Dictionary

Labs and diagnostics

Lab values with their normal and critical ranges, and the tests nurses prepare clients for.

magnesiumA mineral in the blood that the nerves, muscles and heart need, measured with a blood test.

magnetic resonance imagingAn imaging test that uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of the inside of the body.

mammogramAn x-ray picture of the breast, used to screen for and look into breast cancer.

markerSomething that can be measured, such as a substance in the blood, that shows a disease or body process is present.

mean arterial pressureThe average pressure in the arteries over one heartbeat, used as a measure of how well blood reaches the organs.

mean corpuscular volumeThe average size of a person's red blood cells, reported as part of a complete blood count.

mEqMilliequivalent: a unit for the amount of an electrolyte, based on its electrical charge.

metabolic acidosisA state in which the blood is too acidic because the body has too much acid or has lost too much bicarbonate.

metabolic alkalosisAn acid-base imbalance in which the blood holds too much bicarbonate, so its pH rises above 7.45.

mg/dLMilligrams per deciliter: a unit that shows how much of a substance is in one tenth of a liter of blood or fluid.

microalbuminA urine test for small amounts of the protein albumin, usually reported as the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio.

microbiologyThe study of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites; also the lab that tests for them.

mm HgMillimeters of mercury: the unit used to measure blood pressure and the pressure of gases in the blood.

mmolMillimole: a unit for an amount of a substance, often given per liter of blood (mmol/L) in lab results.

mOsmMilliosmole: a unit for the number of dissolved particles in a fluid, used for osmolality.

µmol/LMicromoles per liter: a unit for how much of a substance is in a liter of fluid, used on many lab reports.