|
|
|
Glossary of Lay Terms for Use in Preparing Consent Forms
|
ABDOMINAL |
Pertaining to body cavity below diaphragm which contains stomach,
intestines, liver, and other organs |
| ABSORB |
Take up fluids, take in |
| ACIDOSIS |
Condition when blood contains more acid than normal |
| ACUITY |
Clearness, keenness, esp. of vision - airways |
| ACUTE |
New, recent, sudden |
| ADENOPATHY |
Swollen lymph nodes (glands) |
| ADJUVANT |
Helpful, assisting, aiding |
| ADJUVANT TREATMENT |
Added treatment |
| ANTIBIOTIC |
Drug that kills bacteria and other germs |
| ANTIMICROBIAL |
Drug that kills bacteria and other germs |
| ANTIRETROVIRAL |
Drug that inhibits certain viruses |
| ADVERSE EFFECT |
Negative side effect |
| ALLERGIC REACTION |
Rash, trouble breathing |
| AMBULATE -ATION -ORY |
Walk, able to walk |
| ANAPHYLAXIS |
Serious, potentially life threatening allergic reaction |
| ANEMIA |
Decreased red blood cells; low red blood cell count |
| ANESTHETIC general |
A drug or agent used to decrease the feeling of pain or eliminate
the feeling of pain by putting you to sleep |
| ANESTHETIC local |
A drug or agent used to decrease the feeling of pain or by numbing
an area of your body, without putting you to sleep |
| ANGINA (ANGINA PECTORIS) |
Pain resulting from insufficient blood to the heart |
| ANOREXIA |
Condition in which person will not eat; lack of appetite |
| ANTECUBITAL |
Area inside the elbow |
| ANTIBODY |
Protein made in the body in response to foreign substance; attacks
foreign substance and protects against infection |
| ANTICONVULSANT |
Drug used to prevent seizures |
| ANTILIPIDEMIC |
A drug that decreases the level of fat(s) in the blood |
| ANTITUSSIVE |
A drug used to relieve coughing |
| ARRHYTHMIA |
Any change from the normal heartbeat (abnormal heartbeat) |
| ASPIRATION |
Fluid entering lungs |
| ASSAY |
Lab test |
| ASSESS |
To learn about |
| ASTHMA |
A lung disease associated with tightening of the air passages |
| ASYMPTOMATIC |
Without symptoms |
| AXILLA |
Armpit |
| BENIGN |
Not malignant, usually without serious consequences, but with some
exceptions e.g. benign brain tumor may have, serious consequences |
| BID |
Twice a day |
| BINDING/BOUND |
Carried by, to make stick together, transported |
| BIOAVAILABILITY |
The extent to which a drug or other substance becomes available
to the body |
| BLOOD PROFILE |
Series of blood tests |
| BOLUS |
An amount given all at once |
| BONE MASS |
The amount of calcium in a give amount of bone |
| BRADYARRHYTHMIAS |
Slow irregular heart beat |
| BRADYCARDIA |
Slow heartbeat |
| BRONCHOSPASM |
Breathing distress caused by narrowing of the airways |
| CARCINOGENIC |
Capable of causing cancer |
| CARCINOMA |
Type of cancer |
| CARDIAC |
Pertaining to the heart |
| CARDIOVERSION |
Restoration of normal heart beat by electric shock |
| CATHETER |
A tube for withdrawing or introducing fluids |
| CATHETER indwelling epidural |
A tube placed near the spinal cord used for anesthesia during an
operation |
| CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) |
Brain and spinal cord |
| CEREBRAL TRAUMA |
Damage to the brain |
| CESSATION |
Stopping |
| CHD |
Coronary heart disease |
| CHEMOTHERAPY |
Treatment of disease, usually cancer, by chemical agents |
| CHRONIC |
Continuing for a long time |
| CISPLATIN |
A drug used to kill cancer cells |
| CLINICAL |
Pertaining to medical care |
| CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT |
Of major importance for treating or evaluating patients |
| CLINICAL TRIAL |
An experiment in patients |
| COMA |
Unconscious state |
| COMPLETE RESPONSE |
Total disappearance of disease |
| CONGENITAL |
Occurring prior to birth, due to parent's genetic input |
| CONJUNCTIVITIS |
Irritation and redness of the thin membrane covering the eye |
| CONSOLIDATION PHASE |
Treatment phase intended to make a remission permanent, follows
induction |
| CONTROLLED TRIAL |
Study in which the experimental treatment or procedure is compared
to a standard (control) treatment or procedure |
| COOPERATIVE GROUP |
Association of multiple institutions to perform clinical trials |
| CORONARY |
Pertains to the blood vessels that supply the heart |
| CT (CAT) SCAN |
Computerized (axial) tomography; computerized series of x-rays |
| CULTURE |
Test for infection or organisms that could cause infection |
| CUMULATIVE |
Total sum (of individual events, experiences, treatments) |
| CUTANEOUS |
Relating to the skin |
| CVA |
Cerebrovascular accident; Stroke |
| DERMATOLOGIC |
Pertaining to the skin |
| DIASTOLIC |
Lower number in blood pressure reading; pertaining to resting or
relaxation phase of heart beat |
| DISTAL |
Toward the end, away from the center of the body |
| DIURETIC |
'Water pill' or drug that causes increase in urination |
| DOPPLER |
Sound waves |
| DOUBLE BLIND |
Study in which neither investigators nor subjects know what drug
the subject is receiving |
| DYSFUNCTION |
State of improper function |
| DYSPLASIA |
Abnormal cells |
| ECHOCARDIOGRAM |
Sound wave test of the heart |
| EDEMA |
Increased fluid |
| EEG |
Electroencephalogram; electric brainwave tracing |
| EFFICACY |
Effectiveness |
| ELECTROCARDIOGRAM |
Electrical tracing of the heartbeat or heart rhythm (ECG or EKG) |
| ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE |
Imbalance of salts or chemicals in the blood |
| ELEVATION OF LIVER FUNCTION TESTS |
Evidence of liver or kidney damage |
| EMESIS |
Vomiting |
| EMPIRIC |
Based on experience |
| ENDOSCOPIC EXAMINATION |
Examination of an internal part of the body with a lighted tube;
looking at a part of the body with a lighted tube |
| ENTERAL |
By way of the intestines |
| EPIDURAL |
Outside the spinal cord |
| ERADICATING |
Getting rid of (such as a disease) |
| EVALUATED |
Assessed; examined for medical condition |
| EXTERNAL |
Outside the body |
| EXTRAVASATE |
To leak outside of a blood vessel |
| FIBRILLATION |
Irregular beat of the heart or other muscle |
| FIBROUS |
Having many fibers, such as scar tissue |
| FDA |
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the branch of federal government
which approves new drugs |
| GENERAL ANESTHESIA |
Pain prevention by induction of drugged sleep, as in surgery |
| GESTATIONAL |
Pertaining to pregnancy |
| HEMATOCRIT |
Amount of red blood cells in the blood |
| HEMATOMA |
A bruise, a black and blue mark |
| HEMODYNAMIC |
Related to blood flow |
| HEMOLYSIS |
Breakdown in red blood cells |
| HEPARIN LOCK |
Needle placed in the arm with blood thinner to keep the blood from
clotting inside the needle or tubing |
| HEPATOMA |
Cancer or tumor of the liver |
| HERITABLE DISEASE |
A disease which can be transmitted to one's offspring resulting
in damage to future children |
| HISTOPATHOLOGIC |
Pertaining to the disease status of body tissues or cells |
| HOLTER MONITOR |
A portable machine for recording heart beats |
| HYPERCALCEMIA |
High blood calcium level |
| HYPERKALEMIA |
High blood potassium level |
| HYPERNATREMIA |
High blood sodium level |
| HYPERTENSION |
High blood pressure |
| HYPOCALCEMIA |
Low blood calcium level |
| HYPOKALEMIA |
Low blood potassium level |
| HYPONATREMIA |
Low blood sodium level |
| HYPOTENSION |
Low blood pressure |
| HYPOXIA |
Low oxygen level in the blood |
| IATROGENIC |
Caused by a physician or by treatment |
| IDE |
Investigational device exemption, the license to test an unapproved
new medical device |
| IDIOPATHIC |
Of unknown cause |
| IMMUNOGLOBULIN |
A combination of antibodies from proteins in the blood |
| IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE |
Drug which suppresses the body's immune response, used in transplantation
and diseases caused by disordered immunity |
| IMMUNOTHERAPY |
Giving of drugs to help the body's immune (protective) system; usually
used to destroy cancer cells |
| IMPAIRED FUNCTION |
Abnormal function |
| IMPLANTED |
Placed in the body |
| IND |
Investigational new drug; the license to test an unapproved new
drug |
| INDUCTION PHASE |
Beginning phase or stage of a treatment |
| INDURATION |
Hardening |
| INDWELLING |
Remaining in a given location, such as a catheter |
| INFARCT |
Death of tissue because of lack of blood supply |
| INFECTIOUS DISEASE |
Disease which is transmitted from one person to next |
| INFLAMMATION |
Swelling which is generally painful, red, and warm |
| INFUSION |
Introduction of a substance into the body, usually into the blood |
| INGESTION |
Eating; taking by mouth |
| INTERFERON |
Agent which acts against viruses; Antiviral agent |
| INTERMITTENT |
Occurring (regularly or irregularly) between two time points; alternately
ceasing and beginning |
| INTERNAL INTERIOR |
Within the body Inside of the body |
| INTRAMUSCULAR |
Into the muscle; within the muscle |
| INTRAPERITONEAL |
Into the abdominal cavity |
| INTRATHECAL |
Into the spinal fluid |
| INTRAVENOUS (IV) |
Into (within) a vein |
| INTRAVESICAL |
In the bladder |
| INTUBATE |
The placement of a tube into the airway |
| INVASIVE PROCEDURE |
Puncture, opening or cutting of the skin |
| INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG (IND) |
A new drug which has not yet been approved by the FDA |
| INVESTIGATIONAL METHOD |
A treatment method which has not been proven to be beneficial or
has not been accepted as standard care |
| ISCHEMIA PROCEDURE |
Decreased oxygen in a tissue (usually because of decreased blood
flow) |
| LAPORATOMY |
A procedure in which an incision is made in the abdominal wall to
enable a physician to look at the organs |
| LETHARGY |
Sleepiness |
| LEUKOPENIA |
Low white blood cell count |
| LIPID |
Fat |
| LIPID PROFILE (panel) |
Fat and cholesterol levels in the blood |
| LOCAL ANESTHESIA |
Creation of insensitivity to pain in a small local area of the body |
| LOCALIZED |
Restricted to one area; limited to one area (of the body) |
| LUMEN |
Cavity of an organ or tube (e.g. inside of blood vessel) |
| LYMPHANGIOGRAPHY |
An x-ray of the lymph nodes or tissues after injection of dye in
lymph vessels (e.g. in feet) |
| LYMPHOCYTE |
A type of white blood cell important in the body's defense against
infection |
| LYMPHOMA |
A cancer of the lymph nodes (or tissues) |
| MALAISE |
A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, feeling bad |
| MALFUNCTION |
Condition in which something is not functioning properly |
| MALIGNANCY |
Cancer or other progressively enlarging and spreading tumor, fatal
if not successfully treated |
| MEDULLOBLASTOMA |
Type of brain tumor |
| METRONIDAZOLE |
A drug used to treat infections caused by parasites or other causes
of anaerobic infections |
| METABOLIZE |
Process of breaking down substances in the cells |
| METASTASIS |
Spread of cancer cells from one part of body to another |
| MI |
Myocardial infarction, heart attack |
| MINIMAL |
Slight |
| MINIMIZE |
Reduce |
| MONITOR |
Check on; keep track of; watch carefully |
| MOBILITY |
Ease of movement; Ability to move around |
| MORBIDITY |
Undesired result or complication; serious disease |
| MORTALITY |
Death or death rate |
| MRI |
Magnetic resonance imaging, body pictures created using magnetic
rather than x-ray energy |
| MYALGIA |
Muscle aches |
| MUCOSA, MUCOUS MEMBRANE |
Moist lining of digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and urinary
tracts |
| MYOCARDIAL M. INFARCTION |
Pertaining to the (muscle of the) heart Heart attack; death of heart muscle |
| NASOGASTRIC TUBE |
Tube from the nose to the stomach |
| NCI |
National Cancer Institute |
| NECROSIS |
Death of tissue |
| NEOPLASIA |
Tumor, may be non-cancerous or cancerous |
| NEUROBLASTOMA |
A cancer of nerve tissue |
| NEUROLOGICAL |
Pertaining to the nervous system |
| NEUTROPENIA |
Decrease in the main part of the white blood cells |
| NIH |
National Institutes of Health |
| NON-INVASIVE |
Not breaking, cutting or entering the skin |
| NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMONIA |
Pneumonia acquired in the hospital |
| OCCLUSION |
Closing; obstruction |
| OHRP |
Office of Human Research Protections, oversees IRBs and related
matters |
| ONCOLOGY |
The study of tumors or cancer |
| OPHTHALMIC |
Pertaining to the eye |
| OPTIMAL |
Best, most favorable or desirable |
| ORAL ADMINISTRATION |
Given by mouth |
| ORTHOPEDIC |
Pertaining to the bones |
| OSTEOPETROSIS |
Rare bone disorder characterized by dense bone |
| OSTEOPOROSIS |
Bone disorder characterized by loss of bone leading to increased
risk of fracture |
| OVARIES |
Female sex glands; female organs which release eggs |
| PARENTERAL |
Administration by injection |
| PATENCY |
Condition of being open |
| PATHOGENESIS |
The initial cause of a disease |
| PERCUTANEOUS |
Through the skin |
| PERFORATION |
Puncture, tear or hole |
| PERIPHERAL |
Not central |
| PER OS (PO) |
By mouth |
| PHARMACOKINETICS |
Study of the way the body absorbs, distributes and gets rid of a
drug |
| PHASE I |
Initial study of a new drug in humans to determine limits of tolerance |
| PHASE II |
Second phase of study of a new drug intended to obtain initial information |
| PHASE III |
Large scale trial to confirm and expand information on safety and
usefulness of a new drug |
| PHLEBITIS |
Irritation or inflammation of a vein |
| PLACEBO |
An inactive substance which may resemble an active agent but has
no medical value |
| PLACEBO EFFECT |
Symptom or change of condition seen when a placebo is given; not
attributable to an active drug agent |
| PLATELETS |
Small particles in the blood that help with blood clotting |
| POTENTIAL |
Possible |
| POTENTIATE |
Increase or multiply the effect of a drug or toxin by administration
of another drug or toxin at the same time |
| POTENTIATOR |
An agent that helps another agent work better |
| PRENATAL |
Before birth |
| PROPHYLAXIS |
A drug given to prevent disease or infection |
| PROSTHESIS |
Artifical limbs, such as arms and legs |
| PRN |
As needed |
| PROGNOSIS |
Outlook, probable outcomes |
| PRONE |
Lying on the stomach |
| PROSPECTIVE STUDY |
Study following patients forward in time |
| PROTOCOL |
Plan of study |
| PROXIMAL |
Closer to the center of the body, away from the end |
| PULMONARY |
Pertaining to the lungs |
| QD |
Every day; daily |
| QID |
Four times a day |
| RADIATION THERAPY |
X-ray or cobalt treatment |
| RANDOM |
By chance |
| RANDOMIZATION |
Assignment of treatment group by chance, similar to tossing a coin
(when there are two treatment choices) |
| RBC |
Red blood cell |
| RECOMBINANT |
Formation of new combinations of genes |
| RECONSTITUTION |
Putting back together the original parts or elements |
| RECUR |
Happen again |
| REFRACTORY |
Not responding to treatment |
| REGENERATION |
Regrowth of a structure or of lost tissue |
| REGIMEN |
Pattern of administering treatment |
| RELAPSE |
The return or reappearance of a disease |
| REMISSION |
Disappearance of evidence of cancer or other disease |
| RENAL |
Pertaining to the kidneys |
| REPLICABLE |
Capable of being duplicated |
| RESECT |
Remove or cut out (surgically) |
| RETROSPECTIVE STUDY |
Study looking back over past experience |
| SARCOMA |
A type of cancer |
| SEDATIVE |
A drug to calm or make less anxious |
| SEMINOMA |
A type of testes cancer |
| SEQUENTIALLY |
In a row |
| SOFTWARE |
Computer program |
| SOMNOLENCE |
Sleepiness |
| SPIROMETER |
An instrument to measure the amount of air taken into and exhaled
from the lungs |
| STANDARD OF CARE |
Treatment plan which the majority of the medical community would
accept as appropriate |
| STAGING |
A determination of the extent of the disease |
| STENOSIS |
Narrowing of a duct, tube, or one of the heart valves |
| STOMATITIS |
Mouth sores; inflammation of the mouth |
| STRATIFY |
Arrange in groups for analysis of results (e.g., stratify by age,
sex, etc.) |
| STUPOR |
Stunned state in which it is difficult to get a response or the
attention of the subject |
| SUBCLAVIAN |
Under the collarbone |
| SUBCUTANEOUS |
Under the skin |
| SUPINE |
Lying on the back |
| SUPPORTIVE CARE |
General medical care aimed at symptoms, not intended to improve
or cure underlying disease |
| SYMPTOMATIC |
Having symptoms |
| SYNDROME |
A condition characterized by a set of symptoms |
| SYSTOLIC |
Top number in blood pressure; pertaining to contraction phase of
heart beat |
| TERATOGENIC |
Capable of causing malformations in unborn fetuses |
| TESTES |
Male sex glands; male organs which produce sperm |
| THROMBOSIS |
Blood clotting within blood vessels |
| TID |
Three times a day |
| TITRATION |
Gradual alteration of drug dose to determine desired effect or most
beneficial strength of drug |
| T-LYMPHOCYTES |
Type of white blood cells involved in immune reactions |
| TOPICAL |
Surface; on the skin |
| TOPICAL ANESTHETIC |
Applied to certain area of the skin to reduce pain to specific (limited)
area to which applied |
| TOXICITY |
Side effects or undesirable effects of a drug |
| TRANSDERMAL |
Through the skin |
| TRANSIENTLY |
Temporarily |
| TRAUMA |
Injury; wound |
| TREADMILL |
Walking machine often used to determine heart function |
| UPTAKE |
Absorption and incorporation of a substance by living tissue; absorb
and incorporate a substance, taking in of a substance by living tissue |
| VALVULOPLASTY |
Plastic repair of a valve, especially of the heart |
| VARICES |
Enlarged veins, usually in legs or lining of tube between mouth
and stomach |
| VASOSPASM |
Narrowing of blood vessels due to spasm of vessel walls |
| VECTOR |
A carrier, usually an insect, that carries and transmits disease-causing
microorganisms |
| VENIPUNCTURE |
Entering vein with a needle, generally through the skin |
| VERTICAL TRANSMISSION |
Spread of disease |
| WBC |
White blood cell |
© 2008 Stanford University. All rights reserved.
Last modified:Tuesday, 24-Jan-2006 14:06:10 PST