Blood Terminology - Medical terms for blood diseases
Glossary of medical terminology used in treatment of blood diseases
Definitions of blood terms
Abortive medication – Drug stopping attack of severe headache.
Acute pericarditis - Inflammation of heart’s sac.
Adverse effect – Unwanted effect of medication.
Albumin - Blood protein.
Allogeneic blood - Homologous blood given by a donor.
Amino acid - Organic molecules that are building blocks of proteins.
Antiserum - Blood serum with antibodies.
Anemia - Insufficient red cells or hemoglobin in blood.
Anisocytosis - Significant size variation of blood cells.
Apheresis - Retention of only needed components of blood for use and returning the remainder back to the donor.
Aplastic anemia - Deficiency of red blood cells produced by bone marrow.
Autologous blood - Blood taken and given to the same patient to eliminate transfusion problems.
Bilirubin - Yellowish red fluid in blood and urine.
Blood - Red fluid that carries oxygen and nutrient to the cells and takes away carbon dioxide and waste.
Blood bank - Place where blood is stored for future transfusion.
Blood cells - Red cells are called erythrocytes and white cells are called leukocytes.
Blood components - Red and while cells, plasma, and platelets.
Blood smear - Small amount of blood sample placed on a glass for examination.
Blood group - Four categories of blood: A, B. AB, and O.
Bone marrow - Soft cells of bone that produce blood cells and platelets.
BUN - Blood Urea Nitrogen
Cardio – Relating to heart.
Central venous pressure (CVP) – It shows amount of blood returning to heart and ability of heart to pump blood into arteries.
Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) – Pressure pushing blood into brain.
Crenation - Shrinking of red blood cells.
Derivatives - Elements of blood separated.
Ebullism – Producing gas bubbles in body fluids due to change in altitude.
Effective accessibility – Availability of health care (waiting list).
Elective surgery – Surgery that can wait, not emergency.
Engraftment - Self-production of blood cells in recipient's body after being transfused.
Epicardial – Outside cardiac muscle.
Erythrocytes - Oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
False positive - Abnormal test results in a blood sample of a normal person not suspected to be sick.
Ferritin - Protein that carries iron.
FFP - Fresh Frozen Plasma
Gamma Globulin - Plasma protein derivatives collected for use against infection.
Glucose - Blood sugar
Granulocytes - White blood cells that defend body against foreign substances.
Hemodialysis - Blood cleansing with machine.
Hemolytic anemia - Anemia due to loss of red blood cells.
Hemophilia - Bleeding problem.
Hemorrhage - Internal accumulation of blood.
Hematocrit - Percentage of red blood cells in a sample.
Hematologic - Relating to blood.
Hematuria - Blood in urine.
Hemoglobin - Oxygen-carrying red blood cell.
Hemolysis - Changes in red blood cells.
Hemostasis - Clotting.
Histamine - Drug used for allergic reactions to dilate blood vessels.
Homologous donation - Blood donation for use by any other patient in the hospital.
Hypercalcemia - Excessive calcium in blood.
Hypovolemia - Low level of blood in the body.
Hypoxemia - Low levels of oxygen in blood.
Immune globulin - Gamma globulin part of plasma.
Leukocyte - White blood cells containing granulocyte, lymphocyte, and monocyte.
Leukocytosis - High level of leukocytes.
Leukopenia - Also leucopenia. Low level of leukocytes.
Macrocytes - Abnormally large blood cells.
Magnesium - Blood salt.
Microcytes - Abnormally small blood cells.
Phlebotomy - Venipuncture. Puncturing vein to take blood.
Plasma - Non-cellular fluid part of blood.
Platelets - Smallest blood cells forming clots to prevent bleeding.
Plateletpheresis - Retaining only platelets of blood.
Purpura - Bruise that occurs after receiving blood transfusion.
Refractory anemia - Low levels of red blood cells.
Regurgitation – Backward flow of blood into heart chambers.
Retrospective diagnosis - Posthumous diagnosis, identification of disease(s) historically by using modern methods.
Serum - Part of plasma containing no clotting elements.
Tamponade – Stopping blood flow or hemorrhage by applying pressure or devise.
Transfusion - Providing blood to patients who lost blood due to medical surgery, accident, or any other reason.
Thrombus - Blood clot.
Warfarin effect - Thinning of blood by medication to prevent clotting. Warfarin is the name of medicine.
