Clinical Diagnosis · Multiple Systems · Easy
Hyponatraemia
Meaning: An abnormally low level of sodium in the blood, which can cause confusion, seizures and falls.
In practice: Thiazide-induced hyponatraemia caused confusion and falls in the elderly woman living alone.
Word parts
- hypo- means below or less than normal
- -aemia means a condition of the blood
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related clinical diagnosis words.
Which word means: A childhood kidney cancer, often presenting as a painless abdominal mass in young children.
Answer: Nephroblastoma
Which word means: An area of dead tissue caused by loss of blood supply.
Answer: Infarct
Words like hyponatraemia come up in the daily game
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.