Assam Higher Secondary Health Care key terms

The first point of contact for basic curative, preventive and promotive care in rural India, staffed by medical officers, nurses and multipurpose workers, and serving as a referral link to higher facilities.

The most peripheral government health facility, covering about 5,000 people in plains, staffed mainly by an ANM and a male health worker, providing basic maternal, child and communicable disease services.

A planned process by which a patient is transferred from a lower-level facility to a higher-level facility for services that cannot be provided locally, with proper documentation and communication.

A flagship Government of India programme combining the National Rural and Urban Health Missions to strengthen public health systems, reproductive and child health services, and disease control.

A principle ensuring that all people receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship, covering promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative care.

A trained local person, such as an ASHA, who links households to the health system by providing basic advice, referral and follow-up close to where people live.

The body's ability to keep internal conditions such as temperature, pH, blood glucose and fluid balance within a narrow stable range despite changes in the external environment.

A control mechanism in which a change in a body variable triggers a response that reverses the change, returning the variable toward its normal set point.

The core physiological measurements of temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure, plus oxygen saturation in many settings, used to detect and monitor changes in a patient's condition.

The higher of the two blood pressure readings, representing arterial pressure at the moment the heart's ventricles contract and push blood into the circulation.

The lower blood pressure reading, reflecting arterial pressure while the heart relaxes and refills between beats.

The standard reference posture in which a person stands upright, faces forward, with arms at the sides and palms facing forward, used to describe body directions consistently.

A systematic five-step method of care comprising assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation, used to plan and review individualised patient care.

The structured collection of subjective and objective information about a patient, including history, observation, palpation and vital signs, forming the basis for care decisions.

Localised damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure, friction or shear, commonly over bony prominences in immobile patients and largely preventable through repositioning.

A planned timetable for regularly turning and moving a bedbound patient to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas, usually every two hours, with skin checks at each turn.

A record of all fluids a patient takes in and passes out over a set period, used to assess hydration, renal function and response to treatment.

The relationship between the fluid a person takes in and the fluid lost through urine, stool, sweat, breathing and vomiting, which must stay roughly equal for health.

The rapid sorting of patients by urgency so that those with life-threatening conditions receive care first when resources are limited.

A sequence of chest compressions and rescue breaths given to a person in cardiac arrest to maintain blood flow to the brain and heart until advanced help arrives.

A portable device that analyses heart rhythm and delivers a controlled electric shock to restore a normal rhythm in certain cardiac arrests, with voice prompts guiding the user.

A stable side-lying posture for an unconscious but breathing person that keeps the airway open and allows fluids to drain from the mouth.

The passage from the mouth and nose through the throat and windpipe to the lungs, which must be kept open as the first priority in any emergency assessment.

The study of how diseases and health conditions are distributed in populations and of the factors that determine that distribution, guiding prevention and control measures.

The number of new cases of a disease arising in a defined population during a specified period, showing how fast new illness is occurring.

The total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a given point or period, showing how widespread the condition is.

The continuous systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data, used to detect outbreaks early and plan and evaluate public health action.

A disease that health workers are legally required to report to public health authorities so that outbreaks can be detected and controlled promptly.

A diet supplying adequate energy and all essential nutrients in correct proportions from varied food groups, matched to a person's age, sex, activity and physiological state.

A nutrient required in large amounts to supply energy or build tissue, namely carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

A vitamin or mineral needed only in small quantities but essential for growth, immunity and normal body functions, such as iron, iodine and vitamin A.

Giving an infant only breast milk, with no water, other fluids or food, for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods.

The thick yellowish first milk produced in the days after delivery, rich in antibodies and nutrients, which protects the newborn from infection and should not be discarded.

The regular health checks, screening, supplements and advice given to a woman during pregnancy to protect her health and that of the developing baby.

Care given to the mother and newborn in the weeks after birth, covering recovery checks, breastfeeding support and danger-sign counselling.

A condition or circumstance in which a medicine or procedure should not be used because it may cause harm to the patient.

An unwanted and harmful response to a medicine given at normal doses, which should be recognised, documented and reported.

The science of detecting, assessing, understanding and preventing adverse effects or other medicine-related problems, mainly through systematic reporting of suspected reactions.

The checks that the right patient receives the right drug in the right dose by the right route at the right time, guarding against medication errors.

Routine infection control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves and other protective barriers, and safe handling of sharps and waste.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at the correct moments, the single most effective measure for preventing spread of infection.

Barrier items such as gloves, gown, mask, goggles and cap worn to protect the health worker and patient from contact with infectious material.

Waste generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunisation, which must be segregated by colour-coded containers and disposed of safely to prevent infection and injury.

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

The ethical and legal duty to keep a patient's personal health information private and share it only with those who need it for the patient's care.

The organised written or electronic account of a patient's history, examinations, treatment and progress, kept for continuity of care and legal purposes.

Purposeful, respectful interaction using listening, open questions and empathy to help a patient express concerns and understand their care.