Chapter 2 Workforce Safety and Wellness: Vital Vocabulary

Question 1

Reaction to stress that occurs during a stressful situation.

Answer 1

acute stress reaction

Question 2

The spread of an organism in aerosol form, such as droplets or dust.

Answer 2

airborne transmission

Question 3

A fear reaction in which a person’s judgment seems to disappear entirely; it is particularly dangerous because it may cause mass panic among others.

Answer 3

blind panic

Question 4

Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans; include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus, and human immunodeficiency virus.

Answer 4

bloodborne pathogens

Question 5

The exhaustion of physical or emotional strength.

Answer 5

burnout

Question 6

Any disease that can be spread from person to person or from animal to person.

Answer 6

communicable disease

Question 7

A reaction in which a person subconsciously transforms his or her anxiety into a bodily dysfunction; the person may be unable to see or hear or may become partially paralyzed.

Answer 7

conversion hysteria

Question 8

An event that overwhelms the ability to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later.

Answer 8

critical incident

Question 9

A process which utilizes trained counselors who confront responses to critical incidents and help to defuse them, directing emergency services personnel toward physical and emotional equilibrium.

Answer 9

critical incident stress management (CISM)

Question 10

Prolonged or excessive stress

Answer 10

cumulative stress reaction

Question 11

Psychological ways to relieve stress; they are usually automatic or subconscious; they include denial, regression, projection, and displacement.

Answer 11

defense mechanisms

Question 12

Reaction to stress that occurs after a stressful situation.

Answer 12

delayed stress reaction

Question 13

An early response to a serious medical emergency, in which the severity of the emergency is diminished or minimized. Denial is the first coping mechanism for people who believe they are going to die.

Answer 13

denial

Question 14

Exposure to or transmission of a communicable disease from one person to another by physical contact.

Answer 14

direct contact

Question 15

A defense mechanism characterized by the redirection of an emotion from one person to another.

Answer 15

displacement

Question 16

A counseling program to help with situations that may affect the health and well-being of emergency medical services professionals.

Answer 16

employee assistance program (EAP)

Question 17

A physiologic response to a profound stressor that helps a person deal with the situation at hand; features increased sympathetic tone and results in dilation of the pupils, increased heart rate, dilation of the bronchi, mobilization of glucose, shunting of blood away from the gastrointestinal tract and cerebrum, and increased blood flow to the skeletal muscles.

Answer 17

fight-or-flight response

Question 18

Exposure or transmission of disease from one person to another by contact with a contaminated inanimate object.

Answer 18

indirect contact

Question 19

The invasion of a host or host tissues by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites, with or without sign or symptoms of disease.

Answer 19

infection

Question 20

Procedures to reduce transmission of infection among patients and health care personnel.

Answer 20

infection control

Question 21

A disease that is caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body. or one that is capable of being transmitted with or without direct contact.

Answer 21

infectious disease

Question 22

A delayed stress reaction to a previous incident, often the result of one or more unresolved issues concerning the incident.

Answer 22

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Question 23

A defense mechanism characterized by blaming unacceptable feelings, motives, or desires on other.

Answer 23

projection

Question 24

A defense mechanism characterized by a return to more childlike behavior while under stress.

Answer 24

regression

Question 25

Protective measures that have traditionally been developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use in dealing with objects, blood, body fluids, or other potential exposure risks of communicable disease.

Answer 25

standard precautions

Question 26

A reaction of the body to any agent or situation that requires the person the adapt.

Answer 26

stress

Question 27

Any agent or situation that causes stress, whether good or bad.

Answer 27

stressor

Question 28

The way in which an infectious agent is spread: contact (direct or indirect), airborne, foodborne, or vector-borne.

Answer 28

transmission