7 - Primary Assessment (VOCAB) Flashcards
Isolated or infrequent gasping in the absence of other breathing in an unconscious person; can occur after the heart has stopped beating. Not breathing.
Agonal gasp
The pathway for air from the mouth and nose through the pharynx, larynx and trachea and into the lungs.
Airway
Mnemonic describing the four levels of patient response: Alert, Verbal, Painful and Unresponsive.
AVPU
The main artery of the upper arm; runs from the shoulder down to the bend of the elbow.
Brachial artery
Term used to describe the number of breaths per minute.
Breathing rate
A technique for estimating how the body is reacting to injury or illness by checking the ability of the capillaries to refill with blood.
Capillary refill
The major artery located on either side of the neck that supplies blood to the brain.
Carotid artery
Devices that allow for artificial ventilations without direct mouth-to-mouth contact; includes resuscitation masks and bag-valve mask resuscitators (BVMs)
CPR breathing barrier
Showing bluish discoloration of the skin, nail beds and mucous membranes due to insufficient levels of oxygen in the blood.
Cyanotic
A measure of level of consciousness (LOC) based on eye opening, verbal response and motor response.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
Having below-normal concentrations of oxygen in the organs and tissues of the body.
Hypoxic
A person’s state of awareness, ranging from being fully alert to unconscious; also referred to as mental status.
Level of consciousness (LOC)
The amount of air berthed in a minute; calculated by multiplying the volume of air inhaled at each breath (in mL) by the number of breaths per minute.
Minute volume
The circulation of blood through the body or through a particular body part for the purpose of exchanging oxygen and nutrients with carbon dioxide and other wastes.
Perfusion
A check for conditions that are an immediate threat to a patient’s life.
Primary (initial) assessment
The beat felt from each rhythmic contraction of the heart.
Pulse
A condition in which a person is having difficulty breathing or requires extra effort to breathe.
Respiratory distress
A condition in which there is an absence of breathing.
Respiratory arrest
Term used to describe any observable evidence of injury or illness, such as bleeding or unusual skin color.
Signs
A term sometimes used to describe breathing and a pulse in an unresponsive patient.
Signs of life
A surgical opening in the body; a stoma may be created in the neck following surgery on the trachea to allow the patient to breathe.
Stoma
What the patient reports experiencing, such as pain, nausea, headache or shortness of breath.
Symptoms
Important information about the patient’s condition obtained by checking respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure.
Vital signs
