Medical words explained
A
Anaemia
- Insufficient red blood cells in the blood.
Antibiotics
- Medications that destroy or incapacitate bacteria. They are used to treat certain infections.
- Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
Apnoea
- A pause in breathing that is longer than normal. It is commonly seen in premature or ill newborn babies.
Arterial line
- A thin catheter or tube placed in an artery to take blood samples or check blood pressure.
Aspiration
- Inhaling liquid or other material into the windpipe or lungs.
B
Bagging
- A procedure to assist the baby to breathe by inflating the lungs with a bag. A mask is placed over the mouth and nose or a tube in the windpipe is used.
Bilirubin
- A substance that stains the skin yellow (jaundice) when present in significant amounts.
- Bilirubin is formed while recycling red blood cells and is processed by the liver. The liver is immature in the normal newborn and may be slow to remove bilirubin.
- This is exaggerated in sick or premature babies and high bilirubin levels may require treatment.
Blood gas
- A blood gas test is performed using a small amount of blood to measure the acidity and levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
Bradycardia
- A temporary slowing in the baby's heart rate, common in premature or ill newborn babies.
Bridge
- A box containing the ventilator, monitors and pumps needed for intensive care of an infant or older child.
- The box is mounted over the legs of the child, forming a bridge over the stretcher.
C
Cardiac Ultrasound or 'Echo'
- A test using sound waves to create a picture of the chambers of the heart, heart valves and related blood vessels. Patterns of blood flow can also be shown.
Catheter Central Line
- A special tube, usually placed in a blood vessel to give liquids or drugs or to take blood specimens.
- A long intravenous line that is threaded into the large blood vessels within the body, often inserted through the groin or neck.
- It is used to give fluids and drugs and to monitor vital signs such as central venous pressure.
Cervical Collar
- A stiff collar placed around the neck of a child who has a suspected neck injury.
Chest tube/chest drain
- Tubes inserted through the skin between the ribs to release air or liquid trapped within the chest, to allow the lungs to expand.
Chronological age
- Age measured by length of time from birth
Conference
- Group telephone discussion held by the doctors and nurses to discuss the treatment of your child. Generally held prior to transport.
Corrected age
- The age the baby would be, if born at term.
- For example one year corrected age is one year after the baby was due to be born, rather than one year after her or his actual birthday.
CPAP
- Continuous Positive Airways Pressure.
- A form of respiratory support where the lungs are kept slightly inflated to assist the child's natural breathing.
- The CPAP machine supplies oxygen under pressure to the baby through plastic prongs inserted a short distance into one or both nostrils.
- For older children a mask may be used. If the child is sicker, intubation and ventilation may be required.
Cranial ultrasound
- A test using sound waves to create a picture of the brain and other structures.
Cyanosis
- The bluish tinge of the skin and lips caused by a low level of oxygen.
CT scan
- A special form of x-ray which requires the child to be so still that an anaesthetic may be required. It cannot be done in the ICU.
E
Echo
- See 'Cardiac ultrasound'
Electrode
- An adhesive pad placed on the baby's skin, which is used to monitor heart rate and/or breathing.
Endotracheal tube
- A plastic tube passed through the nose or mouth into the trachea 1windpipe) to assist the baby in breathing. It is usually attached to a ventilator.
- It can also be called an ET tube.
- The process of inserting an ET tube is called Intubation
Extubation
- The process of removing the endotracheal tube.
G
Gastric tube
- A plastic tube placed into the stomach through the mouth or nose.
- Often used to feed the baby when sucking is inadequate or unsuitable.
GCS Glasgow Coma Scale
- A score used in an unconscious or semiconscious child to assess severity of loss of consciousness and guide treatment.
Gestational age
- The length of time (in weeks) from conception to birth.
H
Haemoglobin
- The substance in the red blood cells which carries oxygen around the body.
Headbox
- A plastic box placed over the baby's head and shoulders to provide an exact level of oxygen and moisture.
Humidifier
- A device through which oxygen and air for the headbox or ventilator are fed to warm and moisten them to body temperature.
Hyaline Membrane Disease
- A respiratory problem resulting from immaturity of a baby's lungs and lack of surfactant. It is more common in premature babies.
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) can limit oxygen uptake leading to hypoxia (see below).
Hypoxia
- A low level of oxygen in the blood stream.
I
Indwelling catheter
- A plastic catheter placed in the bladder to assist in draining urine. Often used in intensive care of children.
Incubator
- A bed enclosed with plastic. It is heated to maintain the baby's body temperature while the baby remains visible and accessible.
Intravenous
- A method of giving fluids through a tiny catheter placed in an infusion vein. See also Central Line.
Intubation
- Insertion of an endotracheal tube through the nose or mouth into the trachea (windpipe) to resuscitate a
- very unwell baby or to assist with breathing.
Intra osseous (IO) line
- A large needle inserted into the bone of the leg to give drugs and fluids required urgently.
- Used when other methods of giving treatment are not working or are unsuccessful.
J
Jaundice
- Yellow discolouration of the skin caused by excessive bilirubin in the blood.
M
Meconium
- The first bowel action of the newborn baby, usually dark green or black and sticky.
Medical Retrieval
- The process of moving a sick patient using a medical team which has travelled from a specialist centre to treat, stabilise and escort the patient.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- A scan image of the head or other body part taken using a magnetic scanning technique, rather than radiation.
- The test cannot be done in the ICU.
Monitor
- A machine which displays information about the baby's body functions (eg heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) and warns of possibly abnormal variations.
Monitored
- The process of attaching or maintaining monitoring equipment.
Muscle relaxant
- A form of anaesthetic in which the muscles of the body are 'paralysed' for a short time by a drug.
- Used in the critically ill child as part of intensive care.
P
Paralysed
- The effect of a muscle relaxing drug. Also used to indicate nerve damage from an injury or illness.
- Ask your child's doctor if you are unsure about the sense in which this word is being used in the intensive care setting.
S
Sedation
- Effect of drugs used to make your child more comfortable or less aware.
Spinal board
- A frame or board to keep a child's back and spine safe when fracture is suspected.
Stabilisation
- The process of preparing a child for medical transport.
- This includes all those intensive care treatments that can be commenced prior to travel.
- This is better than delaying important treatments until after transportation.
- Stabilisation also involves making the child's condition 'safe' for transportation.
Surfactant
- A substance produced by the lungs which is essential for expansion of the lungs during breathing.
- In a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, surfactant can be given to babies whose lungs are not manufacturing natural surfactant.
- This occurs when the lungs are not yet mature enough (eg in a premature infant) or are malfunctioning for another reason.
T
Transcutaneous (TC)
- Literally, through the skin. A monitor fixed to the skin to assess the level of oxygen or carbon dioxide in the body.
- The level can be measured this way because a baby's skin is thin enough for oxygen and carbon dioxide to filter through the skin.
U
Umbilical Arterial Catheter (UAC)
- A tube fed through one of the arteries of the umbilicus of a baby. It is used to take blood samples and or measure blood pressure.
Umbilical Venous Catheter (UVC)
- A tube fed through the vein in the umbilicus of a baby. It is used to give drugs and fluids.
V
Ventilator
- A machine which assists with or replaces the baby's own breathing by inflating the lungs under pressure.
- The baby may be able to breathe between the machine breaths.
- The machine is connected to the baby by a tube passed through the nose or mouth into the windpipe. (see Endotracheal Tube)