Common Medical Terms in Nursing
(For freshmen students)
TERMS MEANING
ACUTE Sudden onset of symptoms
CHRONIC Long-term or persistent
BENIGN Non-cancerous
MALIGNANT Cancerous and potentially
life-threatening
ETIOLOGY Cause of a disease
PROGNOSIS Expected outcome of a
disease
REMISSION Reduction or disappearance
of symptoms
ANTERIOR Front of the body
POSTERIOR Back of the body
LATERAL Side of the body
MEDIAL Middle or center of the body
, Common Medical Terms in Nursing
(For freshmen students)
TERMS MEANING
PROXIMAL Nearer to the point of
attachment
DISTAL Farther from the point or
attachment
SUPERIOR Above or higher
INFERIOR Below or lower
INFLAMMATION Body’s response to injury or
infection
EDEMA Swelling caused by excess
fluid
LESION Abnormal tissue change
NECROSIS Death tissue
ABSCESS Collection of pus
CARCINOMA Type of cancer arising from
epithelial cells
SARCOMA Type of cancer arising from
connective tissue
(For freshmen students)
TERMS MEANING
ACUTE Sudden onset of symptoms
CHRONIC Long-term or persistent
BENIGN Non-cancerous
MALIGNANT Cancerous and potentially
life-threatening
ETIOLOGY Cause of a disease
PROGNOSIS Expected outcome of a
disease
REMISSION Reduction or disappearance
of symptoms
ANTERIOR Front of the body
POSTERIOR Back of the body
LATERAL Side of the body
MEDIAL Middle or center of the body
, Common Medical Terms in Nursing
(For freshmen students)
TERMS MEANING
PROXIMAL Nearer to the point of
attachment
DISTAL Farther from the point or
attachment
SUPERIOR Above or higher
INFERIOR Below or lower
INFLAMMATION Body’s response to injury or
infection
EDEMA Swelling caused by excess
fluid
LESION Abnormal tissue change
NECROSIS Death tissue
ABSCESS Collection of pus
CARCINOMA Type of cancer arising from
epithelial cells
SARCOMA Type of cancer arising from
connective tissue
