Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

What a client reports and what a nurse observes, named the way charts and handoffs name them.

malaiseA general feeling of being unwell, uneasy or weak, without one clear cause.

maniaA period of unusually high energy, mood and activity that is clearly different from the person's usual self.

melenaBlack, sticky stool that looks like tar.

menorrhagiaMenstrual periods that are very heavy or last longer than usual.

mental statusA person's state of mind at a given time: how alert they are, what they know and how they think, speak and behave.

miliaTiny, white, raised bumps on the skin, most often on a newborn's nose, chin and cheeks.

miosisNarrowing (constriction) of the pupil of the eye.

Mongolian spotsFlat, blue-gray patches of skin present at birth, now called congenital dermal melanocytosis.

moon faceA rounded, full, puffy face with fat padding in the cheeks.

murmurAn extra whooshing or swishing sound heard with a stethoscope over the heart, made by turbulent blood flow.

Murphy signA sudden catch in breathing, from pain, when the examiner presses under the right ribs while the person breathes in deeply.

myalgiaMuscle pain or aching.

myastheniaWeakness of the muscles.

mydriasisWidening (dilation) of the pupil of the eye.