My name is Lexane, and I am a nursing student since autumn 2019. During my scholarship, I learn a lot of medical terms that now I often use when I am working at the hospital. This glossary will help people who work in the field of medicine that want to communicate better with people that speak English even though it is not your first language like me. Using a list of terms on my field of study and the Internet, each of the twenty words have a definition, a pronunciation, a translation, an example and often an image to help you to understand and have some new words to add at your vocabulary.
anesthetist
noun
A medical specialist who administers anesthetics (a substance that induces insensitivity to pain).
Example: An anesthetist have to work enormously long hours in hospitals.
en: anesthésiste
bradycardia
noun
A slowing of the heart rate less than 50 beats per minute.
Example: Bradycardia is often a side effect of several medications.
en: bradycardie
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
noun
A medical procedure involving repeated compression of a patient's chest, performed in an attempt to restore the blood circulation and breathing of a person who has suffered cardiac arrest.
Example: In the absence of a pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be performed.
en: réanimation cardiopulmonaire
colostomy
noun
A surgical operation in which a piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall so as bypassing a damaged part of the colon.
Example: If treatment does not control the symptoms of the disease, the patients may undergo colostomy.
en: colostomie
cyanosis
noun
A bluish discoloration of the skin resulting from poor circulation or inadequate oxygenation of the blood.
Example: After spending the night in below zero weather, cyanosis kicked in and the trapped hunter began to turn blue.
en: cyanose
defibrillator
noun
An apparatus used to control heart fibrillation by application of an electric current to the chest wall or heart.
Example: The plane has a locked overhead bin where an emergency defibrillator is stored.
en: défibrillateur
edema
noun
A condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body.
Example: Drinking lots of water can exacerbate issues of edema and blood pressure.
en: œdème
glucometer
noun
A machine that's used to measure how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood.
Example: The glucometer is an important instrument for diabetics because he helps to measure the sugar in their blood and be able to adjust their diet, exercise and medication.".
en: glucomètre
hemoglobin
noun
A red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates. Its molecule comprises four subunits, each containing an iron atom bound to a heme group.
Example: When the hemoglobin is low, it can be a sign of hemorrhage.
en: hémoglobine
hypoxia
noun
Deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues.
Example: Mountain climbers often suffer from a hypoxia because the oxygen levels at the tops of mountains are reduced.
en: hypoxie
hysterectomy
noun
A surgical operation to remove all or part of the uterus.
Example: She is going to have a hysterectomie to remove a cancer.
en: hystérectomie
intubate
verb
Insertion of an endotracheal tube to help an unconscious patient breathe.
Example: The anesthetist intube his patient because he had difficulty breathing.
en: intuber
laparoscopy
noun
A surgical procedure in which a fiber-optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or to permit a surgical procedure.
Example: Laparoscopy is a much less invasive form of surgery resulting in a smaller scar than a normal surgical procedure.
en: laparoscopie
peristalsis
noun
The involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine or another canal, creating wave-like movements that push the contents of the canal forward.
Example: Sometimes there is too little peristalsis, which can slow the passage of undigested material through the colon and cause constipation.
en: péristalisme
pulse oximeter
noun
A device that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood in a subject by utilizing a sensor attached typically to a finger.
Example: The pulse oximeter was also being used to monitor oxygen deprivation in patients under anesthesia in operating rooms.
en: saturomètre
steri-strip closure
noun
A thin adhesive strip that can closes cuts and incisions without stitches.
Example: When changing the dressing, the nurse applied new steri-strip closure on the lesion.
en: fermeture steri-strip
thrombus
noun
A blood clot formed in situ within the vascular system of the body and impeding blood flow.
Example: The blockage of the artery is usually caused by a thrombus or an embolus.
en: thrombus
ulcer
noun
It is an open sore of the skin, eyes or mucous membrane, accompanied by the disintegration of tissue.
Example: The plan for surgical perforation of the ulcer is unclear.
en: ulcère
ventilate
verb
To assist the breathing of a person, as with a respirator or a bag-mask ventilator.
Example: We learn how to ventilate in our last class of urgent care.
en: ventiler
vital signs
noun
They are measures of various physiological statistics in order to assess the most basic body functions.
Example: The vital signs are the body temperature, the pulse rate, the blood pressure, the respiration rate and the oxygen saturation.
