Focused
Focused
Focused (/ˈfoʊkəst/), from the Latin focus, meaning "hearth, fireplace", is a term used in various fields of medicine to denote a concentrated or specific attention to a particular area or subject.
Definition
In a medical context, being focused refers to the act of concentrating one's attention or efforts on a specific area, symptom, or condition. This can be seen in terms such as a Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST), which is a rapid bedside ultrasound examination performed by surgeons, emergency physicians, and certain paramedics as a screening test for blood around the heart (pericardial effusion) or abdominal organs (hemoperitoneum) after trauma.
Related Terms
- Focus (cognitive process): The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things.
- Focused Assessment: An assessment that is guided by the patient's chief complaint or presenting symptom, or the care provider's concern about a specific body system.
- Focused Ultrasound: A therapeutic technology that uses ultrasonic energy to target tissue deep in the body without incisions or radiation.
- Focused Ion Beam: A technique used in materials science to site-specifically modify materials at the nanoscale.
Etymology
The term focused is derived from the Latin focus, meaning "hearth, fireplace". In the 17th century, the term was used in the field of optics to refer to the point at which rays of light meet after being refracted or reflected. By the 19th century, the term had been extended to mean "center of activity or energy". In the medical field, the term has been used since the late 20th century to denote a concentrated or specific attention to a particular area or subject.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Focused
- Wikipedia's article - Focused
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