Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Glossary
771
Celsius scale a method of measuring temperature
that is used in most healthcare facilities around the
world (including many US facilities); also called the
Centigrade scale
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) a division of the HHS that focuses on
disease outbreaks and prevention in the United
States
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) a division of the HHS provides health
insurance for 100 million Americans under the
Medicare program for the elderly and the Medicaid
program for the poor
central nervous system (CNS) the brain and spinal
cord
central services term for the hospital department
responsible for receiving, storing, cleaning,
disinfecting, sterilizing, and distributing medical and
surgical supplies and equipment
centrifuge a machine with a rapidly rotating
container, which is used to separate fl uids
cerebellum the second-largest area of the brain,
which coordinates incoming and outgoing
messages to produce smooth skeletal movements
cerebral cortex the outer surface of the cerebrum,
which has many bumps and grooves
cerebrum the largest part of the brain, which is
formed by the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
certifi cation a credential that is typically voluntary
and is created by a professional association
certifi ed nursing assistant (CNA) a healthcare
worker who completes a nursing assisting class
and passes a certifi cation test; works under the
supervision of a nurse
cervix the narrow neck at the bottom of the uterus
that connects to the vagina
chain of command term for the hierarchy of
authority that establishes the fl ow of decision
making and directives
chain of infection the elements required for an
infection to spread from one source to another
charting the process of recording observations and
information about patients
choroid a membrane that supplies blood to the eye
and controls the light refl ected to the retina
chronic refers to a disease or condition that is long-
lasting and potentially lifelong
chyme a mixture of food and acid
cilia tiny hairs in the mucous membranes that fi lter
out dirt and foreign material, sweeping it toward
the throat
circle graph a chart that shows the relationship of
parts of a data set to the whole; also known as pie
chart
circumduction a motion that makes circles rather
than twisting
civil law the branch of law that establishes rules for
business relationships between people or between
individuals and businesses
Civil Rights Act a federal law that bans employment
discrimination based on a person’s race, color,
religion, gender, or national origin
claims process the procedure for submitting costs for
medical services so that payment can be collected or
denial can be determined
clean technique the practice of disinfecting any
object or surface that has come into contact with
pathogens
clear writing written work that avoids wordiness
and uses simple language to explain ideas that may
be complex
clients people who receive treatment in privately
owned offi ces and treatment facilities, as well as in
their own homes
clinical data the clinical information found in
various forms in a patient chart
clinical engineer a worker who uses medical
technology to improve healthcare delivery
clinical information section of a patient’s chart
that begins with the patient’s medical history and
includes all of the information about his or her
health, medical conditions, and treatment
clinical laboratories facilities that examine materials
taken from the human body to discover information
related to diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, or
treatment of disease
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) a
government act that regulates how a laboratory
test should be performed and how the test results
should be interpreted and reported
clinical training term that describes hands-on
work with patients that students do under the
supervision of a licensed healthcare provider
clinical trial an experiment performed on human
beings to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of
two or more treatments
cochlea a fl uid-fi lled chamber of the inner ear that is
used for hearing
code of ethics formal statement of expected ethical
behaviors; describes the standards of conduct
expected of members of the profession
cognitive impairments conditions that occur when
a patient’s ability to think is affected by pain
or medication, when the patient is confused or
disoriented, and when the patient suffers from
dementia
coinsurance an individual’s share of healthcare costs
compared to the insurance company’s share
collaborate to work together; to consult with each
other
collagen a protein fi ber that connects, supports,
and gives strength to body tissues such as the skin,
muscle tendons, and bone ligaments
colonoscopy a screening test that examines the inner
surface of the colon
combining vowel a letter used to connect root words
together when the next root or suffi x does not begin
with a vowel