Medical terms starting with M

29 entries

• -malaciaSoftening.
• -megalyEnlargement.
• -meterInstrument for measuring.
• -metryProcess of measuring.
• macro-Large.
• mal-Bad, poor, or abnormal.
• malpracticeNegligence by a professional: care below the accepted standard of the profession that injures the patient.
• mandated reporterSomeone required by state law to tell authorities when they suspect a child, an elder or another vulnerable person is…
• mastectomySurgical removal of a breast. Draw from the opposite arm; if both sides are affected, the provider decides which site…
• MCVMean corpuscular volume: a CBC index telling whether red cells are, on average, normal, small or large in size.
• median cubital veinVein crossing the antecubital fossa between the cephalic and basilic veins; first choice for venipuncture because it…
• MedicaidGovernment health coverage for many low-income people, funded jointly by federal and state money; who qualifies and…
• medical asepsisClean technique: hand hygiene, gloves and cleaning of equipment and surfaces that lower germ counts and limit their…
• mega-, megalo-Large or great.
• meso-Middle.
• meta-Change, after, or beyond.
• MIMyocardial infarction (heart attack): heart muscle damaged by blocked blood flow. Suspected heart attack during a…
• micro-Small.
• microcollection containerSmall tube for capillary blood from a skin puncture, plain or with an additive; most analyzers need a carrier tube or…
• minimum necessaryHIPAA rule to use or share only the least PHI needed for a task. It does not apply to disclosures to a treating…
• mono-One or single.
• MRNMedical record number: a number the facility assigns to one patient; acceptable as one of the two required identifiers.
• MROMedical Review Officer: a licensed physician who reviews drug-test results from the laboratory and evaluates medical…
• MRSAMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: staph bacteria resistant to many antibiotics; they spread by contact, so…
• multi-Many.
• multisample needleDouble-ended needle for the evacuated tube system: one end enters the vein, the other pierces each tube stopper in the…
• my/o, muscul/oMuscle.
• myc/oFungus.
• myel/oBone marrow or spinal cord.