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Medical-Surgical Nursing

Key Terms

Medical-Surgical NursingKey Terms

Key Terms

acute disease
illness that develops quickly and lasts a relatively short period of time
acute exacerbation
sudden worsening of symptoms of a chronic disease
Chronic Care Model
model developed to guide the reorganization of health care delivery to effectively care for patients with chronic conditions
chronic disease
medical or health problem that lasts one year or more and requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living
chronic illness
human experience of living with a chronic disease
comorbidity
simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions
disability
limitation in function or performance of everyday activities
discrimination
unjust or prejudicial treatment of certain people, especially related to characteristics such as ethnicity, sex, age, or disability
disease burden
total effects of a disease on an individual or a society
polypharmacy
simultaneous use of multiple medications by a single patient
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