100 Terms Every Nurse Should Know

No.	Term	Definition
1.	A1C	Average blood glucose over about three months.
2.	ABG	Arterial blood gas values assessing oxygenation, ventilation, and acid-base.
3.	Acidosis	Low blood pH due to excess acid.
4.	Advance directive	Legal document stating patient care preferences.
5.	AFib	Irregular atrial rhythm increasing stroke risk.
6.	Airborne precautions	Isolation preventing aerosol spread using respirator and negative-pressure.
7.	AKI	Acute kidney injury causing sudden reduced renal function.
8.	Albumin	Plasma protein supporting oncotic pressure and transport.
9.	Albuterol	Short-acting beta agonist for bronchospasm relief.
10.	Anaphylaxis	Life-threatening allergic reaction with airway and circulatory compromise.
11.	Anticoagulation	Therapy reducing clot formation to prevent thrombosis.
12.	Apnea	Temporary cessation of breathing.
13.	Arterial line	Invasive catheter for continuous blood pressure monitoring.
14.	Aspiration precautions	Measures reducing inhalation of food, fluids, or secretions.
15.	Atelectasis	Collapsed alveoli reducing gas exchange.
16.	Bair Hugger	Forced-air warming device preventing perioperative hypothermia.
17.	Barotrauma	Pressure-related lung injury from ventilation.
18.	Basal insulin	Long-acting insulin covering background glucose needs.
19.	Bedside swallow screen	Quick check for dysphagia and aspiration risk.
20.	BiPAP	Noninvasive ventilation providing inspiratory and expiratory pressure support.
21.	Bladder scan	Ultrasound estimate of urinary retention volume.
22.	Bolus	Rapid dose of fluid or medication.
23.	Braden Scale	Risk tool for pressure injury prediction.
24.	Breakthrough pain	Transient pain flare despite baseline analgesia.
25.	Bronchospasm	Airway smooth muscle constriction causing wheeze and dyspnea.
26.	Capnography	Monitoring exhaled carbon dioxide to assess ventilation.
27.	Catheter-associated UTI	Urinary infection linked to indwelling catheter use.
28.	Central line	Large vein catheter for medications, fluids, and monitoring.
29.	Chest tube	Pleural drain removing air, blood, or fluid.
30.	CHF	Heart failure causing congestion and reduced perfusion.
31.	CIWA	Scale guiding alcohol withdrawal assessment and treatment.
32.	Clostridioides difficile	Infectious colitis causing diarrhea after antibiotic exposure.
33.	Code blue	Hospital alert for cardiac or respiratory arrest.
34.	Compartment syndrome	Elevated tissue pressure compromising perfusion and function.
35.	CPAP	Continuous airway pressure supporting oxygenation during sleep or distress.
36.	Creatinine clearance	Estimate of kidney filtration for medication dosing.
37.	CRRT	Continuous dialysis for unstable critically ill patients.
38.	CSF leak	Cerebrospinal fluid escape often after trauma or procedure.
39.	Culture and sensitivity	Lab testing identifying pathogen and effective antibiotics.
40.	D5W	Dextrose solution providing free water after metabolism.
41.	De-escalation	Narrowing therapy based on response and culture results.
42.	Dead space	Ventilated air not participating in gas exchange.
43.	Delirium	Acute fluctuating confusion with inattention and disorganized thinking.
44.	DIC	Disseminated intravascular coagulation causing bleeding and thrombosis.
45.	Dopamine	Vasoactive infusion supporting blood pressure and perfusion.
46.	DVT	Deep vein thrombosis often in legs with embolism risk.
47.	Dysphagia	Difficulty swallowing increasing aspiration risk.
48.	Ejection fraction	Percentage of ventricular blood pumped per beat.
49.	Electrolyte panel	Lab values for sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate.
50.	End-tidal CO2	Last exhaled carbon dioxide level on capnography.
51.	Enteral feeding	Nutrition delivered via stomach or intestinal tube.
52.	Epinephrine	First-line medication for anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest.
53.	Escalation of care	Increasing monitoring or interventions due to clinical deterioration.
54.	Estimated blood loss	Approximation of blood lost during procedure or trauma.
55.	FAST exam	Focused ultrasound for internal bleeding in trauma.
56.	Fentanyl patch	Transdermal opioid for chronic continuous pain control.
57.	Fever workup	Ordered tests to identify infectious source.
58.	FiO2	Fraction of inspired oxygen delivered to patient.
59.	Fluid responsiveness	Likelihood blood pressure improves after fluid administration.
60.	Foley catheter	Indwelling urinary catheter for drainage and monitoring.
61.	GCS	Glasgow Coma Scale rating consciousness after neurologic injury.
62.	Geriatric syndromes	Multifactorial conditions like falls, frailty, and incontinence.
63.	Glucagon	Hormone treatment for severe hypoglycemia when IV access absent.
64.	Heparin-induced thrombocy…	Immune reaction causing low platelets and thrombosis.
65.	High-alert medication	Drug with increased risk of serious harm.
66.	Hives	Urticaria presenting as itchy raised welts.
67.	Hyperkalemia	High serum potassium risking arrhythmias.
68.	Hypoglycemia protocol	Standard treatment steps for low blood glucose.
69.	Hypotension	Low blood pressure causing poor organ perfusion.
70.	Incentive spirometry	Breathing exercise reducing atelectasis after surgery.
71.	Ins and outs	Tracking fluid intake and output for balance assessment.
72.	Insulin sliding scale	Correction insulin doses based on glucose readings.
73.	Intubation	Placement of endotracheal tube to secure airway.
74.	IV infiltration	Fluid leaking into tissue from displaced IV.
75.	IVPB	Intravenous piggyback medication infused secondary to primary line.
76.	Jaundice	Yellow skin from elevated bilirubin.
77.	Kussmaul respirations	Deep rapid breathing from metabolic acidosis.
78.	Lactate	Marker of tissue hypoperfusion and anaerobic metabolism.
79.	LASA medications	Look-alike, sound-alike drug names causing confusion errors.
80.	Leukocytosis	Elevated white blood cell count often from infection or stress.
81.	Line sepsis	Bloodstream infection related to vascular catheter.
82.	Lung sounds	Auscultation findings like crackles, wheezes, and rhonchi.
83.	MAP	Mean arterial pressure estimating organ perfusion pressure.
84.	Medication reconciliation	Comparing medication lists to prevent discrepancies.
85.	Metabolic alkalosis	High blood pH from bicarbonate excess or acid loss.
86.	Morse Fall Scale	Assessment tool predicting inpatient fall risk.
87.	Nasogastric tube	Tube from nose to stomach for suction or feeding.
88.	Nebulizer treatment	Aerosol medication delivery to lower airways.
89.	Neuro checks	Serial assessments of pupils, strength, sensation, and mental status.
90.	NG suction	Gastric decompression using negative pressure via tube.
91.	NIH Stroke Scale	Standardized neurologic deficit scoring for stroke.
92.	NPO	Nothing by mouth order to prevent aspiration.
93.	Orthostatic vitals	Blood pressure and pulse changes with position shifts.
94.	Osmolality	Concentration measure influencing water movement across membranes.
95.	Oxygen saturation	Percentage of hemoglobin bound with oxygen.
96.	Pain reassessment	Follow-up evaluation after intervention to verify relief.
97.	Palliative care	Specialty care for symptom management and goal alignment.
98.	Peak flow	Maximum expiratory flow used in asthma monitoring.
99.	PEEP	Positive end-expiratory pressure preventing alveolar collapse.
100.	Perfusion	Delivery of oxygenated blood to tissues.