Phlebotomy Tech Prep: CPT Coming soon

Medical terms starting with P

59 entries

  • -paresisPartial paralysis or weakness.
  • -pathyDisease.
  • -peniaDeficiency or too few.
  • -phagiaEating or swallowing.
  • -phasiaSpeech.
  • -phobiaFear.
  • -plasiaFormation or growth.
  • -plasmFormation or growth; formed material.
  • -plastySurgical repair or reconstruction.
  • -plegiaParalysis.
  • -pneaBreathing.
  • -poiesisProduction or formation.
  • -ptysisSpitting or coughing up.
  • palpationFeeling with the index fingertip to find a vein and judge its size, depth and direction; the thumb is not used because…
  • pan-All or everywhere.
  • para-Beside, near, or abnormal.
  • path/oDisease.
  • pathogenAny disease-causing microorganism, such as the bloodborne viruses HBV, HCV and HIV.
  • Patient Care PartnershipAmerican Hospital Association plain-language guide to hospital patients' rights and expectations, such as safe care…
  • patient identifiersDetails unique to the patient, such as full name, birth date or medical record number; use at least two, never a room…
  • peak levelDrug level drawn when the concentration is highest, for example about 30 minutes after an IV antibiotic infusion ends…
  • ped/oChild; in some words, foot.
  • PEPPost-exposure prophylaxis: medicine started after an exposure; for possible HIV it should begin as soon as possible…
  • per-Through.
  • peri-Around or surrounding.
  • petechiaeTiny red pinpoint dots from bleeding under the skin. They may appear below a tourniquet and can point to a platelet or…
  • pharynxThe throat, behind the nose and mouth. For a throat culture, the swab is rubbed along the back of the throat near the…
  • phenylketonuriaPKU: an inherited disorder in which phenylalanine builds up in the blood and, untreated, causes intellectual…
  • PHIProtected health information: health information that identifies a patient, in any form (spoken, paper or electronic)…
  • phleb/o, ven/oVein.
  • phlebitisInflammation of a vein, most often from a clot (thrombophlebitis); a phlebitic vein is avoided for venipuncture.
  • phlebotomyDrawing blood, by venipuncture or skin puncture, for laboratory testing, donation or treatment.
  • PICCPeripherally inserted central catheter: a long thin line placed through an upper-arm vein with its tip in a large vein…
  • plantar surfaceThe sole of the foot. Infant heel punctures are made on its medial or lateral sides.
  • plasmaThe liquid part of unclotted blood, separated by centrifuging a tube that contains an anticoagulant; it still contains…
  • plateletThrombocyte: a small cell fragment that sticks at a vessel injury to form a plug and helps clotting. Low counts raise…
  • POCTPoint-of-care testing: testing at the bedside or patient's location, such as a fingerstick glucose or hemoglobin…
  • poly-Many, much, or excessive.
  • portal of entryHow a pathogen gets into a new host, for example through a needlestick, broken skin or a mucous membrane.
  • portal of exitHow a pathogen leaves its reservoir, for example in blood from a puncture site or in droplets from a cough.
  • post-After or behind.
  • post-analytical phaseSteps after testing: verifying and reporting results and getting them to the ordering provider and the medical record.
  • potassium oxalateAnticoagulant often paired with sodium fluoride in gray-top glucose tubes.
  • povidone-iodineIodine antiseptic. Carried into a sample it may falsely raise potassium, phosphorus or uric acid, so alcohol is…
  • PPEPersonal protective equipment: gloves, gowns, masks, respirators and eye or face protection worn against blood and…
  • pre-Before or in front of.
  • pre-analytical phaseSteps before testing: ordering, patient preparation, identification, collection, labeling, handling and transport…
  • pro-Before or forward; also favoring.
  • probingMoving the needle around blindly under the skin to find a missed vein; WHO advises avoiding it because it can damage…
  • proficiency testingOutside testing of unknown samples to check a lab's accuracy; CLIA does not require it for waived tests, but it is…
  • prolonged bleedingBleeding at the puncture site past about 5 minutes; keep pressing, never bandage over active bleeding, and notify the…
  • PSAProstate-specific antigen: a protein made by the prostate gland; its blood level helps screen for and follow prostate…
  • pseudo-False.
  • PTProthrombin time: a clotting test collected in a sodium citrate (light blue-top) tube and reported with the INR to…
  • PTTPartial thromboplastin time: a coagulation test, drawn in a light blue-top sodium citrate tube, commonly ordered to…
  • pulmonary circulationBlood flow from the right ventricle through the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, and back to the left atrium.
  • pulseThe throb of an artery with each heartbeat. A pulse under the fingertip means an artery is there; do not puncture it…
  • py/oPus.
  • pyr/oFever or fire.