I am creating this glossary to organize and understand key nursing terms. It will serve as quick reference to support my studies and improve my clinical practice.
Asepsis
noun
The absence of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
Example: We need a proper asepsis to perform surgery.
en: Asepsie
Blood clot
Noun
It is a semi-solid, gel-like clump of blood cells and proteins that forms when blood thickens, usually to stop bleeding after an injury.
Example: Early walking after surgery helps prevent blood clots.
en: Caillot sanguin
Cast
Noun
It is a form of medical treatment used to immobilize and support bones and soft tissues during the healing process after fractures, surgeries, or severe injuries.
Example: The doctor applied a cast after confirming the fracture on the X-ray.
en: Plâtre
Chills
Noun
The body’s involuntary reaction to cold, infection, or illness, characterized by shivering, shaking, and cold sensations.
Example: The patient has fever and chills, so we suspect an infection.
en: Frissons
Cough
Noun
It is a protective reflex and a sudden, often involuntary, expulsion of air from the lungs, designed to clear the airways of mucus, irritants, and foreign particles
Example: If your cough gets worse or you have a fever, call your healthcare provider.
en: Toux
dysuria
noun
Dysuria is the medical term for pain, burning, or discomfort during urination, usually caused by inflammation or infection in the bladder or urethra.
Example: The patient reported dysuria, meaning she felt pain and burning during urination.
en: dysurie
Edema
noun
Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues.
Example: This patient has a lot of edema because of his heart disease.
en: Oedème
Fever
Noun
A temporary increase in body temperature, usually triggered by the immune system in response to an infection, inflammation, or disease.
Example: The patient has a fever of 38.5 celsius degrees, so I monitored her vital signs closely.
en: Fièvre
Gauze
Noun
A thin, open weave, highly absorbent fabric typically cotton, rayon, or polyester used to clean, cover, protect, and dress wounds.
Example: Apply gentle pressure with gauzes to stop the bleeding.
en: Compresse
Needle
noun
A slender, sharp-pointed instrument, usually made of stainless steel, designed to pierce skin or tissue for delivering substances (injections/vaccinations), withdrawing fluids (blood test), or sewing tissue (suturing).
Example: Make sure the needle is the correct size for the injection.
en: Aiguille
Platelets
Noun
A small colorless disk-shaped cell fragment without a nucleus, found in large numbers in blood and involved in clotting.
Example: Platelets help the blood clot after an injury.
en: Plaquettes
Respiratory depression
noun
Respiratory depression is a life-threatening condition where breathing becomes dangerously slow, shallow, or ineffective, causing excessive carbon dioxide to build up in the blood. Often caused by opioid overdose, sedatives, or brain injuries, it can lead to respiratory failure, coma, or death if not treated immediately.
Example: The patient is having a respiratory depression because of the morphine that was give to him.
en: Dépression respiratoire
seizure
noun
A sudden attack of an epileptic fit.
Example: The nurse stayed with the patient during the seizure and ensured her airway remained clear.
en: crise d'épilepsie
Sterile field
Noun
A designated, micro-organism free area typically created by sterile drapes over a table or patient used during invasive medical procedures to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
Example: Maintaining a sterile field helps prevent infection.
en: Champ stérile
Stitches
Noun
It is a medical device used to hold body tissues together and approximate wound edges after an injury or surgery.
Example: The stitches will be removed in seven days.
en: Points de sutures
subcutaneous injection
noun
Injection that delivers medication into the fatty tissue layer between the skin and muscle, designed for slow, steady absorption.
Example: The nurse administered a subcutaneous injection of insulin in the patient's abdomen.
en: injection sous-cutanée
syringe
noun
A tube with a nozzle and piston or bulb for sucking in and ejecting liquid in a thin stream, used for cleaning wounds or body cavities, or fitted with a hollow needle for injecting or withdrawing fluids.
Example: The nurse prepared the medication using a sterile syringe before administering the injection.
en: seringue
venipuncture
noun
The puncture of a vein as part of a medical procedure, typically to withdraw a blood sample or for an intravenous injection.
Example: I need to do a venipuncture to check her iron level.
en: ponction veineuse
Vital signs
noun
Clinical measurements, specifically pulse rate, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure, that indicate the state of a patient's essential body functions.
Example: I am checking his vital signs because he does not seem well.
en: Signes vitaux
wound infection
noun
A wound infection occurs when bacteria or other microorganisms enter a broken skin barrier, multiply, and cause tissue damage, leading to impaired healing.
Example: The patient was started on antibiotics after developing a wound infection at the surgery site.
.jpg#/media/File:Surgery_in_the_Field_(9088700).jpg)
