A glossary of medical interventions

February 26, 2006

Bobby Palange, age 3, who was accidentally run over by his father's car in their driveway one year ago. (Newsday / Ken Sawchuk / February 20, 2006)

Ativan: the brand name of a sedative used to treat insomnia and anxiety.

Atropine: a pre-medication for anesthesia that dries up saliva and bronchial secretions and counteracts the lowered heart rate sometimes seen after an endotracheal tube insertion.

Betadine: the brand name of a brown-colored, iodine-based antiseptic commonly applied to a patient's skin to kill microbes before surgery.

Biparietal craniectomy: a type of pressure-relieving surgery in which a portion of the parietal bone is removed from each side of the skull.

Catheter: a flexible tube inserted into the body to deliver or drain fluids.

Cautery: a medical instrument used to sear the ends of blood vessels to prevent bleeding during surgery.

Ceftriaxone: A broad-based antibiotic that acts by interfering with the synthesis of bacterial cell walls.

Central line: a catheter tube inserted through the subclavian vein to monitor the central venous pressure and, by extension, hydration and to provide a portal for drug delivery.

Craniotome: an air-driven saw used to cut through the skull.

CT scan: computed tomography scan, also known as a CAT scan; a specialized X-ray that provides cross-sectional views of selected body regions.

Decadron: the brand name of a steroid that suppresses brain inflammation but can interfere with the body's ability to ward off infections.

Decompressive craniectomy: a surgical procedure, often done after a traumatic brain injury or stroke, that involves removing a portion of the patient's skull to relieve the intracranial pressure.

Dilantin: the brand name of a drug commonly given to treat or prevent epileptic seizures.

Electrocardiogram: also known as an EKG or ECG; a medical test that records the heart's electrical activity and detects abnormalities.

Endotracheal tube: a flexible tube that delivers oxygen from a hand or machine-operated pump through a patient's airway to the lungs.

Factor VII: a key blood-clotting protein that can be given to patients with uncontrollable bleeding, such as hemophiliacs.

Fentanyl: a pain reliever and anesthetic that acts through the central nervous system.

Fresh frozen plasma: the blood's fluid component, frozen after donation, that contains blood-clotting factors and can be used to treat hemophiliacs or other patients who develop severe bleeding problems.

Glasgow Coma Scale: a scoring system used by medics to assess a patient's condition and prognosis following a traumatic brain injury; the scale includes scores for verbal, motor and eye-opening responses.

Hyperventilation: the delivery of oxygen in quick bursts, to lower the level of carbon dioxide in brain tissue and reduce pressure by constricting the size of blood vessels and decreasing the blood flow.