br...

Urea: A nitrogen-containing substance normally cleared from the blood by the kidney into t...

Vocal cord: One of two small bands of muscle within the larynx. These muscles vibrate to ...

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