MENINGOCELE – A protrusion of the coverings of the spinal cord or brain through a defect in the skull or vertebral column. MEDIAN NERVE – The nerve formed from the brachial plexus that supplies muscles in the anterior forearm and thumb, as well as sensation of the hand. It may be compressed or trapped at the wrist in carpal tunnel syndrome. MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY – A non-invasive study that is conducted in a magnetic resonance imager. LUMBAR DRAIN – A device inserted through the skin into the cerebrospinal fluid space of the lower back; provides a method of draining cerebrospinal fluid. LEUKOENCEPHALITIS – An inflammation of the white matter of the brain.

This glossary should help transform rote learning into something far more productive. medical terms and definitions It is by no means exhaustive, but the derivations are relevant in many subject areas. Students already familiar with Latin and/or Greek will have a head start.

In other words, it is the graphical representation of one’s hearing ability. The audiologist uses audiograms to identify whether a person has hearing loss, and determine the degree of impairment if the results are positive. A layer of self-lubricating, white connective tissue that allows bones to glide smoothly against each other.

Health informatics – The application of information technology to healthcare. HealthConnect – This is a network of electronic health records that aims to improve the flow of information across the Australian health sector. Freestanding Day Hospital Facility – A private hospital where only minor operations and other procedures not requiring overnight stay are performed, not forming part of any private hospital providing overnight care. External Cause – Environmental event, circumstance and/or condition as the cause of injury, poisoning, and/or another adverse effect.

Patient-days – The number of full or partial days of stay for patients who were admitted for an episode of care and who underwent separation during the reporting period. A patient who is admitted and separated on the same day is allocated 1 patient-day. Top of pagePap smear – Papanicolaou smear, a procedure to detect cancer and pre-cancerous conditions of the female genital tract. Outputs – The goods or services produced by individual Australian Government agencies on behalf of the Government of the day for external organizations or individuals. Osteoporosis – A chronic and common form of arthritis, affecting mostly the spine, hips, knees and hands.

For the initial set of conditions for which guidelines are due by January 1, 1991, OBRA 89 is somewhat inconsistent about what is required of the Forum. Section 912 of the law calls for the development of guidelines, standards, performance measures, and review criteria, whereas section 1142 requires only guidelines. The committee’s definition of appropriate care does not require that guidelines be based on judgments about the cost-effectiveness of particular clinical practices; neither does it preclude it.