Lesson 2.1

A record of information about a patient’s past and current health. Includes information about the patient’s habits, lifestyle, and even the health of their family.

The patient’s description of what they feel is their main health problem.

Pieces of evidence that indicate an illness that can be observed externally, such as a rash, coughing, or elevated temperature.

Any subjective evidence of disease a patient perceives, such as aches, nausea, or fatigue. Symptoms allow the health care provider to narrow down the possible conditions that may be affecting the patient and then run tests to make a diagnosis.

The process of determining which disease or condition explains a person’s symptoms and signs.

Outward behavior or bearing. A doctor might have a cheerful, peaceful, or friendly demeanor and put the patient at ease. A doctor with an arrogant or dismissive demeanor might lose a patient’s trust.

Discretion and sensitivity in dealing with others. A doctor might exhibit tact when they choose their words carefully so as to not upset a patient when they must deliver bad news

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person

Measurements—specifically pulse rate, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure—that indicate the state of a patient’s essential body functions.

The maintenance of stable internal physiological conditions (like body temperature or the pH of blood), which enables the optimal functioning of an organism.

The rhythmic expansion and recoil of arteries resulting from heart contraction.

The number of breaths an organism takes per minute.

The pressure that blood exerts upon the walls of blood vessels, especially arteries, usually measured with a sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury.

The sorting and prioritization of patients based on the urgency of their need for care.

Hemoglobin-rich, red blood cells that transport oxygen through a body. Erythrocytes give the red color to vertebrate blood and do not have nuclei.

One of the many cells in the blood that lack hemoglobin but have a nucleus and are active in the immune response. Lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils are leucocytes.

A minute, colorless, anucleate disk-like body of mammalian blood that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and damaged epithelium.

The pale yellow, liquid portion of blood that consists of water and dissolved substances, including sugars, lipids, metabolic waste products, amino acids, hormones, and vitamins.

A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test that is run as part of a routine exam or if there are signs or symptoms that may indicate a potential condition impacting blood cells.

The oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.

The proportion of red blood cells in the blood.

The cell fragments that assist with clotting

A lipid that is an essential component of animal cell membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other biologically important steroids.

A behavioral, environmental, genetic, psychological, or demographic attribute that increases risk or susceptibility.