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Find definitions of medical abbreviations commonly found in health records. If you do not know an abbreviation, you may be able to find out what it means here.
Feb 8, 2024 · We’ve curated a list of medical abbreviations/acronyms to help you understand entries in the medical notes. Remember, using ambiguous abbreviations increases the risk of miscommunication. Your hospital may have an approved list of abbreviations.
- Meaning
- On examination
- Blood pressure
- Respiratory rate
- What Are Artifacts?
- What Causes Artifacts?
- Why Is An Artifact Important?
- What Are Some Common Artifacts in Imaging?
- Can We Always Tell An Artifact from A Real Abnormality?
- Artifacts: Summary
Artifact on an imaging test is something that is seen on an image as abnormal but does not represent a real abnormality.
An artifact may be caused by patient related factors like motion or obesity. There are many artifacts we see from imaging the body. Objects external to the patient like clothing, hair, devices, skin folds, can cause artifacts.
The reason that artifact is important is that the interpreting radiologist needs to be able to not confuse an artifact for a real abnormality. Sometimes this is not possible and either repeat imaging or additional testing is needed.
Patient motion
One of the more common artifacts is related to patient motion. Most imaging exams require you to hold still during the exam and at times hold your breath. Not every patient is able to hold still or control their breath holds. This results in blurry and distorted images which can hide abnormalities.
X-ray artifact example
Some artifacts can mimic life threatening abnormalities. For example, skin folds on chest X-ray can mimic a pneumothorax or collapsed lung.
CT artifact example
Artifacts can mimic clot to the lung or pulmonary embolus on CT scans. Artifacts can mimic an aortic dissection or tear of the blood vessel on CT scans done for chest pain because of heart motion. Both experience of the radiologist, modified technique and repeat exams can be done to resolve the uncertainty.
In some cases we can not tell an artifact from a real abnormality. The radiologist may recommend another test or repeat imaging. Sometimes the artifact will prevent a certain condition from being excluded. An example of this is a CT done to exclude a clot to the lung or pulmonary embolism. When the blood vessels aren’t as bright as they should be o...
Artifacts are frequently seen on imaging tests of all types. These are abnormalities on imaging tests which do not represent disease. These can often be recognized by the radiologist but can at times mimic disease. Repeat or additional testing will often sort the possibilities.
Use this list of common medical abbreviations and terminology used by doctors, medical specialists, RNs, PAs, and other health-care professionals to help you read and decipher the information on your prescriptions and doctors' medical notes.
Jul 4, 2024 · In this article, I’ll discuss the most commonly used medical suffixes and terms. In other words, these are the ones you’ll most likely run into as a healthcare worker. First, I’ll explain the meaning of the affixes and provide some examples to help you understand how these words are “decoded.”
Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean. Here is a list of word parts. They may be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a medical word. General Words. Body Parts and Disorders. Positions and Directions. Numbers and Amounts.
U (unit): may be mistaken for “0” (zero), increasing the dose tenfold. To minimize confusion, many organizations publish “Do Not Use” lists of easily-confused abbreviations and symbols. For an excellent reference, see the List of Error-Prone Abbreviations published by The Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
