Amca Flashcards

ethics

a moral implication of what is right conduct versus what is wrong conduct

laws

rules of conduct made by a government body

criminal law

concerned with offenses against the public

civil law

concerned with relationships between people

tort

a wrong committed against a person or the persons property. may be intentional or unintentional

negligence

must be proven; an unintentional wrong; failure to give reasonable care

malpractice

negligence by a professional person (unintentional)

defamation

injuring a persons name or reputation by making false statements to a third person

libel

making false statements in print, writing or through pictures

invasion of privacy

violating a persons right not to have his/her private affairs exposed

fraud

saying or doing something to trick, fool, or deceive a person

assault

intentionally attempting to touch or threaten a persons body without their consent

battery

touching a persons body without their consent

felony

a crime punishable by more than one year

kinesic slip

where verbal and nonverbal messages do not match

empathy

having an understanding and compassion for what someone may be experiencing

SOAP note charting

method that tracks subjective, objective, assessment and plan for a patients visit

objective

observations made by the medical assistant, examination findings and vital signs

plan

health care providers prescribed plan of action

POMR problem-oriented medical record charting

tracks a patients problems throughout medical care; each problem is assigned a number and the number is referenced when the patient comes in for care

flow charts

visual tools that help track certain information in patients medical records like an infants/childs growth

progress notes

daily chart notes made during patients visits to document patient progress with certain conditions

medical records

a written account of a persons condition and response to treatment and care

frontal plane

divides the body into front and back portions

transverse plane

divides the body into upper and lower portions

normal anatomic position

standing with arms lank and palms forward

prone position

lying on stomach with head turned to one side for comfort

fowlers position

patient is lying on his back on the table; head of the table can either be at a 45 or 90 angle

sims position

patient lies on one side with the under arm behind the back and the upper thigh flexed. also called the lateral recumbent position

trendelenburg position

patient is supine on a surface inclined 45 degrees, head at lower end and legs flexed over the upper end

dorsal recumbent position

patient is on his back with knees flexed and soles of the feet flat on the bed

physical pain

usually a sign that something is wrong; chest pain, severe stomach ache

psychological pain

could lead to disorders such as depression, PTSD, or an anxiety disorder; terror, fear, grief

phantom pain

pain that occurs after an amputation

agreement implied by the patient for examination and treatment when presenting for a routine visit; also in an emergency is assumed the patient would give if the patient could do so

given by the patient after all potential treatment and outcomes have been discussed for a specific medical condition, including risks and possible negative outcomes

triage

sorting and setting priorities for treatment for patients who are on the phone or at the reception desk

sign

that can be seen, heard, measured or felt by the examiner

symptom

a perceptible change in the body related by the patient

incident

an event that does not normally occur within the regular health care facility routine

RACE system

rescue individuals in danger; sound the alarm; confine the fire by closing all doors and windows; extinguish the fire with the nearest suitable fire extinguisher

hazardous substance

any chemical in the workplace that can cause harm

AIDS

transmitted by blood, vaginal fluids and semen; not spread by casual contact

hepatitis B

disease caused by an inflammation to the liver

nosocomial infections

occurs during a patients stay at a health care facility; usually transmitted to the patient by a health care worker

hand washing

prevent the spread of infection and cross-contamination; 1 to 2 minutes

hand antisepsis

requires antimicrobial soap to remove, kill or inhibit transient microorganisms

agents

cause disease; infectious microorganisms that can be classified into groups namely : viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites

portal of exit

the method by which an infectious agent leaves its reservoir; the nose, hands or sneezing

mode of transportation

method of transfer; contact, droplet, airborne, common vehicle, vectorborne

vectorborne

a living organism that carries disease from one infected person to another; mosquito

an opening allowing the microorganism to enter the body; body orifices, mucous membranes, breaks in the skin; can also result from tubes placed in body cavities or punctures produced by invasive procedures

susceptible host

a person who cannot resist a microorganism invading the body; person is vulnerable to the disease, lacking immunity or physical resistance

universal precautions

infection control that assumes that all human blood and bodily fluids are potentially infectious

standard precautions

used to prevent the transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin (including rashes), and mucous membranes

wear gloves (both hands)

before touching anything wet; broken skin, mucous membranes, blood or other bodily fluids, or soiled instruments and contaminated waste materials; or before performing invasive procedures

transmission based precautions

used when the patient is known or suspected of being infected with a contagious disease

using the utmost care with regard to patient and employee is crucial

when using one or both of the standard and transmission based precautions

contact precautions

wear clean, non-sterile examination gloves when entering room; change gloves after contact with infective material (fecal materials; wound drainage); remove gloves before leaving patient room; wash hands with antibacterial soap

gowns and protective apparel

wear a clean gown when entering the patients room if you anticipate contact with the patient

patient care equipment

reserve for use with a single patient (if possible); clean and disinfect any instrument shared among infected and non-infected patients

sanitization

the scrubbing of instruments with special brushes and detergent to remove blood, mucous, etc

disinfection

the process that destroys pathogenic microorganisms

sterilization

the process of destroying all microbial forms of life; typically an autoclave is used

airborne precautions

designed to reduce the nosocomial transmission of particles 0.001 mm or less in size that can remain in the air for several hours and be widely dispersed

airborne precautions

special air handling and ventilation are required

droplet precautions

designed to reduce the nosocomial transmission of pathogens by particles larger than 0.001 mm in size; contact with the source must be close for the susceptible host to be infected

medical asepsis

the practice to remove or destroy pathogens and to prevent spreading pathogens from one person or place to another

asepsis

being free of disease-producing microbes

surgical asepsis

the practice that keeps items free of all microbes

contamination

the process of becoming unclean

germicides

disinfectants applied to the skin, tissues and non-living objects

vital signs

heart beat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure

adult normal range

blood pressure: 120/80 mm/hgbreathing: 12 - 18 breaths per minutepulse: 60 - 80 beats per minute (at rest) temperature: 97.8F - 99.1F (average is 98.6F)

temperature

thermometers are used to measure using the Fahrenheit and Centigrade or Celsius scale

temperature sites

mouth, rectum, ear (tympanic membrane), and axilla (underarm)

normal range temperature

rectal: 98.6F - 100.6F (37C - 38.1C)oral: 97.6F - 99.6F (36.5C - 37.5C)axillary: 96.6F - 98.6F (35.9C - 37C)tympanic membrane: 98.6F (37C)

febrile

presence of fever

afebrile

absence of fever

fever

elevated body temperature beyond normal range

intermittent fever

fluctuating fever that returns to or below baseline then rises again

remittent fever

fluctuating fever that remains elevated; it does not return to baseline temperature

continuous fever

a fever that remains constant above the baseline; it does not fluctuate

oral temperature

most common method of temperature measurement

rectal temperature

most accurate temperature measurement

rectal temperature

taken with the patient in a side-lying position; the thermometer and the patients hip is held throughout the procedure so the thermometer is not lost or broken

axillary temperature

least accurate and is taken only when no other temperature site can be used; area should be clean and dry

tympanic temperature

useful for children and confused patients because of the speed of the thermometer

radial artery

site most commonly used for taking pulse; found in the wrist on the same side as the thumb

pulse

normal range 60 - 100 per minute; felt with the first two to three fingers (never the thumb)

apical pulse

more accurate measurement of the heart rate; taken over the apex of the heart by auscultation using a stethoscope

measuring respiration

characteristics such as rate, rhythm, and depth are taken into account

respiratory rate

the number of respirations per minute

apnea

a temporary complete absence of breathing which may be a result of a reduction in the stimuli to the respiratory centers of the brain

tachypnea

a respiration rate of greater than 40 per minute; it is transient in the newborn and may be caused by the hysteria in the adult

bradypnea

decrease in numbers of respirations; occurs during sleep; may be due to certain diseases

blood pressure

the measurement of the amount of force exerted by the blood on the peripheral arterial walls and is expressed in millimeters (mm) of mercury (Hg)

taking blood pressure

use of a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (of either aneroid or mercury type)

blood pressure cuff

inflatable bag is centered over the brachial artery with the lower border about 2.5 cm above the antecubital crease; positioned at heart level

false blood pressure readings

if the brachial artery is far below the heart level, the blood pressure will appear falsely high; if the brachial artery is far above the heart level, the blood pressure will appear falsely low

AA

of each

AC

before meals

BID

twice a day

TID

three times a day

QID

four times a day

QH

every hour

Q4H

every four hours

Q8H

every eight hours

Sig

take; write on label

PC

after meals

PRN

when necessary or as needed

buccal

between the cheek and gum

sublingual

placed under the tongue until the drug dissolves

transdermal

typically in patch form

intradermal

placed between the upper layers of the skin

subcutaneous

injected into layer of skin

intramuscular

injected into the muscle

analgesics

relieve mild to severe pain

anesthetic

prevents sensation of pain

antibiotic

medication; kills bacterial microorganisms

anticoagulant

prevent blood from clotting

diuretic

reduces blood pressure, increases urine output

vasoconstrictor

constricts blood vessels, increases blood pressure

metric, apothecary, and household systems

three systems of measurement used in the U.S. for pharmacology and drug administration

weight

refers to heaviness

volume

refers to the amount of space a drug occupies

liters (metric)

used to measure volumes

grams (metric)

used to measure weight

apothecary measurements

fluid ounces, fluid drams

plasma

liquid portion of the blood in its anti-coagulated (unclotted) state; accounts for 55% to 65% of the blood volume

serum

liquid portion of the blood that remains after the blood has coagulated

red blood cells (RBC)

erythrocytes; produced in the bone marrow and live approximately 120 days; contain hemoglobin

hemoglobin

the pigment responsible for the reddish color of the blood

white blood cells (WBC)

leukocytes; categorized into five different types: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, esonophils, basophils

neutrophils

defend the body against infectious diseases

lymphocytes

provide a boost to immune defense of the body; they also help respond to viruses, when necessary

monocytes

are phagocytic cells that provide support in cell-mediated immunity; the largest cells in normal blood

esonophils

function in allergic or inflammatory responses

basophils

contain histamine and provide aid in allergic states

platelets

thrombocytes; the smallest cells found in the blood; aid in the process of coagulation

coagulation

the formation of blood clots that occurs when a blood vessel is damaged; last step in hemostasis

hemostasis

the process by which the flow of blood ends

grain

the basic unit of measurement for weight in the apothecary system

5 mls, 5 cc

mls in a teaspoon

3

teaspoons in a tablespoon

2.2 lbs

pounds in a kg

16

tablespoons in a cup

sublingual route

most common route of administration of nitroglycerin

anti-coagulant

what type of medication is Coumadin

before administering any medication

you should first check their chart for allergies

gr

grain

mg

milligram

ml

milliliter

NPO / PO

nothing by mouth / by mouth

NSAID

non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

post

after

hs

hour of sleep / bedtime

antibiotic

precef

% of charge

what is a persons co-insurance based on

living will

a legal document that a person makes to have their wishes known

controlled substances act

what does the DEA regulate

PHI

protected health information

under HIPAA

patients have a right to obtain a copy of their medical records

SOMR

source oriented medical record

good Samaritan law

provides that care given in good faith by a healthcare professional or a non-health professional is protected from civil liability if the person provided care within their scope of training

epithelial

tissue that makes up the skin

purpose of HIPAA

boundaries that allow the patient more control over who and how their records are used; violations punishable by jail and fines

break the tablet in half

a patient needs .125 mg of a medication but you have a .25 mg tablet

no

are insurance options required for informed consent

diet, smoking history, alcohol and drugs

remain calm, ask to put them on hold while you see if the doctor can take the call

how to handle a patient who is on the phone and angry because the doctor did not call them back

no

are doctors required to follow the advice of consulting physicians

civil

type of legal action that is taken when an injured person seeks monetary damages

patient personal and insurance information

information that should be on a patient information sheet

no

are medical assistants allowed to give emergency advice to a patient

flexion and extension

muscles that act on a knee joint exhibit which two actions

the urinary and excretory systems

the bladder is a component of what system(s)

the primary function of the nervous system

to pick up changes in the internal and external environment and respond accordingly

organ

a structure that is made up of two or more tissues with a similar function

neuron

smallest structural unit of the nervous system

nephron

main functional unit of the kidney

checks for streptococcus infection

blood test Anti-streptolysin O (ASO)

upper respiratory tract

larynx

epinephrine and norepinephrine

the adrenal gland produces which hormones

1500 method

most accurate way to measure heart rate

1500 method

count the number of small boxes between two R waves and divide this number into 1500 to obtain the heart rate per minuteexample: If there were 12.5 small boxes between two successive R waves, then the heart rate would be : 1500/12.5 small boxes = 120 bpm

Amca Flashcards ionicons-v5-c