Personalised care and support planning glossary of terms
Drugs
- Metformin: a drug used for type 2 diabetes.
- Statin: a drug used to lower cholesterol in the blood.
- Ramipril: a drug often used for high blood pressure and heart failure.
- Gliclazide: a drug used for type 2 diabetes which can lower the blood glucose (sugar) too much if food intake is inadequate.
- Inhalers: small handheld devices used by the person to inhale a drug, often used for chest conditions.
- Warfarin: a drug to thin the blood, the correct dose is monitored by regular blood tests (see INR).
Heath checks
- Pulse oximetry: a small clip attached to the person's finger to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood.
- Peak flow: a test of narrowing of the airways (the person breathes out as fast as they can into a small tube).
- Spirometry: a test of how well the person can breathe and can help in the diagnosis of different lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The person takes a very deep breath and blows out as fast as possible into a small device called a spirometer.
- Blood pressure: blood pressure measures the pressure in the arteries as your heart pumps.
- Cholesterol: a type of fat in the blood. Raised levels may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
- INR - International Normalised Ratio: this is used to measure the dose of Warfarin and checks if the blood is thinned to the correct level.
- Depression screening: a brief questionnaire.
- MRC scale (Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale): a short questionnaire that assesses the degree of a person's breathlessness.
- MUST score (The 'Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool): a brief questionnaire which helps to identify adults who at risk of malnutrition.
- The FRAT (Falls Risk Assessment Tool) score: assessed a person's risk of falling.
- Frailty index.
- Blood tests used in screening for Jim's health issues:
- LFTs: liver function tests
- Us and Es: kidney function tests
- FBC: full blood count
- TFT: thyroid function tests
- Glucose : sugar levels
- ECG (an electrocardiogram): provides a tracing of the electric impulses within the heart.
Medical Conditions
- COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Heart Failure: a long term condition in which fluid collects in the body due to reduced pump action by the heart.
- CKD (chronic kidney disease stage 3): a long term condition of the kidneys which will often remain stable with the help of drugs which lower blood pressure.
- Atrial Fibrillation: an irregular heart rhythm.
- Osteoarthritis: a painful condition of the joints.