Medical glossary for healthcare interpreters

All

Bone

living tissue that makes up the body's skeleton.

Bone density test

a test that measures the strength and density of bones; often used to determine the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Borborygmi (also called stomach "gr

rumbling sounds caused by gas moving through the intestines.

Botanical

of plants and plant life.

Bowel

another word for the small and large intestines.

Bowel movement

body wastes passed through the rectum and anus.

Bowel prep

process used to clean the colon with enemas and a special drink; used before surgery of the colon, colonoscopy, or barium x-ray and other imaging exams. (see also lavage.)

Brady...

suffix meaning slow.

Bradycardia

abnormally slow heartbeat.

Bradykinesia

slowness of movement.

Bradyphrenia

slowness of thought processes.

Brain attack

another name for stroke.

Brain scan

an imaging method used to find abnormalities in the brain, including brain cancer and cancer that has spread to the brain from other places in the body.

Brainstem implant

auditory prosthesis that bypasses the cochlea and auditory nerve to help individuals who cannot benefit from a cochlear implant because the auditory nerves are not working.

Braxton hicks contractions

relatively brief, painless contractions of the uterus that may begin during the second half of pregnancy.

Brca1

a gene, which, when damaged or mutated, places a woman at much higher risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer than the general population.

Brca2

a gene, which, when damaged or mutated, places a woman at a much higher risk for developing breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer than the general population.

Breast cancer

a cancerous tumor of the breast tissue.

Breast conservation therapy

surgery to remove a breast cancer and a small amount of benign tissue around the cancer without removing any other part of the breast. This procedure is also called lumpectomy, segmental excision, limited breast surgery, or tylectomy.

Breast implant

a manufactured sac that is filled with silicone gel (a synthetic material) or saline (sterile saltwater); the sac is surgically inserted to increase breast size or restore the contour of a breast after mastectomy.