Panhellenic Health Sciences flashcards

34 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Cardiac output formula

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. In a resting adult this typically falls between 4 and 8 liters per minute, and it rises with exercise or demand.

Mean arterial pressure

MAP is estimated as diastolic pressure plus one third of the pulse pressure (systolic minus diastolic). A MAP of at least 60 mmHg is generally required to perfuse vital organs.

Respiratory membrane

The thin barrier formed by alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium where oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse. Surfactant within alveoli lowers surface tension and prevents collapse during exhalation.

Nephron reabsorption site

Most filtered water, sodium, and glucose are reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule. The loop of Henle then creates the medullary concentration gradient used to concentrate urine.

Chain of infection links

Six links: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Infection control breaks any one of these links to prevent transmission.

Airborne precautions requirements

Used for tuberculosis, measles, and varicella. Requires a fit-tested N95 or higher respirator and a negative-pressure room with the door kept closed and air exchanges per facility policy.

Clostridioides difficile hand hygiene

Alcohol-based rub does not reliably kill C. difficile spores. Soap-and-water handwashing with friction is required, along with gown and gloves under contact precautions for the patient.

Sterilization versus disinfection

Sterilization destroys all microorganisms including bacterial spores, typically by autoclave. Disinfection reduces pathogens on inanimate surfaces but may leave spores intact, so it is not equivalent.

First-pass metabolism

After oral dosing, drug absorbed into portal blood passes through the liver and gut wall before reaching systemic circulation, reducing bioavailability. This is why some drugs are given intravenously.

Drug half-life and steady state

Half-life is the time for plasma concentration to fall by half. With constant dosing, steady state is generally reached after roughly four to five half-lives, guiding timing of drug monitoring.

Narrow therapeutic index drugs

Drugs where small changes in blood level risk toxicity or loss of effect, such as warfarin, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, and aminoglycosides. These require therapeutic drug monitoring and careful dose adjustment.

Acetaminophen antidote

Acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione and detoxifies the toxic metabolite NAPQI. It is most effective when given early after overdose, and treatment decisions often use the Rumack-Matthew nomogram.

Glasgow Coma Scale scoring

Eye opening scores 1 to 4, verbal response 1 to 5, and motor response 1 to 6. The total ranges from 3 to 15, and a score of 8 or below signals severe impairment.

OPQRST pain assessment

A structured pain history: onset, provocation and palliation, quality, region and radiation, severity, and time. It produces a reproducible description that supports triage and reassessment after intervention.

Orthostatic hypotension criteria

A fall of at least 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic within three minutes of standing. It suggests volume depletion, medication effect, or autonomic dysfunction and raises fall risk.

Cardiac auscultation landmarks

Aortic valve at the right second intercostal space, pulmonic at the left second, tricuspid at the left fourth to fifth parasternal edge, and mitral at the left fifth midclavicular line.

Informed consent elements

Valid consent requires patient capacity, disclosure of material risks, benefits, and alternatives, patient comprehension, and voluntary choice. Consent may be withdrawn at any time by a capable patient.

Negligence four elements

A plaintiff must show duty of care, breach of that duty, causation linking breach to harm, and actual damages. Failure to prove any single element defeats the claim.

Confidentiality exceptions

Disclosure without authorization may be permitted for treatment, mandated reporting of abuse or specified communicable diseases, and imminent serious harm to the patient or an identifiable other person.

Minimum necessary standard

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, disclosures for treatment, payment, and operations should include only the information needed for that purpose. Psychotherapy notes carry stricter separate authorization requirements.

Incidence versus prevalence

Incidence counts new cases in a population at risk over a time period. Prevalence counts all existing cases at a point or period, so it rises when incidence rises or survival lengthens.

Herd immunity threshold

The proportion immune needed to interrupt transmission, approximated as 1 minus 1 divided by R0. Measles, with very high R0, requires roughly 92 to 95 percent coverage.

Sensitivity and specificity

Sensitivity is true positives divided by all diseased people. Specificity is true negatives divided by all non-diseased people. Both are properties of the test, independent of disease prevalence.

Positive predictive value dependence

PPV is the probability that a positive result is a true positive. It falls when disease prevalence falls, even if sensitivity and specificity stay unchanged, so screening programs favor higher-prevalence groups.

Levels of prevention

Primary prevents disease onset, such as vaccination. Secondary detects disease early, such as screening. Tertiary limits disability and complications, such as rehabilitation after stroke.

SOAP note format

Subjective records the patient's report, objective records examination and test findings, assessment states the clinical interpretation, and plan lists diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up.

Dangerous abbreviations to avoid

The Joint Commission prohibits ambiguous abbreviations including U for unit, IU, qd and qhs, MS and MSO4, and trailing zeros. Write full words or unambiguous forms such as daily and nightly.

Suffix meanings in terminology

Common suffixes include -itis for inflammation, -ectomy for surgical removal, -otomy for incision, -ostomy for creating an opening, -emia for a blood condition, and -uria for a urine condition.

High-quality compression rate

Adult chest compressions are delivered at 100 to 120 per minute, 5 to 6 centimeters deep, with full recoil and minimal interruptions. Without an advanced airway the compression-to-ventilation ratio is 30 to 2.

Shockable cardiac arrest rhythms

Ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia respond to defibrillation. Asystole and pulseless electrical activity are non-shockable and are managed with compressions, epinephrine, and treatment of reversible causes.

Reversible arrest causes

Remembered as the Hs and Ts: hypovolemia, hypoxia, hydrogen ion acidosis, hypo or hyperkalemia, hypothermia, tension pneumothorax, tamponade, toxins, and coronary or pulmonary thrombosis.

Anaphylaxis epinephrine dose

Give 0.3 to 0.5 milligrams of 1:1,000 epinephrine intramuscularly into the anterolateral thigh, repeating every 5 to 15 minutes as needed. It is first-line therapy and should not be delayed.

Interoperability standards HL7 FHIR

HL7 messaging and the newer FHIR standard enable exchange of clinical data between systems. Shared terminologies such as SNOMED CT, LOINC, and ICD support consistent meaning across records.

Least privilege access control

Users receive only the minimum electronic health record access required for their role. Audit logs record who viewed which records, supporting breach detection and HIPAA Security Rule compliance.