This document provides definitions for various medical terms related to speech therapy. It defines terms like aphasia, dysphagia, apraxia, and others. It also defines abbreviations commonly used in medical documentation. The document serves as a reference for speech therapy interns to understand important vocabulary.

1. Grand Strand Regional Medical Center
Speech Therapy Department Intern
Elizabeth Cox
Need to Know Vocabulary
o AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication): All forms of communication other
than oral speech.
• Aided AAC: Rely on the user’s body to convey the message such as body or sign
language
• Unaided AAC: Requires the use of tools or equipment in addition to gestures or body
language ranging from paper/pencil to communication boards, or electronic devices to
create messages.
o Agnosia: Inability to recognize objects when using a specific sense such as visual, auditory,
and touch
o Agraphia: Inability to produce written language
o Amnesia: Loss of memory due to brain injury, shock or illness.
• Anterograde: Loss of memories that were formed before the injury.
• Retrograde: Loss of ability to form new memories after the injury.
• Post Traumatic Amnesia: State of confusion immediately following traumatic brain
injury. During PTA the individual cannot store new events in memory or remember
events that occur after the injury and is often confused and disoriented.
o Anosognosia: The denial or unawareness of one’s neurological deficits
o Aphasia: Difficulty understanding, speaking, reading, and writing while cognitive function is
normally intact. Normally caused by damage to the left side of the brain
o Types:
§ Expressive: Have trouble speaking and writing; also known as Broca’s
Aphasia
• Only able to say 1 or 2 words at a time
• Have trouble thinking of the words they want to say
• Leave words out of sentences
• Have problems spelling
• Have trouble putting together sentences that make sense
§ Receptive: Have trouble reading and understanding; also known as
Wernicke’s Aphasia
• Only able to follow simple directions
• Trouble following a conversation
• Need to have information repeated
• Need visual or touch cues to help them understand
• Have trouble understanding what they read
• Say words that don’t make sense but don’t know that others can’t
understand them.
§ Global: Have trouble with speaking, writing, reading, and understanding
o Aphonia: Loss of voice

2. o Apraxia: The inability to perform a movement or sequence of movements despite intact
sensation and understanding of the task; difficulty controlling mouth to speak clearly
o Mix up sounds in words
o Say the wrong sounds
o Say words and sounds differently each time
o Struggle to say sounds
o Articulation: Producing speech sounds
o Aspiration: Inhaling of a liquid or object into the airway
o Signs and Symptoms
§ Coughing after swallowing food or liquid
§ Throat clearing after swallowing food or liquid
§ Difficulty breathing (fast, slow, gurgling lung sounds)
§ A change in voice
§ Fever (dizzy, sweating, chill)
o Ataxia: Lack of coordination fine and gross motor activity
o Bolus: Mass of food prepared by the mouth for swallowing (after chewing).
o CABG: A surgical procedure that improves and restores normal blood flow to the heart for
people with coronary heart disease.
o Cerebrovascular Accident: Decreased blood flow to the brain caused by a blocked artery
that results in the death of brain cells, also known as a stroke.
o Cerebral Palsy: Neurological disorder that permanently affects body movement, muscle
coordination, and balance.
o Cognitive-Communication Disorders: Problems with memory, reasoning, problem-solving,
and attention
o Dysarthria: Slurred quiet speech caused by muscle weakness
o Dysphagia: Difficulty chewing and swallowing food and drink
• Esophageal Dysphagia: Occurs when foods or liquids do not reach the stomach properly
commonly caused by the backing up of stomach acid into the esophagus due to reflux
problems making it harder for the esophagus to pass foods to the stomach.
• Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: Difficulty with the initial stage of the swallowing process
resulting problems moving food from the front to the back of the mouth.
o Dysphasia: Impairment of speech due to brain damage.
o Dyspnea: Shortness of breath
o Edema: Medical term for swelling or when blood vessels release fluid into nearby tissues
o Embolus: A blood clot that has been carried in the blood stream and eventually lodges into
a blood vessel in a new location to cause a stroke
o Encephalopathy: General term for brain disease or brain damage; symptoms include
memory loss, altered mental state, personality changes, dementia, seizures, or coma.
o Endotracheal Intubation: A procedure in which a tube is placed into the trachea through
the mouth or nose to support breathing and open the airway to give oxygen.
o Fluoroscopy: X-ray study of moving body structures; used to watch a patient’s swallow.
o Hematoma: The collection of blood outside of the vessel most commonly due to damage to
the vessel wall. These look like bruises under the skin but can also happen in places that are
not visible.

3. o Hemorrhage: An escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel; rapid, uncontrollable loss of
blood.
• Brain Hemorrhage: Localized bleeding in the brain due to the bursting of an artery in
the brain. This causes swelling in the brain and increases the pressure in the brain,
which kills brain cells.
o Hydrocephalus: Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain that causes it to
swell. It can lead to brain damage and physical, developmental, and cognitive impairments.
o Hyperlipidemia: High number of lipids or fats, most commonly referred to as high
cholesterol
o Infarct: An area of dead tissue resulting from lack of blood supply
o Ischemic Stroke: Occurs when blood vessels connected to the brain are clogged or blocked.
A clot forms and blocks the flow of blood to certain areas of the brain causing the stroke to
occur.
o Labial: Pertaining to the lips.
o Language: Words we use and understand
o Larynx : Valve structure between the trachea (windpipe) and the pharynx (the upper throat)
that is the primary organ of voice production
o Lesion: A region or zone of an organ or tissue that has suffered damage.
o Lingual: Pertaining to the tongue
o Modified Barium Swallow: The use of videofluoroscopy to evaluate a patient’s swallow.
o Multiple Sclerosis (MS): A disease of the central nervous system affecting the brain and the
spinal cord.
o Muscle Atrophy: The loss of muscle ability due to underuse or neglect.
o Myalgia: Muscle pain
o Nasal Emission: Airflow through the nose, usually audible and indicative of an incomplete
seal between the nasal and oral cavities
o Necrosis: Death of most or all of the cells in an organ or tissue
o Paraesthesia: An abnormal tingling/numbness (pins and needles) sensation usually in upper
and lower extremities
o Paresis: Muscle weakness.
o Parkinson’s Disease: A progressive disease that disrupts movement. Symptoms include
tremors, slowed movement impaired posture and balance, decreased ability to perform
automatic movements, speech and writing changes.
o Perseveration: Repetition of a particular response (word or phrase) and repeatedly bringing
up a topic that is no longer appropriate
o Phonics: The relationships between written letters and their spoken sounds
• “Phone” spelled with a /ph/, not an /f/ as in “fone”
o Phonological Awareness: Awareness of individual sounds in spoken words as well as how
those sounds go together and how they can be changed to make new words
o Phonology: How speech sounds go together/follow patterns to make words
o Speech: How we say sounds and put them together into word
o Thrombus: A blood clot that forms within the vascular system.

4. o Tracheostomy: A procedure done to create an opening in the trachea to provide an airway
and remove lung secretions. Often used in patients who have an object blocking the airway,
or lack of ability to breathe.
o Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN): All nutritional needs are met through an IV or
intravenously.

5. Abbreviations:
v A/P: anterior-posterior
v A&O: alert and oriented
v ad lib: as much as needed
v ADL: activities of daily living
v ARDS: acute respiratory distress syndrome
v bm: bowel movement
v BS: breath sounds
v c: with
v C/O: complaining of
v c/o: complains of
v CA: cancer
v CABG: coronary artery bypass grafting
v CN: cranial nerves
v CNS: central nervous system
v COLD: chronic obstructive lung disease
v COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
v CP: chest pain
v CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure
v CSF: cerebrospinal fluid
v CVA: cerebrovascular accident
v CXR: chest x-ray
v DAI: diffuse axonal injury
v DAT: diet as tolerated
v DC: discharge
v DJD: degenerative joint disease
v DM: diabetes mellitus
v DNR: do not resuscitate
v DOA: dead on arrival
v DOE: dyspnea on exertion
v DVT: deep venous thrombosis
v DX: diagnosis
v ECG: electrocardiogram
v EMT: eyes, motor, verbal response
v ENT: ears, nose, throat
v ETT: endotracheal tube
v FTT: failure to thrive
v FU: follow-up
v FVC: forced vital capacity
v Fx: fracture
v HA: headache
v HBP: high blood pressure
v HO: history of

6. v HOB: head of bed
v HPI: history of present illness
v HTN: hypertension
v Hx: history
v LLL: left lower lobe
v LLQ: left lower quadrant
v LML: left middle lobe
v LOC: level of consciousness
v LP: lumbar puncture
v LUL: left upper lobe
v LUQ: left upper quadrant
v MVA: motor vehicle accident
v NAD: no active disease
v NAS: no added salt
v NG: nasogastric
v NKA: no known allergies
v NPO: nothing by mouth
v NT: nasotracheal
v OPPT: oriented to person place and time
v PMH: previous medical history
v PO: by mouth
v PRN: as needed
v Pt: patient
v PTA: posttraumatic amnesia
v qd: everyday
v RLL: right lower lobe
v RLQ: right lower quadrant
v RML: right middle lobe
v ROM: range of motion
v RUL: right upper lobe
v RUQ: left upper quadrant
v RV: residual volume
v Rx: treatment
v s: without
v s/s: signs and symptoms
v SCI: spinal cord injury
v SOAP: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
v SOB: shortness of breath
v Sx: symptoms
v TLC: total lung capacity
v TPN: total parenteral nutrition
v TV: tidal volume
v Tx: treatment
v UGI: upper gastrointestinal

7. v VC: vital capacity
v VO: verbal or voice disorder
v VSS: vital signs stable
v WF: white female
v WM: white male
v WN: well nourished
v WNL: within normal limits
v yo: year old