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Medical Terminology
General Plan Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| disposition | what happened to the patient at the end of the visit; often used at the end of ED notes to reference where the patient went after the visit (home, the ICU, normal hospital bed) |
| discharge | literally, to unload; it has two meanings: 1. to send home (to unload the patient from the health care setting to home 2. fluid coming out of a part of the body (your body unloading a fluid) |
| prophylaxis (PROH-fun-LAK-sis) | preventative treatment |
| palliative | treating the symptoms, but not actually getting rid of the cause |
| observation | watch, keep an eye on |
| reassurance | to tell the patient that the problem is not serious or dangerous |
| supportive care | to treat the symptoms and make the patient feel better |
| sterile | extremely clean, germ free conditions; especially important during medical procedures and surgery |