CH. 38 ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCIES Flashcards
a condition in which lung tissue is damaged, characterized by hypoxemia, low lung volume, and pulmonary edema
acute lung injury
an altitude illness characterized by headache plus at least one of the following: fatigue, GI symptoms, dizziness, difficulty sleeping
acute mountain sickness (AMS)
continued fall in core temperature after a victim of hypothermia has been removed from a cold environment due to at least in part to the return of cold blood from the body surface to the body core
afterdrop
conditions caused by the effects from hypobaric (low atmosphere pressure) hypoxia on the CNS and pulmonary systems as a result of unacclimatized people ascending to altitude; range from acute mountain sickness (AMS) to high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)
altitude illness
the resultant gaseous emboli from the forcing of gas into the vasculature from barotrauma
arterial gas embolism
inability to coordinate the muscles properly; often used to describe a staggering gait
ataxia
a measurement of ambient pressure; the weight of air at sea level, equivalent on pressure to 33 feet of seawater
atmosphere absolute (ATA)
injury resulting form pressure disequilibrium across body surfaces
barotrauma
the heat energy produced at rest form normal body metabolic reactions determined mostly by the liver and skeletal muscles
basal metabolic rate
at constant temperature, pressure is inversely proportional to volume
boyles law
this type of diving does not require equipment
breath hold diving
itchy reddish and purple swollen lesions that occur primarily on the extremities, due to exposure to temperatures just above freezing
chillblains
passive heatstroke considered a serious heat illness that usually occur during heat waves and is most likely to strike very old, very young, or bedridden people
classic heatstroke
secretion of large amounts of urine in response to cold exposure and shunting of blood volume to the body core
cold diuresis
transfer of heat to a solid object or a liquid by direct contact
conduction
mechanism by which body heat is picked up and carried away by moving air currents
convection
the temperature in the part of the body comprising the heart, lung, brain, and abdominal viscera
core body temperature (CBT)
each gas in a mixture exerts the same partial pressure that it would exert if it were alone in the same volume, and the total pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum of the partial pressures of all the gases in a mixture
dalton’s law
a term for decompression sickness and air gas embolism
decompression illness
a broad range of signs and symptoms caused by nitrogen bubbles in blood and tissues coming out of solution on ascent
decompression sickness
a type of frostbite in which the affected part looks white, yellow-white, or mottled blue white and is hard cold and without sensation
deep frostbite
the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid
drowning
the injecting of venom via a bite or sting
envenomation
medical conditions caused or exacerbated by the weather, terrain, or unique atmospheric conditions such as high altitude or underwater
environmental emergencies
the conversion of a liquid to a gas
evaporation
a condition due to a prolonged exertion in hot environments coupled with excessive hypotonic fluid intake that leads to nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, mental status changes and seizures
exercise associated hyponatremia
a serious type of heat stroke usually affecting young and fit people exercising in hot and humid conditions
exertional heatstroke
an indirect measure of pressure under water, equal to one atmosphere absolute (ATA)
feet of seawater (FSW)
localized damage to tissues resulting from prolonged exposure to extreme cold
frostbite
early frostbite, characterized by numbness and pallor w/o significant tissue damage
frostnip
permanent cell death
gangrene
acue and involuntary muscle pains, usually in lower extremities, the abdomen, or both, that occur because of profuse sweating and subsequent sodium losses in sweat
heat cramps
a clinical syndrome characterized by volume depletion and heat stress that is thought to be a milder form of heat illness and on a continuum leading to a heatstroke
heat exhaustion
the increase in core body temperature due to inadequate thermolysis
heat illness
the least common and most deadly heat illness, severe disturbance in thermoregulation with core temperature of more than 104 F and altered mental status
heatstroke
an orthostatic or near syncopal episode that typically occurs in non acclimated people who may be under heat stress
heat syncope
the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid
henry’s law
an altitude illness in which there is a change in mental status and or ataxia in a person with acute mountain sickness or the presence of mental status changes and ataxia in a person without acute mountain sickness
high altitude cerebral edema (HACE)
an altitude illness characterized by at least two of the following: dyspnea at rest, cough, weakness or decreased exercise performance, or chest tightness or congestion. Also, at least two of the following signs: central cyanosis, audible rales or wheezing in at least one lung field, tachypnea or tachycardia
high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)
body processes that balance the supply and demand of the body’s needs
homeostasis
unusually elevated body temperature
hyperthermia
