Glossary F's

facemask

Definition:tight-fitting mask worn over the nose and/or mouth used to deliver oxygen and pressure in respiratory support

faint

Definition:to lose consciousness due to a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain; also, weak or indistinct

fallopian tube

Definition:either of two long, slender ducts connecting a woman's ovaries to the uterus; passageway for eggs from the ovaries to the uterus

fasciitis

Definition:inflammation of the layer of connective tissue that covers, separates, and supports muscles

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Definition:United State's regulatory agency concerned with planning, promoting and administering programs pertaining to standards of foods, drugs, therapeutic devices, etc

febrile

Definition:relating to a fever, such as febrile seizures, which are seizures occurring in a child who has a fever

feces

Definition:bodily waste discharged through the anus; also called stool

fellow

Definition:a doctor who has completed medical school, intern and residency training, is licensed by state law to practice medicine, and is training for a specialized branch of medicine

femoral artery

Definition:main artery that supplies blood to each leg

femoral

Definition:pertaining to the femur or thigh

femur

Definition:bone located between the hip and the knee; the thighbone

fetus

Definition:developing, unborn offspring of an animal that gives birth, as opposed to laying eggs; in humans, the period after the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy is the fetal period

fiberoptics

Definition:thin, flexible instruments that transmit light and images, allowing structures inside the body to be viewed

fibrillation

Definition:rapid, inefficient contraction of muscle fibers of the heart caused by disruption of electrical impulses

fibrocystic breast disease

Definition:most common cause of breast lumps

fibroid

Definition:noncancerous tumor of the uterus made up of smooth muscle and connective tissue

fibroma

Definition:noncancerous tumor of connective tissue

fibrosis

Definition:abnormal formation of connective or scar tissue

fibula

Definition:thinner of the two long bones in lower leg

fissure

Definition:groove or slit on the body or in an organ

fistula

Definition:abnormal passageway from one organ to another or from an organ to the body surface

fluoroscopy

Definition:method used to view organ structure and function by passing X-rays through the body and monitoring the resulting image on a fluorescent screen

fecal occult blood test

Definition:test that uses a piece of chemically sensitive paper to detect blood in a stool sample; used to screen for possible signs of cancer in the large intestine or rectum

food poisoning

Definition:stomach pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting caused by eating contaminated food

forceps

Definition:instruments resembling tweezers used to handle objects or tissue during surgery

foreign body

Definition:object in an organ or body cavity that is not normally present

frostbite

Definition:damage to body tissue as a result of freezing

fulminant

Definition:descriptive of disorder that begins suddenly and worsens quickly

fungus

Definition:organism that is dependent on another organism for nourishment

fracture

Definition:a bone break