Ch 7 Key Terms

Question 1

abrasion

Answer 1

a rubbed or scraped area of skin.

Question 2

assessment

Answer 2

the act of determining the nature of a patient’s injuries and illnesses.

Question 3

AVPU

Answer 3

a mnemonic for assessing neurologic function; represents Awake or alert, responds to Verbal stimuli or Pain, Unresponsive.

Question 4

avulsion

Answer 4

the tearing away of soft tissue, or a piece of soft tissue hanging as a flap.

Question 5

blood pressure (BP)

Answer 5

the pressure of the blood on the interior walls of the arteries.

Question 6

chief complaint

Answer 6

the symptom or group of symptoms about which the patient is concerned.

Question 7

contusion

Answer 7

a bruise or soft tissue injury to a body part without a break in the skin.

Question 8

DCAP-BTLS

Answer 8

a mnemonic for assessing trauma-related injuries;

D—Deformity 
C—Contusions 
A—Abrasions/avulsions 
P—Punctures /penetrations 
-
B—Burns/bleeding/bruises
T—Tenderness
L—Lacerations
S—Swelling

Question 9

decerebrate posturing

Answer 9

abnormal extension of arms and legs, downward pointing of toes, and arching of the head; due to an injury to the brain at the level of the brainstem.

Question 10

decorticate posturing

Answer 10

abnormal flexing of the arms, clenching fists, and extending legs; due to an injury along the nerve pathway between the brain and spinal cord.

Question 11

distracting injury

Answer 11

any injury that directs the patient’s attention away from the exam that is being performed by the rescuer.

Question 12

Glasgow Coma Scale

Answer 12

a method for assessing neurologic function (i.e., level of responsiveness, movement).

Question 13

hypoxia

Answer 13

a reduction in oxygen supply to a tissue.

Question 14

laceration

Answer 14

an open soft tissue injury with smooth or jagged edges.

Question 15

level of responsiveness (LOR)

Answer 15

the degree of cognitive function and arousal of the brain; ranges from fully alert to unresponsive.

Question 16

mechanism of injury (MOI)

Answer 16

the kind of force that acts on the body to cause injury; the method of trauma causing an injury.

Question 17

nature of illness (NOI)

Answer 17

evaluation to determine the type of medical illness present.

Question 18

OPQRST

Answer 18

a mnemonic that is used in the assessment of a patient’s chief complaint: represents Onset, Provocation and palliation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, and Time.

Question 19

oxygenation

Answer 19

a process in which oxygen is added to the body’s tissues.

Question 20

paralysis

Answer 20

loss or impairment of motor function in a part of the body.

Question 21

paresthesia

Answer 21

sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person’s skin, or the feeling of “pins and needles” or a limb being “asleep.”

Question 22

PERRL

Answer 22

a mnemonic for assessing the eyes (i.e., Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light).

Question 23

pulse

Answer 23

rhythmic expansion of an artery caused by the movement of blood.

Question 24

respiration

Answer 24

the act of breathing in and out; also, the act of taking in of oxygen and nutrients and giving off of carbon dioxide and waste products by a cell.

Question 25

SAMPLE

Answer 25

an acronym used to obtain medical history information during the assessment process; refers to Signs/symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, Events leading up to present incident.

Question 26

sign

Answer 26

any objective finding that can be seen, heard, smelled, or measured; typically discovered during a physical exam (e.g., a bruise, the patient’s blood pressure).

Question 27

swelling

Answer 27

an enlargement of body tissue caused by an accumulation of excess fluid.

Question 28

symptom

Answer 28

a subjective finding that a patient experiences and can be identified only by the patient (e.g., pain, blurred vision).

Question 29

vital signs

Answer 29

the key objective findings used to evaluate a patient’s overall condition; includes pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature, and level of responsiveness.