Medical terms starting with S

97 entries

• -sclerosisHardening.
• -scopeInstrument used to examine.
• -scopyVisual examination with a scope.
• -spasmSudden involuntary muscle contraction.
• -stasisStopping or controlling; standing still.
• -stenosisNarrowing.
• SA nodeSinoatrial node: the heart's natural pacemaker in the right atrium, where each normal beat starts.
• sagittal planeA vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts.
• salping/oTube, especially the fallopian (uterine) tube or the eustachian tube.
• sanitizationRemoving visible soil and debris from objects; cleaning must come before high-level disinfection or sterilization.
• sarc/oFlesh or connective tissue.
• SBARA structured handoff tool: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.
• SC, SQOld abbreviations for subcutaneous. Error-prone: SC read as SL (sublingual), SQ as 5 every. Write SUBQ or subcutaneous.
• schizophreniaA severe mental illness with disturbed thinking, perception and behavior.
• scler/oHard; also the sclera (white of the eye).
• scoli/oCrooked or twisted.
• scope of practiceThe defined limits within which a health care worker is authorized to work, make decisions and provide services.
• screeningTests or exams to detect a disease early, usually in people without symptoms.
• SDSSafety data sheet: the document describing a hazardous chemical's dangers and safe handling, required by OSHA's Hazard…
• secondary preventionFinding and treating a disease in its early stages to prevent complications and progression.
• seizureA sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in movement, behavior or awareness.
• self-esteemA person's overall sense of self-worth.
• semi-Half or partly.
• semi-Fowler's positionLying on the back with the head raised about 30 to 45 degrees.
• sentinel eventAn unexpected event involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk of it.
• sepsisA life-threatening, body-wide response to infection that can damage organs.
• serumThe liquid left after blood clots; plasma without clotting factors.
• serum separator tubeA gold or red-gray (tiger top) tube with clot activator and a gel that separates serum from cells during centrifugation.
• shared decision-makingThe patient and provider make health care decisions together, with the patient stating their needs and limits.
• sharpsObjects that can puncture or cut skin, such as needles, lancets, scalpels and broken glass.
• shockA dangerous state in which blood flow is too low to meet the body's needs.
• sial/oSaliva or salivary gland.
• side effectA predictable, usually unwanted effect of a drug besides the intended one.
• SIDSSudden infant death syndrome.
• signObjective evidence of disease that can be seen or measured, such as a fever reading or rash.
• Sims' positionLying on the side, partly turned toward prone (semiprone).
• sinistro-Left or left side.
• sinus bradycardiaA regular rhythm from the SA node at fewer than 60 beats per minute.
• sinus tachycardiaA regular rhythm from the SA node at more than 100 beats per minute.
• skilled nursing careCare performed or supervised by licensed nurses, at home or in a nursing home.
• slanderFalse, damaging statements about a person spoken aloud.
• SLESystemic lupus erythematosus (lupus): an autoimmune disease that can affect many organs.
• small intestineThe long part of the digestive tract between the stomach and large intestine, where most digestion and absorption occur.
• Snellen chartA chart of letters in decreasing size, read from 20 feet, used to test distance visual acuity.
• SOAP noteA documentation format: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan.
• SOBShortness of breath.
• social determinants of healthConditions where people are born, live, learn, work and age that affect health outcomes.
• sodium citrateThe anticoagulant in light blue tubes, used for coagulation tests such as PT/INR; the tube must be filled to the line.
• somatic tremorEKG artifact from muscle movement or shivering that makes the baseline jittery.
• source-oriented recordA medical record organized into sections by the source (discipline) that provided the information.
• specialistA provider who focuses on a specific area of medicine or group of patients.
• specific gravityA measure of urine concentration compared with water.
• sphygmomanometerA blood pressure cuff with a gauge used to measure blood pressure.
• spir/oBreathing.
• splen/oSpleen.
• SpO2Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry: the percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen.
• spondyl/o, vertebr/oVertebra (bone of the spine).
• sputumMucus and secretions coughed up from the lungs.
• SRSustained release: a form that releases the drug gradually over time; do not crush it.
• ST segmentThe EKG section between the QRS complex and the T wave; elevation can signal an acute heart attack and depression can…
• standard precautionsInfection prevention practices used with every patient, including hand hygiene, PPE based on expected exposure, and…
• standing orderA standardized order that may be carried out under defined circumstances without a new individual order.
• STATImmediately; an urgent order that must be carried out right away.
• stat orderA medication order to be carried out immediately.
• statute of limitationsThe legal time limit for filing a lawsuit, such as for malpractice; it varies by state.
• sterilizationA process that destroys all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, on an object.
• stern/oSternum (breastbone).
• stethoscopeAn instrument that amplifies body sounds such as the heartbeat, lungs and bowel.
• STISexually transmitted infection (older term STD).
• stomat/oMouth.
• stressThe body's physical and emotional response to a demand or threat (stressor).
• stress testA test of the heart during exercise or with medicine that makes the heart work harder, often with EKG monitoring.
• strokeBrain injury caused by blocked or bleeding blood vessels in the brain.
• stroke volumeThe amount of blood the left ventricle pumps with each beat.
• sub-Under or below.
• subjective dataInformation the patient or family reports, such as symptoms and feelings.
• sublimationA defense mechanism that channels unacceptable urges into acceptable activities.
• sublingualPlaced under the tongue to dissolve.
• subpoena duces tecumA court order to produce documents or records, such as a medical record.
• SUBQSubcutaneous: injected into the fatty tissue under the skin. ISMP-preferred form, written in capitals with no spaces…
• SUDSubstance use disorder: harmful, continued use of alcohol or drugs.
• suffixA word part placed at the end of a medical term, often naming a procedure, condition or disease.
• suicidal ideationThinking about suicide, with or without the intention to act on it.
• super-Above, over, or excessive.
• superficialCloser to the surface of the body.
• superiorAbove or higher than another part; also called cranial.
• supineLying flat on the back, face up.
• suppositoryA solid medication form that melts inside a body cavity, such as the rectum, and is absorbed.
• supra-Above or over.
• surgical asepsisSterile technique: practices that keep an area completely free of microorganisms during invasive procedures.
• susceptible hostA person at risk of becoming infected.
• SVTSupraventricular tachycardia: a fast rhythm starting above the ventricles.
• symptomA subjective change the patient reports, such as pain or nausea.
• syn-, sym-Together or joined.
• syncopeFainting: a brief loss of consciousness caused by a drop in blood flow to the brain.
• systoleThe phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts.
• systolic pressureThe top blood pressure number: the highest pressure, during ventricular contraction.