AMCA PCTC key terms

The body's tendency to keep internal conditions such as temperature, pH, and blood sugar within a narrow, stable range despite outside changes.

A control process in which a change triggers a response that reverses the change, returning the body to its set point, as seen in temperature regulation.

The sum of all chemical reactions in the body, including those that build substances up and those that break substances down to release energy.

The set of metabolic reactions that build larger molecules from smaller ones, such as joining amino acids into proteins, and that generally require energy.

The set of metabolic reactions that break larger molecules into smaller ones, releasing energy the body can use, as in digestion and cellular respiration.

A standard reference stance in which a person stands upright, faces forward, with arms at the sides and palms turned forward, used to describe body locations.

Closer to the point where a limb attaches to the trunk, or closer to the body's center; the shoulder is proximal to the elbow.

Farther from the point where a limb attaches to the trunk, or farther from the body's center; the fingers are distal to the wrist.

The higher number in a blood pressure reading, reflecting the pressure in arteries at the moment the heart contracts and pushes blood out.

The lower number in a blood pressure reading, reflecting the pressure remaining in arteries while the heart relaxes and refills between beats.

One complete sequence of heart contraction and relaxation that moves blood through the chambers and out to the body, repeating with each heartbeat.

How the body handles a drug over time, covering its absorption, distribution to tissues, breakdown, and eventual removal from the body.

What a drug does to the body, including the effects it produces and how those effects relate to the amount of drug present.

The time it takes for the amount of a drug in the body to fall by half, which helps guide how often a dose should be given.

The point during repeated dosing when the amount of drug entering the body equals the amount leaving, so blood levels stay fairly constant.

A comparison of the dose that produces a harmful effect with the dose that produces a beneficial effect; a narrow index means careful monitoring is needed.

An unwanted or harmful effect that occurs after a medication or treatment is given, ranging from mild discomfort to serious injury.

A condition, factor, or situation in which a drug or procedure should not be used because it could cause harm.

A licensed prescriber's written or electronic order authorizing a specific medication, including its dose, route, and frequency, for a named patient.

The ways a medication can enter the body, such as by mouth, injection, inhalation, or through the skin, each affecting how fast it acts.

Infection control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene and use of gloves or other barriers when contact with body fluids is likely.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at key moments to remove germs and prevent spreading infection between patients and staff.

Barrier items such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection worn to shield the wearer's skin, clothing, and mucous membranes from contact with infectious material.

A model describing the steps needed for an infection to spread: a germ, a place to live, a way out, a way to travel, a way in, and a susceptible person.

Extra precautions used beyond standard ones for certain infections, grouped by how the germ spreads: through the air, through droplets, or by direct and indirect contact.

Using chemicals or heat to reduce the number of disease-causing germs on surfaces and equipment, though not necessarily killing every organism.

A process that destroys all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, on an item, typically used for surgical instruments and other items entering sterile body areas.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure or treatment after receiving and understanding information about its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives.

The range of duties and procedures a healthcare worker is legally permitted and trained to perform under their license, certification, or job role.

The ethical and legal duty to protect a patient's private health information and share it only with those authorized to receive it.

Failure to provide the level of care a reasonably careful professional would provide in similar circumstances, resulting in harm to a patient.

A legal document prepared in advance that states a person's wishes about medical care, or names someone to decide, if the person later cannot speak for themselves.

Core measurements of body function, usually temperature, pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure, and sometimes oxygen saturation, used to assess a patient's condition.

The rhythmic expansion and contraction of an artery felt when the heart beats, commonly checked at the wrist or neck to measure heart rate and rhythm.

Practices that keep equipment and areas free of germs during procedures such as wound care or injections, reducing the chance of introducing infection.

Using correct posture, balance, and body alignment when lifting, moving, or transferring patients to protect both the worker and the patient from injury.

A word part attached to the beginning of a term that changes its meaning, such as 'brady-', which means slow.

A word part attached to the end of a term that changes its meaning, often indicating a condition, procedure, or process, such as '-itis', meaning inflammation.

The main part of a medical term that carries its core meaning, often referring to a body part or system, as in 'cardi-', meaning heart.