Medical Terms for Common Urgent Care Injuries and Illnesses

Have you ever heard a doctor say that the patient has, "A deep laceration with various contusions around the site," but you could swear that you only had a nasty cut and several bruises from where you fell, arm first, into the concrete? Or maybe you had to describe a recent injury as "this swollen, bloody bubble under my skin," and you  heard the word "hematoma" dropped.

Your local urgent care center has two ways to describe your presenting injuries and illnesses- informally to let you know what you have, and formally with strict medical terminology for your patient chart and insurance claim. Although a patient will very rarely need to remember the medical terms for their condition, it is entertaining to understand what the doctors and nurses are talking about in your chart.

  *   Cut- Laceration
  *   Scrape- Abrasion
  *   Vomiting- Emesis
  *   Bruise- Contusion
  *   Feels like a fever- Febrile
  *   Bleeding- Hemorrhaging
  *   Shots- Injections
  *   Vaccine- Immunization
  *   On the skin- Topical
  *   All over"- Systemic
  *   Ear infection- Acute otitis media
  *   Broken bone- fracture
  *   Allergy rash after touching something- Contact dermatitis
  *   Pain medicine- Analgesic
  *   Cough- Tussis

This brief list of medical terms for common conditions is, by no means, a substitute for treatment or the professional advice of a physician. In the event of any of these conditions, never hesitate to visit a PCP or, for quick treatment, even over the weekend, a local urgent care center in Houston.