Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Initial assessment
The first evaluation of the patient in the field, conducted after it is clear that the scene is safe. This preliminary evaluation is designed to locate and manage life-threatening injuries or illness and to determine the patient’s triage priority. The initial assessment follows the sequence of mental status, airway, breathing, and circulation.
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Gestational age assessment
Estimation of the prenatal age of the fetus, typically by reviewing the pregnant woman’s menstrual history, making measurements of fundal height, or by making ultrasonic measurements of fetal parts. This information is essential so that appropriately timed obstetrical care can be provided and the pregnancy’s progress can be compared with normal standards.
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Functional assessment
In rehabilitation, the determination of a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks and requirements of living. Functional assessment scales vary greatly with respect to the number, type, and scoring of the tasks used to determine performance levels, their degree of standardization, and their predictive validity.
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Comprehensive geriatric assessment
A multidisciplinary process to evaluate the medical, functional, psychiatric, and social strengths and limitations in older patients. CGA provides a focus on the interrelated factors that contribute to illness. By addressing the complexity of needs, in some studies CGA improves survival and decreases the frequency of acute care hospitalization.
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Comprehensive assessment
A detailed, systematic physical examination of a patient.
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Intracellular killing assay
A laboratory test of bacterial ingestion by phagocytes. Neutrophils or macrophages are placed in a culture with bacteria. After 30 min, the remaining bacteria are killed with an antibiotic, and the phagocytes are stained and examined for the number of bacteria they have ingested. This assay is only accurate if the phagocytes have been tested…
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Immunoradiometric assay
Radio assay in which an antibody is labeled with a radioactive tracer. Antigens are detected when they bind, reversibly, to the antibody.
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Immunodot assay
An antigen detection tool in which droplets containing antibodies to a specific antigen are dried on strips of nitrocellulose. Samples of body fluids from patients are exposed to these antibodies. A chemical or fluorescent reaction from binding of the antigen is used to suggest its presence in the tested sample. Immunodot assays are used, e.g.,…
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Hormone assay
A blood test to assess endocrine system status.
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Gel mobility shift assay
Electrophoretic study in a gel that permits the identification of interactions between DNA and other molecules, such as receptor proteins.
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