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Nursing vocabulary · Patient Assessment

Medical history

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈhɪstəri/nounCore term

In nursing, medical history means: Information about a patient's past and present illnesses, operations, medicines, allergies and family health, collected to guide their care.

In Turkish: tıbbi öykü, anamnez, özgeçmiş

How it is used

Nurses take a medical history on admission and check it with the patient, the family and old records. Notes often use PMH (past medical history). Typical questions: 'Do you have any medical conditions?', 'Have you had any operations?', 'Does anything run in your family?'

Example sentences

  1. Her medical history includes type 2 diabetes and a stroke in 2019.

  2. He was too drowsy to give a medical history, so I asked his daughter.

Common collocations

  • take a medical history
  • past medical history
  • full medical history
  • relevant medical history
  • assessmentA careful, organised check of a patient's physical and mental condition and needs, used to plan and adjust their nursing care.
  • admissionThe process of accepting a patient into hospital or onto a ward, including the first checks and paperwork.
  • allergyA harmful reaction of the body's immune system to a substance, such as a medicine, food or latex, that is harmless for most people.
  • next of kinThe person closest to a patient, usually a family member or partner, who is contacted first with news about them.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Patient Assessment

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.