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You may find many words the doctors and nurses use unfamiliar. We have compiled a list of most commonly used terms and their definitions.
- Anemia: Too few red blood cells.
- Apnea: A pause in breathing for short period of time. Common in preemies.
- Bilirubin: A pigment produced from the breakdown of red blood cells. When in excess, bilirubin appears as yellow skin known as jaundice.
- Blood Gases: A blood test to check the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acidity.
- BPD: (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) the abnormal development of lung tissue caused by scarring and inflammation.
- Bradycardia: Slowing of the heart rate to lower than normal.
- Catheter: A plastic tube to put fluids into or to take them out of the body.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. It is continuous pressure applied to the lungs through a mask or endotracheal tube and helps the baby’s breathing.
- Designated Donor: Someone chosen by you to donate blood for your baby.
- Edema: Presence of too much fluid in body tissues causes a swollen appearance.
- Endotracheal Tube: A tube inserted into the mouth to the windpipe to keep the airway open.
- Gavage: Feeding by a tube passed through the mouth into the stomach.
- Gestational Age: The time period in weeks from conception to delivery.
- Glucose: Sugar
- Hematocrit: The concentration of red cells in blood.
- Hyperalimentation: Nourishing the baby with a glucose, fat and protein solution through the veins. Also called Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
- Hypoglycemia: Blood sugar level below normal.
- Isolette: sometimes called an incubator, it is a type of bed that warms the infant.
- Jaundice: Yellow color in the skin from excess bilirubin.
- Meconium: Dark greenish waste products that accumulate in the bowel during fetal life and are eliminated shortly after birth.
- Meconium Aspiration: The condition in which the baby breathes in meconium that is in the amniotic fluid.
- Carbon Dioxide: Waste gas eliminated by the lungs.
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A blood vessel that allows blood to bypass the lungs. It should close shortly after birth.
- pH: Amount of acid in the blood.
- Phototherapy: Treatment of jaundice by use of special lights on the baby’s skin to breakdown the bilirubin.
- P02: Blood oxygen level.
- Pulse Oximeter: A probe that wraps around a hand or foot, connected to a machine, which measures how much oxygen the blood is carrying.
- Respirator: Also known as a ventilator; a machine used to deliver air and oxygen into the lungs with pressure to help the baby breathe.
- ROP: is a disease of the retina affecting prematurely born babies.
- RDS: (respiratory distress syndrome) breathing disorder present at birth.
- Sepsis: Infection in the blood or other body tissues.
- SGA: Small for gestational age; lower birth weight than expected for age.
- Suction: Mechanical removal of mucous from the nose or throat or endotracheal tube with a plastic tube.
- Transcutaneous Oxygen or Carbon Dioxide Monitor: A button-like probe on the baby’s skin to measure the amount of oxygen or carbon dioxide in the blood without taking blood test.
- Umbilical Catheter: A small plastic tube inserted into one of the arteries of the umbilical cord.
- Warmer: this is a type of bed that has a warming device overhead.
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INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center
3300 N.W. Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 949-3011HealthLine
(405) 951-2277 |
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