Medical terms starting with T

52 entries

• -taxiaOrder or coordination of movement.
• -thoraxChest or chest cavity.
• -tripsyCrushing.
• -trophyGrowth or development.
• T waveThe EKG wave showing ventricular repolarization (recovery).
• tabletA solid dose made of compressed powder.
• tachy-Fast or rapid.
• tachycardiaHeart rate faster than 100 beats per minute in an adult.
• tachypneaBreathing faster than normal; in adults, more than 20 breaths per minute.
• TBTuberculosis: infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mainly affects the lungs.
• teach-back methodAsking the patient to explain or show, in their own words, what they were taught, to confirm understanding.
• telehealthUsing telecommunications technology, such as video visits, to provide health care remotely.
• telemedicineRemote diagnosis and treatment of patients using telecommunications technology.
• tend/o, tendin/oTendon.
• tendonDense connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
• teratogenAnything, such as a drug, chemical, alcohol or infection, that can cause birth defects.
• tertiary preventionManaging an existing disease to prevent complications, disability or death.
• tetra-Four.
• therapeutic communicationPurposeful techniques that build a helping relationship and support the patient's well-being.
• therm/oHeat or temperature.
• thorac/oChest.
• thoracic cavityThe chest cavity, holding the heart, lungs, esophagus and trachea.
• thromb/oBlood clot.
• thrombusA blood clot that forms inside an intact blood vessel.
• thyr/o, thyroid/oThyroid gland.
• TIATransient ischemic attack: a brief, stroke-like episode from temporary loss of blood flow to the brain.
• TIDThree times a day.
• tinnitusRinging, buzzing or hissing sounds in the ears.
• tissueA group of similar cells working together to perform a specific function.
• TIWThree times a week. Error-prone: misread as three times a day or twice a week. Write 3 times weekly.
• TMJTemporomandibular joint: the jaw joint in front of the ear.
• toleranceA reduced response to a drug over time, so a larger dose is needed for the same effect.
• tortA wrongful act or omission that harms someone and lets them sue for damages in civil court.
• tourniquetA band tied around the arm to slow venous blood flow so veins are easier to find and puncture.
• toxicityThe degree to which a drug can poison or harm the body.
• tPATissue plasminogen activator, a clot-dissolving drug. ISMP advises writing the full drug name.
• TPNTotal parenteral nutrition: complete nutrition given intravenously.
• trache/oTrachea (windpipe).
• tracheaThe windpipe: a tube of cartilage rings that carries air from the larynx to the bronchi.
• trailing zeroA zero after a decimal point in a dose, as in 5.0 mg. On the Do Not Use list: it can be read as 50 mg. Write 5 mg.
• trans-Across or through.
• transdermalDelivery of a drug through the skin, usually by a patch.
• transmission-based precautionsExtra precautions (contact, droplet or airborne) added to standard precautions for patients with certain infections.
• transverse planeA horizontal plane that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts.
• Trendelenburg positionLying supine with the head lower than the feet.
• tri-Three.
• triageSorting patients by the urgency of their symptoms so the most serious are seen first.
• tricuspid valveThe valve between the right atrium and right ventricle.
• triglyceridesFats (lipids) made of three fatty acid chains attached to glycerol.
• TSHThyroid-stimulating hormone; a blood test for TSH screens thyroid function.
• tympan/o, myring/oEardrum (tympanic membrane).
• tympanic thermometerA thermometer that reads temperature in the ear canal with infrared.