Certified Medical Assistant NRCMA Reddit Questions

Athoracotomyis a surgical procedure involving an incision into the chest wall to gain access to the thoracic organs, particularly the lungs and heart. This procedure is performed for various diagnostic and therapeutic reasons, including lung biopsy, tumor removal, or treatment of thoracic injuries. The other terms refer to related but different concepts:

Thoracic: Pertaining to the chest.

Thorax: The part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, encasing the chest.

Thoracostomy: The creation of an opening into the chest cavity, often for the insertion of a chest tube.

Anticoagulantsare medications that prevent blood from clotting. They are commonly prescribed for conditions like atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism to prevent the formation of harmful clots. Examples of anticoagulants include warfarin, heparin, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

Analgesics: Used to relieve pain.

Tranquilizers: Used to reduce anxiety or induce sleep.

A Z-tract injection is a technique used to administer medication intramuscularly to minimize leakage and irritation of the medication in the subcutaneous tissue. The Z-tract method involves pulling the skin and subcutaneous tissue to one side before inserting the needle into the muscle, injecting the medication, and then releasing the tissue after withdrawing the needle. This "zig-zag" path prevents the medication from leaking back along the needle track. The gluteal muscle, particularly the ventrogluteal or dorsogluteal sites, is commonly used for such injections due to its large muscle mass.

The word part "itis" means inflammation. It is commonly used in medical terminology to describe inflammatory conditions affecting various parts of the body. For example, "arthritis" refers to inflammation of the joints, and "bronchitis" refers to inflammation of the bronchi.

References:

Medical Terminology: A Short Course by Davi-Ellen Chabner

Stedman's Medical Dictionary