The loss of appetite is termed as?

Appeared in: UPRVUNL - 2021

Explanation

Anorexia is the correct medical term for a loss of appetite or a lack of desire to eat.
This is a common and non-specific symptom that can be caused by various physiological factors (like nutrient deficiencies) or psychological reasons (such as loneliness or anxiety) (SRC_21535).
It is important to distinguish this symptom from Anorexia Nervosa, which is a specific psychiatric eating disorder.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Polyphagia describes excessive hunger or increased appetite, which is the opposite of what the question asks.
Option B: Oligophasia is a speech defect characterized by a very limited vocabulary. It has no relation to appetite or eating.
Option C: Aphasia is a general term for the inability to comprehend or formulate language due to brain damage (SRC_21536). It is a communication disorder, not an appetite-related symptom.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Medical terminology for appetite-related symptoms as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must accurately assess and document a patient's appetite, as anorexia can be an early sign of underlying disease, a side effect of medication, or an indicator of psychological distress.
Distinguishing between the symptom of anorexia and the disorder Anorexia Nervosa is critical for initiating the correct care pathway, whether it's nutritional support for a physical ailment or a mental health referral for an eating disorder.
What if? If a patient reports a complete loss of appetite (anorexia) along with significant unintentional weight loss, the nurse's priority is to report this to the physician for further investigation, as it can be a red flag for serious conditions like malignancy.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question testing knowledge of medical terminology.
Identify the key phrase in the question: 'loss of appetite'.
Systematically evaluate each option's definition.
Eliminate options related to different physiological functions. Aphasia and Oligophasia are speech-related disorders.
Differentiate between the remaining options. Polyphagia means excessive appetite, which is the opposite of the term needed.
Conclude that Anorexia is the precise medical term for loss of appetite.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Medical terminology for appetite-related symptoms.
Stem keywords: loss of appetite
Lead-in keywords: termed as
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QcH5hZxUr69Uhmphy_sOwe

Reference Book

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 154-156

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 15755-15757

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