EMA Medical Terms Simplifier: Medical Conditions and Procedures A-Z, Exercises of Communication

Download EMA Medical Terms Simplifier: Medical Conditions and Procedures A-Z and more Exercises Communication in PDF only on Docsity!

antagonist

immunoglobulins

idiopathic

polyuria

petechiae

trismus

tophi

acute

An agency of the European Union

EMA medical terms

simplifier

Plain-language description of medical

terms related to medicines use

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

8 February 2022 EMA/329258/2022 Rev. 1^1

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

Plain-language description of medical terms related to medicines use

This compilation gives plain-language descriptions of medical terms commonly used in information about medicines. Communication specialists at EMA use these descriptions for materials prepared for the public.

In our documents, we often adjust the description wordings to fit the context so that the writing flows smoothly without distorting the meaning. Since the main purpose of these descriptions is to serve our own writing needs, some also include alternative or optional wording to use as needed; we use ‘<>’ for this purpose.

Our list concentrates on side effects and similar terms in summaries of product characteristics and public assessments of medicines but omits terms that are used only rarely. It does not include descriptions of most disease states or those that relate to specialties such as regulation, statistics and complementary medicine or, indeed, broader fields of medicine such as anatomy, microbiology, pathology and physiology.

This resource is continually reviewed and updated internally, and we will publish updates periodically.

If you have comments or suggestions, you may contact us by filling in this form.

(^1) This revision includes terms used in cancer clinical trials, a change to seizure-related entries to avoid the use of fit , as well as several new and revised terms.

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

acute <short-lived> <short-term>

acute coronary syndrome conditions such as heart attack and unstable angina <(a type of severe chest pain)>

acute systemic hypersensitivity reaction

see hypersensitivity reaction, acute systemic

adipocytes fat cells

adjunct add-on

adjuvant (vaccines) a substance that increases the effect of the vaccine

administer / administration do not use; use simple verbs such as ‘give’ or ‘take’

advanced (cancer) consider^ has spread;^ check definition for each cancer type carefully as this description may not always apply

aggregate stick together

agonist a substance that attaches to a receptor (target) and triggers an effect

agranulocytosis very low level of a type of white blood cell <, which are important for fighting off infection>

akathisia a constant urge to move

alcohol intoxication do not use; explain in text e.g. excessive alcohol consumption

alkaloids substances that are naturally found in plants

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

allergen a substance that causes an allergy

allergen challenge a test to measure a patient’s reaction to a defined dose of an allergen (the substance that they are allergic to)

allergic rhinitis see rhinitis, allergic

allotransplantation when a patient receives cells, tissues or organs from a donor

alopecia substitute with hair loss

alveolitis, allergic see pneumonitis, hypersensitivity

ambulatory avoid term where possible or use able to walk

amnesia substitute with memory loss

anaemia

anaemia, aplastic when bone marrow stops producing new blood cells <causing tiredness, lower ability to fight infection and uncontrolled bleeding>

anaemia, haemolytic excessive breakdown of red blood cells

anaesthetic a medicine used to prevent pain and discomfort

anaesthetic block see nerve block

anaesthetic, general a medicine that can be used to prevent pain by making the patient unconscious

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

angiogenesis growth of new blood vessels

angiography X-rays of blood vessels

angioplasty a procedure to unblock a narrowed blood vessel

anorexia substitute with loss of appetite

anovulation when ovaries fail to produce eggs

antagonist a substance that blocks a receptor (target) and stops other substances attaching to it and triggering an effect

EXPLAINER

What does antibiotic resistance mean?

Antibiotics fight off bacteria. Typically, they interfere with processes that are important for the bacteria to survive or multiply. But bacteria can evolve to neutralise the effects of antibiotics. For example, they may develop enzymes that break down the antibiotic or they may develop a mechanism to keep the antibiotic from entering the bacteria. The antibiotic can therefore no longer fight off the bacteria and the bacteria are considered antibiotic resistant. The instructions for building the proteins (such as enzymes) that make bacteria antibiotic resistant are contained in their genes. Worryingly, these genes can be passed on to other types of bacteria, sometimes to bacteria of different species. This can cause antibiotic resistance to spread quickly even among unrelated species of bacteria.

antibody

a protein in the blood that helps the body's defences by identifying and attaching to specific foreign substances including germs

side effect a protein the body produces that attaches to the medicine

anticoagulant a substance that prevents the blood from clotting

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

antiemetic a substance that nausea and vomiting

antigen a specific structure that the body can recognise as 'foreign' and against which it can produce an antibody

antihistamine a that prevents symptoms of allergy alternatively an allergy medicine

antihypertensive blood pressure lowering

antioxidant a substance that can prevent damage from highly reactive molecules called ‘free radicals’

antiplatelet medicines medicines that prevent platelets in the blood from clumping and blocking arteries

antipyretic a medicine for treating fever

antiretroviral use HIV medicine

anuria a condition in which a patient cannot make or pass urine

aortic stenosis see stenosis, aortic

apathy lack of interest or energy

aphasia problems with use of language <including speech, understanding and reading>

apheresis a procedure where blood is passed through an external device that removes before returning the blood to the body

apnoea interruption of breathing;^ see also sleep apnoea and obstructive sleep apnoea

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

atelectasis collapse of the whole or part of a lung

atherosclerosis a disease in which fatty deposits build up in the walls of the arteries alternatively fatty deposits in arteries

atherothrombotic events problems caused by blood clots and hardening of the arteries

atonic seizure see seizure, atonic

atony lack of normal muscle

atopic linked to an allergy

atopic dermatitis see eczema, atopic

atrial fibrillation see fibrillation, atrial

atrial flutter see flutter, atrial

atrioventricular (AV) block a type of heart rhythm disorder

atrophy wasting away of body tissue or organ

atrophy, muscular muscle wasting

attenuated weakened

atypical absence seizure see seizure, atypical absence

aura unusual visual or other sensory experiences

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

autograft healthy <specific tissue: bone, skin, …> taken from one part of the patient’s body and grafted in another

autoimmune disease a disease caused by the body’s own defence system attacking normal tissue

EXPLAINER

What does autoimmune disease mean?

An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune (defence) system treats healthy parts of the body as if they were foreign and attacks them. Autoimmune disease can take many forms, depending on which body cells or tissues are targeted by the immune system. Well-known autoimmune diseases include:

• rheumatoid arthritis, a condition of joints and nearby tissues
• psoriasis, a skin condition
• ulcerative colitis, a bowel disease
• type 1 diabetes, in which insulin-producing cells are destroyed
• multiple sclerosis, in which the protective covering of nerves is destroyed Some autoimmune diseases can run in families. Treatment of autoimmune diseases generally involves relieving the symptoms (especially during flare-ups) and calming down the immune system (‘immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy’). Medicines that tackle the underlying autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis are sometimes called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS) or, more generally, disease-modifying drugs.

Autologous from the patient’s own body

avascular necrosis death of bone tissue due to interruption of blood supply

B

B cells cells in the immune system

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

EXPLAINER

What does bioequivalence mean?

Bioequivalence testing tells us if medicines that contain the same active substance behave in the same way in the body. Bioequivalence means that the active ingredient in different medicines is absorbed into the body at the same speed and to the same extent. Testing for bioequivalence typically involves giving volunteers a medicine and then measuring the amount of the active ingredient in their blood regularly (say, every 2 hours) until very little of the ingredient remains in the blood. If the pattern of rise and fall of the active ingredient in the blood is identical then the medicines are bioequivalent. Three measures are important for confirming bioequivalence:

• The maximum concentration of the active ingredients in the blood
• The time to reach the maximum concentration after taking the medicine
• The extent to which the active ingredients are absorbed.

bioequivalent

two medicines are bioequivalent when they produce the same levels of the active substance in the body.

if greater precision is needed, consider medicines with the same active substance are bioequivalent if the active substances from both medicines are absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same extent.

biological medicine a medicine made by cells

biopsy examination of tissue removed from the body

biowaiver an exemption from having to show bioequivalence between the medicineand its reference product

blepharitis inflammation of the eyelid(s)

blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure when the heart is between beats < (lower one of the tworeadings)>

blood pressure, systolic blood pressure when the heart beats < (higher one of the two readings)>

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

blood urea nitrogen (BUN) a marker for liver and kidney problems

BMI body mass index

body surface area use calculated using the <patient / child>'s height and weight

bolus injection full dose injected in one go

bone (mineral) density a measure of how strong the bones are

bone marrow spongy tissue inside the large bones

bone marrow transplantation

see also haematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplantation. a procedure where the patient’s bone marrow is cleared of cells and replaced with healthy bone marrow cells from a donor

bradycardia slow heart rate

breakthrough pain flare-up of pain despite ongoing treatment with painkillers

bronchi airways in the lungs

bronchiectasis when airways have become weakened and scarred

bronchitis inflammation of the airways in the lungs

bronchoconstriction narrowing of the airways

bronchodilator a medicine that widens the airways in the lungs

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

progression (disease) getting worse

progression-free survival how long patients live without their disease getting worse

relapse-free survival how long patients live without their disease coming back

response rate do not use; write percentage of patients who improve

survival rate, overall percentage of patients who live for a specific period

survival, overall how long patients live

time to (disease) progression

do not use. Explain as: the time until the disease started worsening

time to treatment failure

do not use. Explain as: the time until the treatment stopped working

cachexia muscle wasting with significant weight loss

calcitonin a hormone that helps to control the amount ofcalcium and phosphorus in the blood

candidiasis thrush, a fungal infection

cannula a thin tube inserted into

cannula, indwelling intravenous a thin tube permanently inserted into a vein

capillary leak syndrome

leakage of fluid from blood vessels causing tissue swelling and a drop in blood pressure

capsid shell (of a virus)

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

carcinoid syndrome symptoms caused by tumours that release substances into the blood

carcinoid tumour a tumour of the endocrine system that produces hormones

carcinoma a type of cancer

cardiac heart

cardiac arrest heart stops beating

cardiac arrhythmia see arrhythmia

cardiomyopathy damage to the heart muscle

cardiotoxicity harm to the heart

cardiovascular affecting the heart and blood circulation

cardiovascular system heart and blood vessels

cardioversion a process that restores the heart's normal rhythm

cartilage tough, flexible tissue in joints and other areas such as the nose and ears

castration surgical or chemical prevention of the effects of male hormones

catalyse help

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

cervical dystonia twisting and pulling of the neck and head caused by abnormal tightening of neck muscles

cervix the neck of the womb

CHD see coronary heart disease

chelate do not translate but explain in text, e.g.^ 'attaches to another chemical to form a 'chelate' that can be removed from the body in the stools'

cholestasis reduced flow of bile from the liver

cholestatic hepatitis see hepatitis, cholestatic

choroid the layer below the retina that contains blood vessels

chromatopsia changes in colour perception

chromosomal translocation

when parts of genes are rearranged between two chromosomes

chromosome genetic material

chronic long term

chronic renal failure see renal failure, chronic

chronic stable angina pectoris

see angina pectoris

circumoral do not use; substitute with around the mouth

EMA Medical Terms Simplifier

cirrhosis

cirrhosis, biliary liver damage caused by build-up of bile

coagulation clotting

coagulopathy problems with blood clotting

cognitive ability to think, learn and remember

colitis inflammation in the large bowel

colloidal solid particles evenly spread in a liquid

colon lower part of the gut

colonoscopy a procedure to examine the large bowel though a tube with a camera

colorectal cancer a cancer that starts in the large bowel and involves the rectum (the lowest part of the gut)

community-acquired infection

infection has been caught outside of hospital

compensated liver disease

see liver disease, compensated

compliance the ability of patients to stick to their treatment;^ avoid term, explain what is meant

complicated flu see flu, complicated