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Medical Coding Terminology


·         Redaction  – Editing a document and removing some details before publishing

·         Aliquot - A weighable quantity of drug is dissolved in a calculated volume of a suitable solvent, usually water or ethanol. Then, an aliquot of the solution containing the desired amount of drug is removed

·         Arthrodesis – Fusion of a joint

·         Carte Blanche – Unconditional authority

·         Nomenclature - the body or system of names used in a particular specialist field.

·         Standby - readiness for duty or immediate deployment.

·         Moribund – at the point of death

·         Physiological - Normal function of a living organism

·         Therapeutic – healing of a disease

·         Cephalic – Towards the head

·         Caudad – towards the tail

·         Percutaneous – Through the skin

·         Pathology – Study of disease

·         Benign – Harmless

·         Malignant – Invasive, dangerous

·         Viscera - the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines.

·         Radical - Radical surgery, also called radical dissection, refers to the removal of blood supply, lymph nodes and sometimes adjacent structures of a diseased organ or tumor during surgery (Major surgery).

·         Medial - situated near the median plane of the body or the midline of an organ

·         Lateral – Towards the sides of the body

·         Proximal – situated near the center of the body

·         Distal – situated far away from the center of the body

·         Peripheral – outlying, border

·         Steinstrasse – German word describing a possible complication of ESWL

·         Peau D orange – French word – skin looking like orange peel

·         Adjacent – nearby

·         Lesion – An abnormal area of skin like a lump

·         Diagnosis – Process of determining the Disease condition

·         Laterality - Laterality" (side of the body affected) is a new coding convention added to relevant ICD-10 codes to increase specificity. Designated codes for conditions such as fractures, burns, ulcers, and certain neoplasms will require documentation of the side/region of the body where the condition occurs.

·         Convention - Rules to be followed when coding

·         Guidelines: Rules

·         Adverse reaction: An adverse effect means a substance is taken according to direction and a reaction occurs.

·         Placeholder: This frequently occurs with poisonings and injuries. The letter "x” serves as a placeholder when a code contains fewer than six characters and a seventh character applies. The "x” also allows for future expansion of the codes.

·         La carte: The definition of a la carte is a list of items on a menu which are priced separately.

·         Morbidity: Disease condition

·         Puerperium: the period of about six weeks after childbirth during which the mother's reproductive organs return to their original non-pregnant condition.

·         Postpartum: Following childbirth

·         Perinatal: The period surrounding childbirth

·         Subluxation: Partial dislocation

·         Manipulation: The process of manipulating a body part by manual examination and treatment.

·         Bundling: In medical billing, you can link some services together under one code, also known as bundling

·         Dislocation: An injury in which the ends of two connected bones separate

·         Myocardial Infarction: Heart Attack - Death of a tissue due to lack of blood supply

·         Angina pectoris: Chest pain

·         Sequela: a condition which is the consequence of a previous disease or injury

·         Adnexa: The parts adjoining an organ

·         Appendages : Extremities

·         Sequencing: IN a particular order

·         Neoplasm:  A neoplasm is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue

·         Etiology: The cause of a disease

·         Manifestation: symptoms

·         Sepsis : Infection of blood

·         Ischemia: Inadequate blood supply to a body part/organ

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