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Medical-Surgical Nursing

Key Terms

Medical-Surgical NursingKey Terms

Key Terms

acute kidney injury (AKI)
sudden reduction in kidney function, usually related to another underlying condition or cause
acute respiratory failure (ARF)
sudden failure of the lungs and respiratory system, resulting in hypoxemia and hypercapnia
arterial catheter
small, flexible catheter that is inserted into an artery and connected to monitoring equipment to reflect continuous blood pressure measurements
brain death
cessation of brain function due to irreversible brain damage that makes it impossible for the patient to remain alive without life-sustaining therapy
cardiac output
amount of blood that the heart ejects from the left ventricle each minute
contractility
strength of the cardiac muscles during a contraction
esophageal varices
small veins that form as collateral circulation in the presence of portal hypertension
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
use of invasive equipment to serve as an artificial heart and lungs, allowing these organs to rest and heal
hematemesis
blood in the vomit
hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI)
pressure ulcers that are acquired during an inpatient hospital stay, most often related to pressure from medical devices or prolonged immobility
intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP)
balloon pump inserted in the aorta that inflates during diastole to push blood into the coronary arteries and deflates during systole to push blood to the rest of the body.
intubation
insertion of an artificial breathing tube into the airway to maintain patency and restore an effective breathing pattern, often with use of a mechanical ventilator
melena
presence of partially digested blood in the stool
multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)
syndrome often experienced by critical care patients that involves dysfunction of two or more body systems
muscle atrophy
severe loss of muscle mass, most often due to prolonged immobilization or malnutrition
myocardial infarction (MI)
occlusion of perfusion to the heart within the coronary arteries, resulting in eventual cardiac muscle death; also known as a “heart attack”
necrosis
tissue death
nephrotoxic
capable of causing renal damage
pulse pressure
difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures
vasoactive medication
medication that exerts its effect on blood vessels
vasopressors
medications that improve blood pressure and organ perfusion by constricting blood vessels
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