Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Nursing (General) key terms

Practices that keep a person or object free from disease-causing microorganisms. Medical asepsis reduces germ numbers through cleanliness and hand hygiene, while surgical asepsis destroys all germs on items entering sterile body areas.

A work area treated as free of all microorganisms, prepared with sterile drapes and equipment. Only sterile items may touch it, and anything contacting a non-sterile surface is considered contaminated and must be replaced.

The measurable body indicators routinely recorded to detect change in a patient's condition: body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation. Nurses compare readings with normal ranges and report abnormal values promptly.

The rhythmic expansion of an artery felt when the heart pumps blood into it. It is counted for one full minute and described by rate, rhythm, and volume; common sites are the radial and carotid arteries.

The force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of arteries, recorded as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure in millimetres of mercury. Values are influenced by heart output, vessel resistance, blood volume, and age.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub to remove dirt and microorganisms. It is performed before and after patient contact, after body-fluid exposure, and before aseptic procedures, making it the single most effective infection-control measure.

An infection a patient acquires in a hospital or health facility that was not present or incubating at the time of admission. Common examples include urinary and wound infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia, often linked to invasive devices.

Localised injury to skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure, friction, or shear, usually over bony prominences such as the sacrum and heels. Prevention includes regular repositioning, skin care, and pressure-relieving devices.

Planned movement of each joint through its full available arc to maintain flexibility, muscle tone, and circulation. It may be active, performed by the patient, or passive, performed by the nurse when the patient cannot move independently.

The body's tendency to keep its internal environment stable, such as temperature, pH, blood glucose, and fluid balance, despite outside changes. Feedback mechanisms detect deviation and trigger responses that restore the normal range.

The standard reference posture in which a person stands upright, faces forward, arms hang at the sides, and palms face forward with thumbs outward. Body directions and planes are described as if the body were in this position.

Imaginary flat surfaces used to describe sections of the body. The sagittal plane divides it into left and right parts, the coronal plane into front and back, and the transverse plane into upper and lower portions.

The total of chemical reactions in the body that build substances and release energy. It includes anabolism, which builds complex molecules, and catabolism, which breaks them down, and is regulated largely by hormones and enzymes.

A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction without being consumed by it. Enzymes act on substrates at particular body temperature and pH, and each enzyme usually catalyses only one kind of reaction.

A mineral dissolved in body fluid that carries an electric charge and helps regulate water balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contraction. Important examples are sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride; losses occur through vomiting, diarrhoea, and sweating.

One complete sequence of heartbeat events, consisting of atrial and ventricular contraction followed by relaxation. It moves blood from atria to ventricles and then into the arteries, and its phases produce heart sounds.

The process of sorting casualties by urgency so that limited resources treat the most life-threatening cases first. Categories range from immediate to delayed, and the assessment is repeated because a patient's condition can change.

Emergency life support given when breathing and heartbeat stop, using cycles of chest compressions and rescue breaths. Compressions push blood to the brain and heart, and early defibrillation greatly improves survival.

The period immediately after severe injury in which rapid assessment and definitive treatment most improve the chance of survival. Emergency care during this window focuses on controlling bleeding, securing the airway, and urgent transport.

A life-threatening state in which blood flow is inadequate to supply body tissues with oxygen. Signs include pale cold skin, rapid weak pulse, low blood pressure, thirst, and restlessness; first aid includes lying the patient flat and keeping them warm.

The time between entry of an infectious agent into the body and the appearance of the first symptoms. It is characteristic for each disease, and during some incubation periods the person can already transmit infection to others.

An illness caused by a pathogen that can pass from an infected person, animal, or reservoir to another susceptible host. Transmission may be direct contact, droplets, airborne particles, contaminated food and water, or insect vectors.

A living organism, usually an insect or arthropod, that carries a pathogen from one host to another. Mosquitoes transmit malaria and dengue, and flies can carry diarrhoeal organisms; vector control includes eliminating breeding sites.

A diet supplying all nutrients in the amounts the body needs, drawn from cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, milk, and fats in suitable proportions. It meets energy, protein, vitamin, mineral, and fibre requirements for age and activity.

A nutrient required in relatively large amounts to supply energy or build tissue: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Each gram of carbohydrate or protein yields about four kilocalories, while a gram of fat yields about nine.

The energy the body uses at complete rest to maintain breathing, circulation, temperature, and cell activity. It is measured in kilocalories per day and is raised by fever, growth, and activity, and lowered by ageing and starvation.

A disorder caused by lack of a specific nutrient in the diet over time. Examples include iron-deficiency anaemia, vitamin A blindness, and iodine-goitre; prevention relies on dietary improvement and food fortification.

Supervision of a woman's health during pregnancy through regular check-ups, weight and blood pressure monitoring, iron and folic acid supplements, tetanus immunisation, and screening for danger signs. Its aim is a safe delivery for mother and baby.

The thick yellowish first milk produced in the days after birth. It is rich in antibodies and protein and acts as the baby's first natural vaccine, so it should never be discarded.

Feeding an infant only breast milk, with no water, other liquids, or solid food, for the first six months of life. It provides complete nutrition and protection from infection, and is followed by complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding.

The gradual introduction of semisolid and solid foods alongside breast milk, usually starting after six months as the infant's needs grow. It should be slow, hygienic, and suited to the infant's chewing and swallowing ability.

The study of how disease and health conditions are distributed in populations and what factors determine that distribution. Its measures, such as incidence and prevalence, guide control programmes and health planning in the community.

The number of new cases of a disease arising in a defined population during a stated period, usually expressed per thousand or per lakh. It measures the speed at which new illness appears and is used to judge control measures.

The total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a given point in time or over a period. It reflects both new cases and how long people remain ill, so chronic diseases often show high prevalence.

Indirect protection of a community from an infection when a large proportion of members are immune, so the pathogen cannot spread easily. It protects people who cannot be vaccinated, such as very young infants and immunocompromised persons.

The process of making a person resistant to an infection, usually by giving a vaccine that stimulates protective antibodies. In India, the Universal Immunisation Programme schedules vaccines against tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, and hepatitis B.

The system of keeping vaccines at the correct low temperature from manufacture to use, using refrigerators, cold boxes, and vaccine carriers. A break in the chain can make a vaccine ineffective and wastes a whole batch.

Any microorganism capable of causing disease, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Pathogens differ in how they enter the body and in the precautions needed to prevent their spread.

The complete destruction or removal of all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, from an object. It is achieved by autoclaving, dry heat, or chemical agents and is required for surgical instruments and dressings.

The destruction of most disease-causing microorganisms on inanimate objects or surfaces, but not necessarily spores. It is used for items such as floors, bedpans, and thermometers that do not enter sterile body tissue.

Equipment that sterilises items using steam under pressure at a temperature above boiling point, usually around 121 degrees Celsius. Air must be removed and the load properly packed for steam to reach every surface.

A medicine that kills or stops the growth of bacteria. It is ineffective against viruses, and misuse or incomplete courses encourage resistant strains, so prescribers must confirm the need and dose.

The ability of bacteria to survive medicines that once killed them, often arising from unnecessary use, low doses, or incomplete courses. It makes common infections harder and costlier to treat and spreads between people and animals.

A harmful or unintended response to a medicine given at a normal dose. It may be predictable, such as bleeding with anticoagulants, or unpredictable, such as allergy, and must be documented and reported.

The way a medicine is introduced into the body, for example oral, intramuscular, intravenous, subcutaneous, topical, or inhalational. The route affects how fast the drug acts, its dose, and the equipment and technique required.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure or treatment after receiving clear information about its purpose, benefits, risks, and alternatives. It protects the patient's right to decide and must be taken without pressure.

The duty to keep a patient's personal and health information private and to share it only with those involved in care or as required by law. Breach of confidentiality damages trust and may carry legal and professional consequences.

The limits that keep the relationship between a nurse and patient focused on the patient's care. Crossing them, for example through personal favours, gifts, or emotional involvement, can harm the patient and the nurse's objectivity.

Purposeful conversation used by a nurse to understand and support a patient, using listening, open questions, reflection, and empathy. It avoids judgement and false reassurance and helps patients express concerns and make informed choices.