Medical words explained

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)