Definition Home care is a form of health care service provided where a patient lives. Patients can receive home care services whether they live in their own homes, with or without family members, or in an assisted living facility. The purpose of home care is to promote, maintain, or restore a patient's health and reduce the effects of disease or disability. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition A hospital-acquired infection, also called a nosocomial infection, is an infection that first appears between 48 hours and four days after a patient is admitted to a hospital or other health-care facility. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Incision care refers to a series of procedures and precautions related to closing a wound or surgical incision; protecting the cut or injured tissues from contamination or infection; and caring properly for the new skin that forms during the healing process. Incision care begins in the hospital or outpatient clinic and is continued by the patient during recovery at home. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Informed consent is a legal document in all 50 states. It is an agreement for a proposed medical treatment or non-treatment, or for a proposed invasive procedure. It requires physicians to disclose the benefits, risks, and alternatives to the proposed treatment, non-treatment, or procedure. It is the method by which fully informed, rational persons may be involved in choices about their health care. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition An intensive care unit, or ICU, is a specialized section of a hospital that provides comprehensive and continuous care for persons who are critically ill and who can benefit from treatment. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Laceration repair includes all the steps required to treat a wound in order to promote healing and minimize the risks of infection, premature splitting of sutures (dehiscence), and poor cosmetic result. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a unique and versatile medical imaging diagnostic tool. Using MRI, physicians obtain highly refined images of the body's interior. Strong magnetic fields and pulses of radio waves manipulate the body's natural magnetic, producing images not possible with other diagnostic imaging methods. MRI is particularly useful for imaging the brain and spine, as well as the soft tissues of joints and the interior structure of bones. The entire body can be imaged using MRI, and the technology poses few known health risks. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Microsurgery is surgery that is performed on very small structures, such as blood vessels and nerves, with specialized instruments under a microscope. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Myelography is an x-ray examination of the spinal canal. A contrast agent is injected through a needle into the space around the spinal cord to display the spinal cord, spinal canal, and nerve roots on an x ray. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications other than corticosteroids that relieve pain, swelling, stiffness, and inflammation. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition An operating room (OR), also called surgery center, is the unit of a hospital where surgical procedures are performed. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition Orthopaedic (sometimes spelled orthopedic) surgery is an operation performed by a medical specialist such as an orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon, who is trained to assess and treat problems that develop in the bones, joints, and ligaments of the human body. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

History of Orthopedics. Orthopedics is the branch of medicine that specializes in diseases of and injuries to bones. French physician Nicholas Andry coined the term "orthopedia" in his 1741 book on the prevention and correction of muscular and skeletal deformities in children. He united the Greek word "orthos," meaning straight, with "pais," meaning child. The term orthopedics has remained in use, though the specialty has broadened beyond the care of children.

Definition Outpatient surgery, also referred to as ambulatory surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. Patients may go home after being released following surgery and time spent in the recovery room. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

Definition If pain can be defined as a highly unpleasant, individualized experience of one of the body's defense mechanisms indicating an injury or problem, pain management encompasses all interventions used to understand and ease pain, and, if possible, to alleviate the cause of the pain. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert