Glossary

Medical words, in plain English

by Joe Miller

The terms you will hear in a doctor's office, a hospital, or on an insurance bill.

Word	Meaning
A1C	A blood test showing your average blood sugar over about 3 months.
Absorbable suture	A stitch the body breaks down on its own.
Acute	Sudden and usually short, like a broken arm.
AED	Automated external defibrillator: a box that shocks a stopped heart back into rhythm and talks you through using it.
Anaphylaxis	A severe, whole-body allergic reaction; treated with epinephrine and 911.
Anesthesia	Medicine that blocks pain; local numbs one spot, general puts you to sleep.
Benign	Not cancer.
Biopsy	Taking a small piece of tissue to look at under a microscope.
Board certified	A doctor who passed the exams of a specialty board after residency.
CBC	Complete blood count: red cells, white cells and platelets.
Chronic	Lasting a long time or coming back, like diabetes.
Copay	A set amount you pay for a visit or prescription.
CT scan	A detailed 3-D X-ray.
Deductible	What you pay each year before insurance starts paying.
Diastolic	The bottom blood pressure number.
DO	Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine; a fully licensed physician.
Fellowship	Extra training after residency in a sub-specialty.
Generic	The same medicine as a brand name, sold under its chemical name for less.
Laceration	A cut.
Malignant	Cancer.
MD	Doctor of Medicine.
MRI	A scan using magnets that shows soft tissue in detail, with no radiation.
NP	Nurse practitioner.
OTC	Over the counter: no prescription needed.
PA	Physician assistant.
Primary care	Your first-stop doctor for checkups and most problems.
Referral	A request from one doctor for you to see another.
Residency	Paid, supervised training in a specialty after medical school.
Screening	A test to find disease before symptoms.
SpO2	Oxygen saturation, from a fingertip pulse oximeter.
Suture	A stitch.
Systolic	The top blood pressure number.
Telehealth	A visit by video or phone.
Triage	Sorting patients by how sick they are, so the sickest are seen first.
Urgent care	A walk-in clinic for problems that can't wait but aren't emergencies.
Vital signs	Pulse, breathing rate, temperature, blood pressure and oxygen.