Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) Glossary of Terms

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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 ...

Adhesion: The union of two opposing tissue surfaces. This term is often used to refer to t...

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

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Aspirate: To suck in. A patient may aspirate for example by accidentally drawing material ...

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

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

Bedwetting: Involuntary urination in bed. Bedwetting is called "enuresis," from the Gree...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bladder cancer: A common form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder. The most...

Bladder infection: Infection of the urinary bladder. Some people are at more risk for blad...

Blood in the urine: Blood that appears in the urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematu...

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.

Board certified: In medicine, a description for a physician who has taken and passed a med...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

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

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

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

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

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

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

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

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

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cystitis: Inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis can be due for example to infection from ...

Cystoscopy: A procedure in which a lighted optical instrument called a cystoscope is inser...

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 ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

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

Dysuria: Pain during urination, or difficulty urinating. Dysuria is usually caused by infl...

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

Escherichia coli: Full term for E. coli, the colon bacillus.

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

Foreskin: The fold of skin which covers the head (the glans) of the penis. Also called th...

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Hypothermia: Abnormally low body temperature. Someone who falls asleep in a cold temperatu...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunosuppressant: An agent that can suppress or prevent the immune response. Immunosuppre...

Immunosuppressive: 1. Pertaining to immunosuppression, the suppression of the immun...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

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...

Insertion: A chromosome abnormality that is due to insertion of a segment from one chromos...

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

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Intravenous pyelogram: An X-ray of the kidneys and urinary tract. Abbreviated IVP. Structu...

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...

Lab test: A test that is done in the laboratory where the appropriate equipment, supplies,...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Miscarriage: Inadvertent loss of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable. A considerable pr...

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

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

Nocturia: Excessive urinating at night. Nocturia can be normal and more common with aging....

Nursing: 1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintena...

Nursing home: A residential facility for people with chronic illness or disability, partic...

Obstruction: Blockage of a passageway. See, for example: Airway obstruction; Intestinal o...

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

Outpatient: A patient who is not hospitalized, but instead comes to a physician?s office, ...

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

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Penile: Of or pertaining to the penis.

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

Predispose: To make more likely or render susceptible. Smoking predisposes to a number of ...

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.

Prenatal: Occurring or existing before birth.

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

Prostate: A gland within the male reproductive system that is located just below the blad...

Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis can result from infection or ...

Pyelogram: An X-ray study of the kidneys, especially showing the pelvis (urine-collecting ...

Pyelonephritis: Bacterial infection of the kidneys. Pyelonephritis can be acute or chronic...

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

Reflux: The term used when liquid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach.

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Sickle cell disease: A genetic blood disorder caused by the presence of an abnormal form ...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal cord injury: Trauma or damage to the spinal cord, the major column of nerve tissue ...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

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

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

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

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

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

Urethra: The tube that leads from the bladder and transports and discharges urine outside ...

Urethritis: Inflammation of the urethra, the tube that leads from the bladder to the outsi...

Urinalysis: A test that is done in order to analyze urine. Because toxins and excess fluid...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Urinary tract infection: An infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Abbrevia...

Urinary tract infection in children: Infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or ureth...

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

UTI: Urinary tract infection.