RBSE Sec Voc Health Care flashcards

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

Anatomical position

Standing erect, face forward, arms at the sides with palms facing anteriorly and feet flat. All directional and positional terms in anatomy assume this reference posture.

Homeostasis

The body's tendency to keep internal conditions such as temperature, pH, and glucose within narrow limits, mainly through negative feedback loops that reverse deviations from a set point.

Braden Scale

A six-part risk assessment tool scoring sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction or shear. Lower total scores indicate higher risk of developing pressure injuries.

Fowler position

A sitting-up position with the head of the bed raised 45 to 60 degrees and knees slightly flexed. It improves lung expansion, eases breathing, and reduces aspiration risk during feeding.

Adult CPR compression rate

For an adult in cardiac arrest, compress the lower half of the sternum at 100 to 120 per minute to a depth of 5 to 6 cm, allowing full chest recoil, with 30 compressions to 2 breaths.

FAST stroke screen

A rapid assessment checking Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time of onset. Any positive finding requires immediate emergency transfer to a stroke-capable facility.

Chain of infection

Six linked elements: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Breaking any single link prevents transmission of infection.

Standard precautions

Infection control measures applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves, gown, mask, eye protection, safe sharps handling, and appropriate waste segregation.

Autoclave sterilization

Sterilization using saturated steam under pressure, typically 121 degrees Celsius at 15 psi for 15 to 20 minutes. It kills all microorganisms including bacterial spores and is verified by indicators.

Body mass index

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Values below 18.5 indicate underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 normal, 25 to 29.9 overweight, and 30 or above obesity.

Basal metabolic rate

The energy expended at complete rest to maintain vital functions, estimated by the Harris-Benedict equation using weight, height, and age. It accounts for most daily energy use.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K, absorbed with dietary fat and stored in liver and adipose tissue. Excess intake can accumulate to toxic levels, unlike water-soluble vitamins excreted in urine.

Naegele rule

A method to estimate the delivery date: take the first day of the last menstrual period, subtract three months, add seven days, and add one year.

Exclusive breastfeeding

Feeding an infant only breast milk, with no water, formula, or other foods, for the first six months. Complementary foods are then added while breastfeeding continues up to two years.

APGAR score

A newborn assessment at one and five minutes scoring Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration from 0 to 2 each. A total of 7 to 10 is generally reassuring.

Incidence versus prevalence

Incidence counts new cases arising in a population at risk during a period. Prevalence counts all existing cases, new and old, at a specified point or over a period.

Levels of prevention

Primary prevention acts before disease occurs, such as immunization. Secondary prevention detects disease early through screening. Tertiary prevention limits disability through treatment and rehabilitation.

Infant mortality rate

The number of deaths of infants under one year of age in a year divided by the number of live births in the same year, multiplied by 1000.

Suffix -ectomy

A medical suffix meaning surgical removal of a structure, as in appendectomy (removal of the appendix) or hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). It differs from -otomy, which means incision.

SOAP note

A structured progress record with Subjective (what the patient reports), Objective (measured findings), Assessment (clinical interpretation), and Plan (actions and follow-up).

NPO

An abbreviation meaning nothing by mouth. The patient receives no food or fluid orally, usually before surgery, sedation, or certain diagnostic procedures.

Ten rights of medication

Verification that the right patient receives the right drug, dose, route, and time, with correct documentation, reason, response, right to refuse, and appropriate patient education.

Ventrogluteal site

An intramuscular injection site on the upper outer buttock, located by placing the palm on the greater trochanter and index finger on the anterior iliac spine. It avoids major nerves.

Sublingual administration

Placing a tablet under the tongue for rapid absorption through the sublingual veins, bypassing first-pass liver metabolism. It is used for drugs such as nitroglycerin.

Naloxone

An opioid antagonist that reverses respiratory depression and sedation caused by opioid overdose. It is given intravenously, intramuscularly, or intranasally and may need repeat doses.

Radial pulse technique

Palpate the radial artery on the thumb side of the wrist with two or three fingertips, count beats for a full minute, and record rate, rhythm, and volume.

Sterile catheterization technique

Insert a lubricated catheter using sterile gloves and equipment until urine flows, then inflate the balloon only after confirming urine return, and secure the tubing without tension.

Cardiac output

The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, equal to heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. A resting adult value is approximately 5 litres per minute.

Medulla oblongata

The brainstem region containing the respiratory control centre. It sets the basic rhythm of breathing and responds mainly to rising arterial carbon dioxide levels.

Glomerular filtration rate

The volume of fluid filtered by the kidney glomeruli per minute, about 125 mL per minute in a healthy adult. A falling rate indicates reduced kidney function.

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts

Osteoblasts build new bone matrix and promote mineralization, while osteoclasts resorb bone. Their balanced activity drives bone remodelling and regulates blood calcium levels.

Sympathetic nervous system

The fight-or-flight division of the autonomic nervous system. It raises heart rate and blood pressure, dilates the pupils and airways, and diverts blood flow to skeletal muscle.