BASES:in chemistry, a substance that combines with acids to form salts; a substance that disso

ciates togive hydroxide ions in aqueous solutions; a substance whose molecule or ion can comb
ine with a proton(hydrogen ion); a substance capable of donating a pair of electrons (to an acid)
for the formation of acoordinate covalent bond.

INSPIRATORY RALES: Rales (French for 'rattle') are abnormal lung sounds that are

rattling sounds or like a Velcro fastener being opened. They can sound like crinkled paper
or salt in a hot frying pan. Rales are caused by the opening of small airways and alveoli.
Crackles and rales mean the same thing.

AUSCULTATION: Procedure for detecting certain defects or conditions by listening for

normal and abnormal heart, breath, bowel, fetal, and other sounds in the body. The
invention of the stethoscope in 1819 improved and expanded this practice, still very
useful despite the great technological advances in other means of diagnosis.

PERCUSSION: the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn
the condition of the parts beneath by the resulting sound.

GRAM STAIN
A staining technique used to classify bacteria in which a bacterial specimen is firststained with c
rystal violet, then treated with an iodine solution, decolorized with alcohol,and counterstained wit
h safranine. Gram-positive bacteria retain the violet stain; gram-negative bacteria do not. Also c
alled Gram's method.