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Medical supplies and equipment inevitably bring with them a wide array of strange words and expressions that can make little sense to an outsider. What is a catheter, for example? And what strange subset of the equipment is a Foley catheter? Here we present a guide to some of the more commonly used items of terminology, in the hope of clarifying some of them for those not in the medical field.

ABDOMINOPLASTY – This refers to a surgical procedure that removes extra fat and skin from the abdomen, as well as the tightening the muscles. It is referred to commonly as a “tummy tuck”.

AMBU BAG – This piece of medical equipment, also known as a bag valve mask (or just BVM), is used to ventilate a person who is proving unable to breathe on their own. Once squeezed, the bag is able to inflate on its own. BVM is a standard medical supply item for resuscitating patients, commonly used in ambulances and hospitals and is always found on an emergency crash cart.

AMPLIFIERS – Amplifiers increase the strength of an input signal. In terms of medical supplies, the term is used to describe an apparatus that can increase the magnification power of a medical microscope.

AMPUTATION – This refers to a surgical procedure in which part or the entirety of a limb is removed from the body permanently. Amputation is usually used in cases where the limb has been seriously compromised by disease such as gangrene or some other form of malignancy and is removed either to relieve pain or in many cases to prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the body, which would have otherwise fatal consequences.

ANESTHESIA MACHINE – An anesthesia machine is a breathing and ventilation system that supplies and controls the level of anesthesia gas to a patient in need of anesthetic, for example one undergoing some form of surgical procedure. The anesthesia administered can be local (losing feeling in one particular area of the body without the patient losing consciousness) or full (resulting in the patient being completely unconscious for the duration of said procedure).

ANESTHESIOLOGIST – This refers to the physician who is in charge of administering anesthesia to a patient, either to ease pain or render unconsciousness during surgery. They are also in charge of then monitoring and supporting the patient’s vital signs during the procedure. Some anesthesiologists are also capable of diagnosing and treating those with chronic pain conditions.