encephalitis: inflammation of the brain.
encephalocele: condition in which the bones of the fetal skull do not close correctly.
encopresis: incontinence of feces not caused by age, disease, or physical disorder.
endemic: microorganisms that do not produce disease under normal conditions or are not present most or all of the time in the environment or the body.
endocarditis: inflammation of the endocardium.
endocardium: the inner lining of the heart and connective tissue bed around it.
endocrine: pertaining to internal secretions (not into ducts or tubes); applies to organs.
endocrinologist: physician who specializes in the treatment of disorders of the endocrine system.
endocytosis: the first line of defense against bacteria in which neutrophils increase in number, engulf, and devour invaders; also known as phagocytosis.
endogenous: normally occurring or existing within the body or in the community.
endometriosis: presence of endometrial tissue in places where it is not normally found.
endometrium: mucous layer of the uterus, which forms the maternal portion of the placenta during pregnancy. endorphin: a naturally occurring analgesic that the body produces in response to exercise and other stimuli.
endorsement: process by which a licensed nurse in one state may receive a license in another state, without re-taking the licensing exam.
endoscope: a tube-shaped, lighted device used to visualize or operate on hollow organs or within body cavities. Specialized endoscopes include the gastroscope, bronchoscope, and proctoscope. (Process of visualization using this tool is called endoscopy.)
endotoxin: a heat-stable toxin (poison) that is released when a bacterial cell is disrupted (less potent than exotoxins).
Endotracheal tube (ET, ET tube): a flexible plastic tube that is used to access the upper portion of the trachea just below the vocal cords which permits manual or mechanical ventilation of the lungs.
SEE: Intubation
enema: an injection of fluid or medication into the rectum, usually to induce evacuation of the bowel.
engagement: state in which the presenting part of the fetus has moved downward so that it cannot be pushed up and out of the pelvis.
engorgement: local congestion or distention with fluids, as in engorgement of the breasts during pregnancy and lactation.
enteral: within the intestine. enteric: pertaining to the small intestine. Enteric-coated tablets are covered with a substance that prevents their digestion in the stomach. entitled: psychological condition in which an individual feels that everyone should wait on him or her and often makes other unreasonable demands.
entropion: inversion, turning inward, as the turning under of the eyelid.
entry-level skills: basic competencies. enucleate: to remove whole and clean; often refers to removal of an eye.
enuresis: involuntary urine discharge, usually occurring during sleep; bedwetting.
environment: one’s surroundings, the situation in which a person lives (as opposed to heredity).
enzyme: a protein produced in a cell that activates or speeds up a chemical reaction.
epicardium: the inner layer of the pericardium, which is in contact with the heart.
epidemic: widespread disease in a certain geographical region.
epidermis: the outermost layer of the skin.
epididymitis: inflammation of the epididymis (coiled, cordlike structures in the testes through which spermatozoa are carried).
epidural: common method of anesthesia during labor and delivery in which a small catheter is inserted into the epidural space within the spinal column and anesthesia is administered via this route.
epiglottis: cartilage that covers the entrance to the larynx.
epilepsy: a chronic disease marked by attacks of convulsions; a convulsive or seizure disorder.
epiphysis: the end of a long bone.
episiotomy: surgical incision into the perineum and vagina, usually during childbirth.
epispadias: absence of the upper wall of the urethra resulting in an abnormal location of the urethral opening, usually occurring in the male.
epistaxis: nosebleed. eponym: a word or term based on the name of a person, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Epstein’s pearls: white or grayish bumps found on the mouth’s hard and soft palate in newborns.
eradicated: eliminated.
erectile dysfunction: inability to achieve or maintain erection sufficient to complete sexual intercourse.
erection: process of the penis becoming engorged with blood and firm.
erythema: skin redness produced by capillary congestion, as may follow a tuberculin test; bright red color associated with capillary dilation, can indicate fever or infection.
erythema toxicum: red, raised rash that appears on the skin of some sensitive newborns.
erythroblastosis fetalis: condition in which Rh positive red blood cells from the fetus have crossed the placental barrier into an Rh negative woman, causing the woman to form antibodies which return to the fetus, destroying fetal erythrocytes.Erythroblastosis fetailis is this condition as it manifests itself in the newborn.
erythrocyte: red blood cell.
erythropoietin: glycoprotein hormone produced in the adult’s kidney and in the child’s liver which stimulates red blood cell production; also known as renal erythropoietic factor.
eschar: dead skin and tissue that slough off after a chemical or thermal burn.
esophageal atresia: newborn abnormality in which the upper end of the esophagus ends in a blind pouch, making it impossible for the baby to obtain food.
esophagoscopy: visualization of the esophagus through the intestinal tract using a specialized instrument.
esophagus: passageway for digestion that extends from pharynx to stomach.
essential nutrients: nutrients a person must obtain through food because the body cannot make them in sufficient quantities to meet its needs.
Estimated average glucose (eAG): a laboratory test that reports HA1C levels using the same units as standard hand-held glucose monitors.
estrogens: female hormones. ethics: code or rules of behavior.
ethnicity: sense of identification of a collective cultural group, based on common heritage.
ethnocentrism: belief that one’s own culture is the best and only acceptable way.
ethnonursing: an approach to nursing that considers a client’s religious and socio-cultural backgrounds during treatment, also known as ethnic sensitive nursing.
etiology: specific cause of a disease.
eukaryote: multicellular organism, including plants and animals.
eupnea: normal respiration.
eustachian tube: the passage from the throat to the middle ear; auditory tube.
euthanasia: an easy or painless death (may be induced), often referred to as mercy death or mercy killing; deliberate ending of life of a person who has an incurable or painful disease.
euthymia: normal mood.
evaluation: in nursing process, measuring the effectiveness of the other steps.
evaporation: process of changing a liquid or solid into a vapor (gas); to give off moisture.
eversion: turning inside out; turning outward, as eversion of the foot.
evisceration: the protrusion of the intestines through an abdominal wound; removal of the internal body contents.
exocrine: secreting externally through a duct (as opposed to endocrine).
exogenous: referring to organisms that enter from outside the body and cause infection.
exophthalmos: abnormal protrusion of the eyes, most often caused by hyperthyroidism.
exoskeleton: type of inflatable trousers used to help an individual maintain an upright position and prevent vascular collapse.
exotoxin: a potent toxin (poison) formed by a bacteria, which can cause severe illness.
expected outcome: measurable behavior that indicates whether a person has achieved the expected benefit of nursing care.
expectorant: medication that liquefies secretions in the bronchi, making it easier to cough up and expel mucus.
expectoration: spitting out and coughing up mucus or other fluid from the lungs and the throat.
expiration: exhalation of air from the lungs; sometimes used to refer to death.
exstrophy: congenital defect in which an organ is turned “inside out;” a result of abnormal development causing exposure of the urinary bladder to the abdominal wall.
extended care: facilities that extend or continue care that begins in a hospital.
extended family: one’s family beyond that of parents and siblings.
extensibility: ability to stretch.
extension: the straightening of a flexed limb (opposite of flexion).
external chest compressions: measures to resume the heart’s action.
external disaster: a disaster occurring outside a healthcare facility that impairs normal operation.
external respiration: lung breathing.
extracellular: outside the cell wall, as extracellular fluid.
extracorporeal: outside the body.
extrapyramidal: causing adverse neurological side effects.
extrication: emergency removal of a victim, performed only when the danger of injury by remaining in the same place is greater than the risk of aggravating existing injuries by moving.
exudate: material that escapes from blood vessels and is deposited in tissues or on tissue surfaces; usually contains protein substances.
eye contact: looking another person in the eye, as in “making eye contact.”
F
factitious: physical or mental disorder that is artificial or made up, with no organic basis.
Fahrenheit: temperature scale in which water boils at 212 degrees and freezes at 32 degrees.
failure to thrive (FTT): a condition in which an infant or young child demonstrates inadequate physical growth and other symptoms; can result from neglect or physical disorders; marasmus.
fallopian tube: (see oviducts).
family: two or more persons who are joined together by bonds of sharing and emotional closeness and who identify themselves as being part of that family.
fasciotomy: excision of the fibrous membranes that cover and support muscles (fascia).
fat: a component of foods that is composed of fatty or greasy material and that yields the highest caloric value per gram; lipid material; adipose tissue.
fat-controlled diet: approach to eating which focuses on altering both the total amount and type of fat consumed in order to lower elevated levels of blood lipids.
fatigue: weariness resulting from overexertion; extreme tiredness.
febrile: pertaining to a fever.
fecal impaction: accumulation of hardened stool in the rectum.
feces: the residue, consisting of bacteria, secretions (chiefly of the liver), and a small amount of food residue which is discharged from the intestines; stool, bowel movement.
feedback: the receipt of external stimuli as a result of output (can be verbal, nonverbal, and emotional). Physical feedback is involved in the self-regulation of hormones and electrolytes within the body.
felony: a crime more serious than a misdemeanor, usually punishable by imprisonment for more than a year. Felonies include murder, euthanasia, kidnapping, and blackmail.
femoral pulse: pulse felt in the groin over the femoral artery.
femur: thigh bone.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): a severe physical and mental birth defect caused by a woman’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
fetal monitor: electronic device that monitors the rate and quality of the fetal heartbeat during labor.
fetoscope: special manual stethoscope used to detect fetal heart tones around the eighteenth to twentieth week of pregnancy.
fetus: the unborn offspring in the postembryonic period (7-8 weeks after fertilization), which develops in the uterus.
fever: abnormally high body temperature.
fiber: group name for the portion of plants resistant to digestion by human enzymes.
fibrillation: a quivering of muscle fibers.
fibrin: insoluble threads created by the thrombin conversion of fibrin, which form a net to entrap RBCs and platelets to form a blood clot.
fibrinogen: a protein in blood plasma that is converted into fibrin by the action of thrombin. (Also called clotting factor I.)
fibula: bone in the lower leg which is not weight bearing.
filtration: the passage or nonpassage of molecules through a filter (sieve), depending on the size of each molecule.
fimbriae: fringe-like ends of the oviducts that catch the ovum as it bursts from the ovary into the pelvic cavity.
fissure: type of skin lesion resembling a slit or furrow. fistula: an abnormal tubelike passage or channel, as an anal fistula or sinus tract.
flaccidity: brief loss of muscle tone, as in a seizure. flagellum: cellular organelle resembling a long whip which can propel bacteria in different directions in response to chemical changes in the environment (plural: flagella).
flatulence: condition of having intestinal gas.
flatus: gas in the intestines or stomach;gas expelled through the anus.
flex: to bend, as to flex the leg. (noun: flexion)
flotation mattress: mattress or pad filled with a gel-type material which supports the body in a way to provide comfort and avoid creating pressure points, thereby helping to prevent skin breakdown.
flow sheet: a form used to document client care (often contains check-off spaces for assessments/review of systems and nursing care items, as well as spaces to record items such as IV fluids, vital signs and weight, fluid intake, and client teaching).
fluid volume deficit: a deficiency of fluid and electrolytes in the ECF.
fluid volume excess: excessive retention of water and sodium in the ECF.
focal point: specific location, as in the certain place in the brain where a seizure originates.
focus: point of origin.
folliculitis: staphylococcal infection starting around the hair follicle.
fontanel: a soft spot in a baby’s skull.
footboard: vertical support at the foot of a bed, helps to prevent footdrop.
footdrop: contracture deformity that prevents the client from putting the heel on the floor; results from improper positioning or anterior leg muscle paralysis; abnormal plantar flexion of the foot.
foramen ovale: opening between the right and left atria in the fetal heart which permits most blood to bypass the right ventricle since the fetus’ lungs are not yet functioning.
foramen: a natural opening or passage, as the foramen ovale in the fetal heart.
forceps: a two-pronged surgical instrument for grasping or clamping tissues.
foremilk: milk produced at the beginning of a nursing session which is relatively low in fat.
forensic: pertaining to legal matters.
foreskin: a loose fold of skin covering the glans penis (removed in circumcision), also called prepuce.
foster family: family in which children live with paid caregivers.
Fowler’s: examination position in which the client is lying on his or her back with the head elevated.
fracture: a break, as in a bone.
fragile X syndrome: genetic sex-linked abnormality of the X chromosome resulting in cognitive impairment and distinct physical features; the most common form of inherited mental retardation.
fraud: dishonesty, cheating, deceit, misrepresentation.
freckle: brown or tan macule-type spot, often accentuated by exposure to sun, formed by patches of melanin clustered together.
frequency: number of occurrences within a defined time period, as in frequency of contractions during labor.
friable: fragile, easily broken, as friable skin.
frontal: pertaining to the forehead or the front, anterior, or ventral portion of the body when divided longitudinally from side to side.
frontal lobe: cerebral lobe that is larger in humans than in all other animals and allows for higher levels of mental functioning, including conceptualization, judgement, communication, and body movements.
Frontotemporal demential (FTD): also known as Pick’s disease, a type of dementia thought to be genetic, primarily affecting behaviors and language.
frostbite: freezing of tissue caused by exposure to cold.
fulguration: destruction of malignant tissues using a high-frequency current.
functional: affecting body function, but not structure; also called idiopathic.
functional disease: disorder in which a structural cause cannot be identified. functional disorder: type of mental illness that has no organic cause. functional family: a family that uses its resources to cope and become stronger under stress.
fundal height: measurement of the size of the uterus.
fundus: upper curve of the uterus.
furuncle: a painful, localized, pus-filled skin infection originating in a gland or hair follicle (boil).
