STAT means now. Everything else means consult a specialist.
A biological protein catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions with the enthusiasm of a personal trainerāwithout it, life's chemistry would grind to a depressing halt at room temperature.
Red blood cellsāthose tiny, disc-shaped oxygen delivery vehicles that stream through your veins in the billions. They're basically the UPS trucks of your circulatory system, except they never unionize.
Relating to the causes or origins of diseaseāthe adjective form for when you want to sound fancy while discussing 'why you got sick.' It's aetiology's more pretentious cousin.
Starting medication before you know the exact causeābasically educated guessing when you don't have time for diagnosis trivia.
The surgical art of cutting something outātumors, tissues, problematic genesāwith a scalpel and the sincere hope that what remains functions better than what left. Basically, subtraction as medicine.
When the heart's interior lining gets inflamed, usually from sneaky bacteria throwing an uninvited party in your cardiac chambers. It's basically sepsis, but with more dramatic consequences for your most essential organ.
A medical spy camera on a stickāflexible or rigidādesigned to peek inside your body's various cavities and hollow organs without making a bigger mess. It's your doctor's way of eavesdropping on your insides.
The triumphant moment when a breathing tube gets ripped out and everyone collectively holds their breath hoping the patient actually remembers how to breathe on their own.
The detective work of medicine: tracking how diseases spread like gossip through a high school, but with spreadsheets and statistical rigor. Scientists in this field basically profile disease's terrible habits.
When your lungs' air sacs deteriorate faster than your streaming subscriptions renew, usually courtesy of smoking or vengeful genetics. It's like having millions of tiny balloons trapped in your chest that refuse to deflate.