UPMSP High School Health Care key terms

A group of trained people with different roles, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and health workers, who work together to protect and restore a patient's health.

The first place where a person goes for basic medical care, usually close to the community, offering check-ups, treatment of common illness, and referral to higher facilities.

The formal sending of a patient by one health worker or facility to another with more skill or equipment, together with written information about the case.

The standard body posture used for describing anatomy: standing upright, face forward, arms at the sides, palms facing forward, and feet flat and together.

An imaginary flat surface used to divide the body for study, such as the median plane splitting left and right, or the transverse plane splitting upper and lower parts.

A directional word meaning closer to the point where a limb attaches to the trunk, for example the shoulder end of the upper arm compared with the elbow end.

A directional word meaning farther away from the point where a limb attaches to the trunk, for example the wrist compared with the elbow.

The study of how the organs and systems of a living body normally work and keep themselves in balance, such as how the heart pumps or how the kidneys filter blood.

The body's ability to keep internal conditions such as temperature, water content and blood sugar within a narrow, stable range despite changes outside the body.

All the chemical processes in the body that break down food for energy and build or repair body tissues, releasing heat as a by-product.

The everyday practices a person follows to stay clean and prevent disease, including bathing, hand washing, oral care, clean clothing and safe handling of food.

Immediate, temporary care given to an injured or suddenly ill person before professional help arrives, aimed at preserving life and preventing the condition from worsening.

The first priority order in an emergency: check that the Airway is open, that the person is Breathing, and that Circulation is present, before giving further care.

Chest compressions, with rescue breaths if trained, given to a person who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, to keep blood moving to the brain.

A safe side-lying posture for an unconscious person who is breathing, which keeps the airway open and lets fluids drain out of the mouth.

A life-threatening state in which blood flow to body organs is too low, shown by pale cold skin, fast weak pulse, thirst, restlessness and falling blood pressure.

A firm dressing tied over a bleeding wound to press the blood vessels and slow blood loss while the patient is taken for medical help.

Damage to skin and deeper tissue caused by unrelieved pressure over bony points in a person who stays in one position for a long time, common in bedridden patients.

Cleaning a patient's whole body in bed with water, soap and cloths when the person cannot get up, keeping them warm, covered and private throughout.

Regularly changing a patient's body position, for example turning every two hours, to relieve pressure, aid breathing and keep the patient comfortable.

A daily record of all fluid a patient drinks and receives by tube or drip, compared with all urine, vomit and drainage passed, used to judge fluid balance.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at the correct moments, especially before touching a patient and after contact with body fluids.

Barrier items worn to stop contact with germs, such as gloves, gown, mask, goggles and cap, chosen according to the task and removed in a safe order.

An infection that a patient picks up while receiving care in a hospital or other health facility, and which was not present or developing when they arrived.

A process that destroys all micro-organisms, including bacterial spores, on instruments and equipment, for example by steam under pressure in an autoclave.

Waste produced during health care, such as used needles, soiled dressings, blood-stained cotton and body parts, which must be sorted by colour-coded container and safely destroyed.

A strong, puncture-proof, clearly labelled box used to collect used needles, blades and broken glass so that no one is injured by them.

Systems and practices for safe disposal of human waste and refuse, and for keeping water and surroundings clean, so that disease does not spread in a community.

A daily food pattern that supplies the right amounts of energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water from a mix of food groups for a person's age and work.

A nutrient needed by the body in large amounts to give energy or build tissue, namely carbohydrate, protein and fat.

A vitamin or mineral needed by the body only in very small amounts, yet essential for health, such as iron, iodine, vitamin A and vitamin C.

A condition caused by eating too little, too much, or the wrong mix of nutrients, leading to problems such as stunting, wasting, thinness or being overweight.

A condition in which the blood carries too little haemoglobin, causing tiredness, pale skin and breathlessness; iron deficiency is a common cause in India.

The check-ups, tests, advice and supplements a pregnant woman receives before birth to protect her health and the growth of the baby.

The thick, yellowish first milk produced in the days after delivery, rich in antibodies and nutrients, which should be given to the newborn and never thrown away.

Giving a baby only breast milk, with no water, formula or other food, for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with added foods.

A drink made by dissolving a measured sachet of salts and glucose in clean water, given in small frequent sips to replace fluid lost through diarrhoea.

The basic measurements of body function: temperature, pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure and often oxygen saturation, recorded to detect changes in a patient's condition.

The rhythmic expansion of an artery felt with the fingertips each time the heart beats, counted for a full minute and noted for rate, rhythm and strength.

The resting temperature of a healthy person, usually taken in the mouth, armpit or rectum, with about 37 degrees Celsius accepted as normal for an adult.

A state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in, shown by thirst, dry mouth, dark urine, sunken eyes and reduced urine output.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a test or treatment after being told, in words they understand, what will be done and what risks and choices exist.

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

The written or electronic file of a patient's history, examination findings, tests, treatment and progress, kept accurate, dated and signed by the health worker.

Paying full attention to a speaker, noting both words and feelings, and checking understanding by reflecting back or asking short open questions.