Down and Dirty
Abbreviations
Restraints
Safety
Medical Terminology
100

clean

in health care, a condition in which an object is not contaminated with pathogens

100

PPE

personal protective equipment

100

a physical or chemical way to restrict voluntary movement or behavior

restraint

100

the way the parts of the body work together when a person moves

body mechanics

100

blue or pale skin and/or mucous membranes due to decreased oxygen in the blood

cyanosis

200

a living thing or organism that is so small that it is only visible under a microscope; also called microorganism

microbe or microorganism (MO)

200

MRSA  

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus; bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus)

200

an environment in which restraints are not kept or used for any reason

restraint-free care

200

easily ignited and capable of burning quickly.

flammable

200

person who carries a pathogen usually without signs or symptoms of disease, but who can spread the disease.

carrier

300

microorganisms that are capable of causing infection and disease

pathogens

300

RACE

Rescue-Activate-Contain-Extinguish

300

measures used in place of a restraint or that reduce the need for a restraint

restraint alternatives

300

the stoppage of breathing from a lack of oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide in the body; may result in unconsciousness or death

suffocation

300

an object that is contaminated with a pathogen and can spread the pathogen to another person

fomite

400

the way and means by which a disease is spread

transmission

400

SDS

Safety Data Sheet

400

any method, device, material, or equipment that restricts a person’s freedom of movement

physical restraint

400

collecting and putting things away in a guarded way

hoarding

400

difficulty swallowing

dysphagia

500

cleaning measure that destroys all microorganisms, including those that form spores

sterilization

500

MDROs

multidrug-resistant organisms

500

medications used to control a person’s mood or behavior

chemical restraint

500

the inhalation of food, fluid, or foreign material into the lungs

aspiration

500

 the permanent and painful shortening of a muscle, tendon, or ligament that can restrict movement

contracture