Top 25 medical terms you need to know
Biopsy: A tissue sample for testing purposes
Benign: Not cancerous
Malignant: Cancerous
Hypotension: Low blood pressure
Hypertension: High blood pressure
Anti-inflammatory: Reduces swelling, pain, and soreness (such as ibuprofen or naproxen)
Body Mass Index (BMI): Body fat measurement based on height and weight
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Heartburn
Cellulitis: Inflamed or infected tissue beneath the skin
Epidermis: Outermost layer of skin
Neutrophils: Most common type of white blood cell
Edema: Swelling
Embolism: Blood clot
Sutures: Stitches
Polyp: Mass or growth of thin tissue
Compound fracture: Broken bone that protrudes through the skin
Comminuted fracture: Broken bone that shatters into many pieces
Lesion: Wound, sore, or cut
Noninvasive: Doesn’t require entering the body with instruments; usually simple
Outpatient: Check in and check out the same day
Inpatient: Plan to stay overnight for one or more days
In remission: Disease is not getting worse; not to be confused with being cured
Membrane: Thin layer of pliable tissue that serves as a covering or lining or connection between two structures
Acute: Sudden but usually short (e.g., acute illness)
Angina: Pain in the chest related to the heart that comes and goes
