Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nursing (General) key terms

The set of practices that keep pathogens away from a client, a wound, or sterile equipment. Medical asepsis reduces organism numbers through cleanliness; surgical asepsis keeps objects completely free of microorganisms.

The routine measurements of body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, with oxygen saturation and pain often added. Nurses record them to detect change, judge response to treatment, and establish a baseline.

The systematic recording of all fluid a client takes by mouth, tube, or vein and all fluid lost through urine, vomit, stool, drainage, or insensible loss. It guides fluid replacement and detects overload or dehydration.

Localised damage to skin and underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, caused by sustained pressure combined with shear, friction, or moisture. Staging describes depth from non-blanchable redness to full-thickness tissue loss.

A scored risk assessment for pressure injury using six items: sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction with shear. Lower total scores indicate higher risk and prompt preventive nursing measures.

A planned timetable for turning and moving a client to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas, commonly every two hours and adjusted to tissue tolerance. Skin is inspected at each turn and the position is documented.

Infection-control measures applied to every client regardless of diagnosis, because any blood or body fluid may carry infection. They include hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, and safe sharps handling.

An infection a client acquires during care in a hospital or other health facility and that was not present or incubating on admission. It often follows invasive devices and is reduced by hand hygiene and device care.

A process that destroys all microorganisms including bacterial spores on equipment. Autoclaving with saturated steam under pressure is the usual hospital method; chemical and dry-heat methods suit heat-sensitive or dry items.

The use of chemical or physical agents to destroy most pathogenic organisms on inanimate objects or surfaces, but not necessarily spores. It is graded as high, intermediate, or low level according to the item's intended use.

An accidental puncture of the skin by a used needle or sharp. The nurse should encourage bleeding, wash with soap and water, report at once, and complete post-exposure prophylaxis assessment for HIV and hepatitis B.

Short-course medication or vaccination given soon after occupational exposure to a pathogen to prevent established infection. For HIV, antiretroviral drugs are started promptly; for hepatitis B, vaccine and immunoglobulin are used.

The body's tendency to keep internal conditions such as temperature, pH, glucose, and fluid volume within narrow limits. Feedback loops detect deviation and trigger responses that restore the set point.

A control mechanism in which the response to a stimulus reduces that stimulus and returns the body toward its set point. Examples include insulin lowering blood glucose and baroreceptor reflexes correcting blood pressure.

The divisions of total body water into intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid, the latter including interstitial and plasma volumes. Water shifts between compartments according to osmotic and hydrostatic forces.

The difference between the apical heart rate and the radial pulse counted at the same time. It occurs in atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias when weaker beats fail to produce a peripheral pulse.

The average arterial pressure across the cardiac cycle, roughly one-third of pulse pressure added to diastolic pressure. It reflects organ perfusion better than systolic pressure alone.

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in interstitial tissue or body cavities, producing swelling that pits on pressure. Causes include raised capillary pressure, low plasma protein, lymphatic blockage, and sodium retention.

A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods by how much they raise blood glucose over two hours compared with a reference food. Low-index foods are useful in diabetes and in planning balanced meals.

A diet supplying energy and all essential nutrients in proportions that meet the body's needs for growth, activity, and repair. It includes cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit, milk, and moderate fat and sugar.

Deficiency of protein and energy in the diet, presenting as marasmus with severe wasting or kwashiorkor with oedema and skin changes. It is common in young children and needs gradual nutritional rehabilitation.

The gradual introduction of semisolid and solid foods alongside breast milk, starting around six months when milk alone no longer meets needs. Foods are added one at a time to build tolerance and detect allergy.

Feeding an infant only breast milk, with no water, other fluids, or solids, for the first six months of life. It reduces infection and supports growth, after which complementary foods are added while feeding continues.

The thick yellowish milk secreted in the first few days after delivery. It is rich in antibodies and protein and low in fat, and it acts as the infant's first immunisation against common infections.

A plotted graph of weight, length, or head circumference against age, with reference lines showing expected ranges. Serial plotting reveals faltering growth earlier than a single measurement.

A clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet tissue demand, or can do so only at raised filling pressure. It produces breathlessness, fatigue, oedema, and pulmonary or systemic congestion.

A chronic disorder of raised blood glucose caused by deficient insulin secretion, insulin resistance, or both. Management combines diet, activity, medication, and monitoring to prevent complications.

Abnormally low blood glucose, typically below 70 mg/dL, causing sweating, tremor, confusion, and if untreated, seizures or coma. Immediate oral glucose or intravenous dextrose is required, followed by a meal.

Sorting of casualties by urgency so that limited staff and resources reach the most salvageable first. In mass casualties clients are tagged into priority groups; in the emergency department a triage category sets waiting time.

Chest compressions combined with rescue breathing to circulate oxygenated blood after cardiac arrest. High-quality compressions at 100 to 120 per minute with full recoil and minimal interruption improve survival.

Measures to keep the passage from mouth to lungs open and clear. It begins with head tilt and chin lift, suction, and airway adjuncts, and may progress to supraglottic devices or intubation.

India's national schedule of free vaccines for pregnant women and children, delivered through public health facilities and outreach sessions. It covers BCG, hepatitis B, oral polio, pentavalent, rotavirus, and other antigens by age.

The unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps vaccines within the recommended temperature range from manufacture to use. A break in the chain can make a vaccine ineffective.

A client's voluntary agreement to a procedure after receiving adequate information about its nature, benefits, risks, and alternatives. It must be obtained by a person competent to give it and documented.

The professional duty to keep a client's health information private and share it only with those who need it for care. Breach is both an ethical failure and a legal risk, with limited exceptions such as statutory reporting.

Acting on a client's behalf to protect rights, safety, and preferences, especially when the client cannot speak for themselves. The nurse informs, supports decisions, and raises concerns through proper channels.

Purposeful interaction that uses listening, open questions, reflection, and clarification to help a client express feelings and understand care. It avoids false reassurance, judgement, and advice giving.

Attending fully to a speaker's words and feelings, using eye contact, posture, and brief responses to show understanding. It encourages the client to continue and reveals concerns that direct questions may miss.

A systematic five-step method of care: assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. It organises data, sets measurable outcomes, and provides a record for continuity and accountability.

The written or electronic record of assessments, interventions, and client responses, kept as a legal and professional account of care. It should be accurate, timely, factual, and free of speculation.