Medical terms starting with T
30 entries
- -taxiaOrder or coordination of movement.
- -thoraxChest or chest cavity.
- -trophyGrowth or development.
- tachy-Fast or rapid.
- tamper-evident sealSeal placed over a specimen bottle's cap and down its sides that shows if the bottle was opened; the collector dates…
- TBTuberculosis: a bacterial infection, mainly of the lungs, spread through the air; it calls for airborne precautions…
- TDMTherapeutic drug monitoring: blood tests that measure a medicine's level, drawn at ordered times relative to the dose.
- teach-backAsking the patient to explain instructions in their own words to confirm understanding; a nod or "yes" is not proof.
- temperature logRecord of refrigerator, freezer or room temperatures for stored supplies and specimens; never guess a missed reading…
- temperature stripStrip on a drug-test collection container, read within 4 minutes; urine outside 32 to 38 °C (90 to 100 °F) is out of…
- tetra-Four.
- therapeutic drug monitoringMeasuring a medicine's blood level to keep it safe and effective. Record the drug, the time of the last dose and the…
- throat cultureA swab rubbed along the back of the throat near the tonsils and sent to the lab to grow and identify germs such as…
- thromb/oBlood clot.
- thrombinClotting enzyme that turns fibrinogen into fibrin. Orange-top tubes use a thrombin-based clot activator to give serum.
- thrombusA blood clot formed inside a vessel. A thrombosed vein feels hard or cordlike and is not used for venipuncture.
- timed specimenA specimen collected at an ordered clock time or interval, such as a morning cortisol or a drug level; record the…
- TJCThe Joint Commission: accredits health care organizations; its goals require two patient identifiers and labeling…
- tourniquetBand tied 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in, about 4 to 5 finger widths) above the site to slow venous return so veins fill…
- TPNTotal parenteral nutrition: complete nutrition infused into a vein. As with any infusion, do not draw from that arm…
- trailing zeroZero after a decimal point (5.0 mg). Do Not Use list: in medication orders 5.0 can be read as 50; write 5 mg. Lab…
- trans-Across or through.
- transmission-based precautionsContact, droplet or airborne measures added on top of standard precautions when a patient has, or may have, an…
- tri-Three.
- triglyceridesBlood fats measured in a lipid panel. Eating shortly before the draw raises them, which is why fasting may be ordered.
- triple packagingA leakproof primary container inside leakproof secondary packaging, inside a rigid outer package; required for…
- trough levelDrug level drawn when the concentration is lowest: at the end of the dosing interval, just before the next dose.
- TSHThyroid-stimulating hormone: a pituitary hormone measured in a blood sample to check how the thyroid is working.
- tube holderPlastic barrel that holds the tube and shields the hand. It stays attached to the used needle and is discarded with it…
- turnaround timeTime from a test request or specimen receipt until the result is reported; labs track it as a key measure of service…