Page 806 - ACCCN's Critical Care Nursing

Glossary of terms

abdominal compartment syndrome. Describes the acute tubular necrosis (ATN). A collective term reflecting
pathophysiological consequences of raised intra-abdominal pathological renal changes from various renal insults of a
pressure and may be associated with any clinical condition that nephrotoxic or ischaemic origin.
increases such pressure, including massive intra-abdominal or adult guardian. An officer who is appointed to protect the interests
retroperitoneal haemorrhage, intestinal obstruction or severe gut and rights of adults with impaired decision-making capacity, no
oedema. matter the type or cause of impairment. The adult guardian is an
ablation. Therapy designed to destroy tissues that generate or sustain independent statutory officer.
arrhythmias. advance directives. A document that expresses the patient’s
Aboriginal. Refers here to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preferences for end-of-life issues.
peoples. advanced life support (ALS). The provision of effective airway
access catheter. A plastic tubing device with two central lumens management, ventilation of the lungs and production of a
placed percutaneously in a large vein of the body for the purpose circulation using techniques in addition to those of basic life
of drawing blood into a RRT circuit and enabling blood from the support.
RRT circuit to return to the patient again. afterload. The load imposed on the muscle during contraction, and
access catheter site. The position where the skin and large vein in the translates to systolic myocardial wall tension.
human body is punctured to provide for placement of the vascular allograft. Transplanted organ and tissue.
access catheter. amylase. An enzyme that breaks down starch, glycogen and dextrin
actigraph. Used for measuring movement, in particular to measure to form glucose, maltose and the limit dextrins.
the quantity of sleep. anabolism. The phase of metabolism in which simple substances
acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A broad spectrum of clinical (e.g. amino acids) are synthesised into complex materials (e.g.
presentations, spanning ST-segment-elevation myocardial proteins).
infarction, through to an accelerated pattern of angina without anaphylaxis. A life-threatening allergic reaction.
evidence of myonecrosis. antepartum haemorrhage. Any bleeding from the genital tract after
acute kidney injury (AKI). A term now more commonly used to 20 weeks’ gestation and before the birth of the baby.
replace the term acute renal failure (ARF) as it better describes the anticoagulation. The effect of a drug aimed at stopping the blood
spectrum of the illness including pathophysiological and clinical clotting.
changes and causative factors associated with an abrupt loss of anxiety. A disorder characterised by excessive concern or worry
urine production. with a difficulty controlling the level of concern with irritability,
acute liver failure (ALF). Liver cell injury occurring, over a short restlessness and disturbed sleep.
period of time, to a critical mass of liver cells. The liver is unable to APACHE score. Abbreviation for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health
maintain homeostasis. Evaluation. A numerical value determined from a collection of
acute lung injury (ALI). A distinct form of acute respiratory failure predetermined criteria that enables the severity of illness to be
characterised by progressive hypoxaemia, reduced lung classified. The score provides a risk of death calculation and
compliance and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates on a chest X-ray. or enables patients with critical illness to be compared in an
acute-on-chronic liver failure (AoCLF). AoCLF results from an acute objective manner.
decompensation of chronic liver disease and can be precipitated apoptosis. Normal physiologic programmed cell death; the main
by infection, bleeding, or intoxication. mechanism to eliminate dysfunctional cells.
acute-phase proteins. Proteins (also known as acute-phase reactants) arrhythmia. A broad term used to describe any rhythm other than
that are synthesised in the liver in response to inflammation; sinus rhythm.
include C-reactive protein, alpha-1-antitrypsin, coagulation factors arterial blood gas. An arterial blood sample taken to assess pH,
(e.g. fibrinogen, prothrombin, factor VIII, plasminogen), and bicarbonate, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and other
complement factors. electrolytes
acute renal failure (ARF). A sudden deterioration of kidney function arterio-venous (AV) circuit. A term describing the arterial and venous
to the point where there is retention of nitrogenous wastes, with vascular access cannulae or shunt and the associated tubing
or without loss of urine production. necessary to carry blood in and out of the haemofilter and the
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A severe form of acute circulation.
lung injury, with a PaO 2:FiO 2 ratio <200 and bilateral infiltrates asterixis. A clinical sign indicating a lapse of posture, usually manifest
present on a chest X-ray. in a bilateral flapping tremor at the wrist, metacarpophalangeal 783