Chapter 16

• Physical examination


  Performed to assess a patient's condition.
• Assessment


  A term used to describe the evaluation of a condition
• Signalment


  A description of the animal with information about the animal, including the species, breed, age, and sexual state (intact or neutered).
• Vital signs


  Parameters taken from the animal to assess its health.
• Febrile, fever, or pyrexia.


  An elevated body temperature
• Afebrile


  Without a fever
• Pyr/o


  Fire
• Hypothermia


  A decrease in body temperature
• Pulse or pulse rate


  The number of times the heart beats per minute. It is taken by palpating an artery.
• Heart rate, HR


  The number of times the heart contracts and relaxes per minute. Taken by auscultating the heart with a stethoscope.
• Respiration, respiration rate, or RR


  The number of respirations per minute. It is one total inhale and one total exhale.
• Sphygmomanometer


  An instrument to measure blood pressure.
• Auscultation


  The act of listening, which usually involves the use of a stethoscope to listen to body sounds. It can be used to assess the condition of the heart, lungs, pleura, and abdomen.
• Diaphragm


  The flat, circular portion of the stethoscope covered in a thin membrane. It transmits high pitched sounds, like those produced by the bowel, lungs, and heart.
• Bell


  The part of the stethoscope not covered by a membrane. It facilitates auscultation of lower frequency sounds, such as the third and fourth sounds of the heart.
• Palpation


  An examination by feeling. Here one can feel texture, size, consistency, and location of body parts and masses.
• Percussion


  An examination by tapping the surface to determine density of a body area. Sound may be produced when the surface is tapped with a finger or an instrument. The sound produced depends on the amount of fluid, solid, or air present in the area being examined.
• Speculum


  An instrument used to enlarge an opening of a canal or cavity. It is attached to a scope to provide a better view of a canal or cavity.
• Mouth speculum


  Used to better visualize the oral cavity.
• Venipuncture


  Withdrawing blood from a vein, usually with a needle and syringe.
• Agglutination


  Clumping together of cells or particles
• Assay


  Assessment or test to determine the amount of organisms, cells, or amount of a chemical substance found in a sample.
• Complete blood count, CBC


  Diagnostic evaluation of blood to determine the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes per cubic millimeter of blood
• Differential


  Diagnostic evaluation of the number and types of white blood cells per cubic millimeter of blood.
• Diluent


  Liquid used to make a dilution
• Enzyme linked immunosuppressant assay, ELISA


  Laboratory test to determine either antigen or antibody in blood
• Hematocrit, crit, PCV, or packed cell volume


  Percentage of erythrocytes in blood; to separate blood
• Hemogram


  Record of the findings in examination of blood especially with reference to the numbers, proportions, and morphology of the blood cells.
• Immunofluorescence


  Method of tagging antibodies with a luminating dye to detect antigen antibody complexes.
• Leukogram


  Numeric and descriptive data in the distribution and appearance of WBCs; used to identify a pathologic process.
• Profile, screen, or panel


  Group of laboratory tests performed on serum. This includes tests that measure levels of glucose, liver enzymes, and kidney enzymes.
• Prothrombin time


  Diagnostic evaluation of the number of seconds needed for thromboplastin to coagulate plasma.
• Radioimmunoassay or radioassay


  Laboratory technique in which a radioactively labeled substance is mixed with a blood specimen to determine the amount of a particular substance in a mixture.
• Red cell count


  Number of erythrocytes per cubic millimeter of blood.
• Serology


  Laboratory study of serum and the reactions of antigens and antibodies.
• White cell count


  Number of leukocytes per cubic millimeter of blood.
• Refractometer


  An instrument used to determine the deviation of light through objects. They are used to measure the solute concentration in serum, urine, and other body fluids.
• Centrifuge


  A machine that spins samples very rapidly to separate elements based on density. It is used to separate the formed elements of blood from the liquid portion of blood. It also separates the liquid portion of urine from heavier solute.
• Acid


  The property of low pH or a higher number of hydrogen ions.
• Alkaline


  The property of high pH or a lower number of hydrogen ions.