Medical, Surgical, & Viewing Terms and Abbreviations
Medical, Surgical, & Viewing Terms and Abbreviations
Medical Careers & Professional Terminology
diagnostic vascular technologist: technologist that images the vascular system
hematologist: specialist physician that diagnoses and treats blood disorders
medical laboratory technologist: performs complex analyses of tissue, blood, and other body fluids
phlebotomist: professional trained to draw blood
vascular surgeon: surgeon that treats diseases of the blood and lymphatic vessels
Imaging Techniques/Procedures for the Organ System
angiogram: the placement of a catheter in a blood vessel and injection of contrast material while taking x-rays of the vessel
angiography: the process of obtaining an angiogram
angioscope: a miniature fiber-optic endoscope that is threaded into the heart through a catheter; it can be used to view thrombi, plaque, arterial dissections, and other vascular abnormalities
angioscopy: the process of using an angioscope
aortogram: the placement of a catheter in the aorta and injection of contrast material while taking x-rays of the aorta
arteriogram: the placement of a catheter in an artery and injection of contrast material while taking x-rays of the artery
Doppler ultrasound: a noninvasive test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through the blood vessels by bouncing sound waves off circulating red blood cells
venogram: the placement of a catheter in a vein and injection of contrast material while taking x-rays of the vein
Surgical Techniques / Medical Procedures / Diagnostic Procedures / Medications Used with the Organ System
aneurysmectomy: surgical removal of an aneurysm from a blood vessel
angioplasty: a balloon-tip catheter is fed through a blood vessel up to the site of the narrowing; the balloon is inflated to re-open the artery
anticoagulant: a medication that slows or inhibits blood clotting
arterial blood gas: measures blood pH, oxygen, and CO2 levels in a sample of arterial blood, usually taken from the wrist
atherectomy: surgical excision of fatty plaque from a blood vessel
bone marrow aspiration: removal of bone marrow via needle
bone marrow biopsy: a diagnostic test of a sample of red bone marrow
bone marrow transplant: a treatment in which a donor’s healthy bone marrow and its stem cells replace the faulty bone marrow of a patient
coagulation time: the time required by a blood specimen to clot
complete blood count and differential: a collection of blood tests that count the different blood cells (RBCs, WBCs, platelets) and the different types of WBCs (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils)
embolectomy: surgical removal of an embolus, usually with a balloon catheter
endarterectomy: surgical removal of plaque from a blood vessel
femoropopliteal bypass: surgery that creates a new route for blood between the femoral and popliteal arteries of the leg
hematocrit: a lab test that measures the percentage of red blood cells in a sample of whole blood; it represents how much of the person’s blo