EMT Glossary page 1347 Flashcards
Proximate cause
The act of deviating from an accepted standard of care through carelessness, inattention, disregard, inadvertence, or oversight, which results in further injury to the patient.
Psychosis
State of delusion in which a person is out of touch with reality that can manifest through delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, and looseness of associations.
Puberty
The period in which the sexual organs mature during adolescence.
Pubis
Bone of the groin.
Pulmonary agents
Agents that act primarily to cause lung injury and are commonly referred to as choking agents, including phosgene (CG), other halogen compounds, and nitrogen-oxygen compounds.
Pulmonary artery
Artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs.
Pulmonary contusion
Bleeding within the lung tissue that causes a disturbance in gas exchange between the alveoli and capillaries.
Pulmonary edema
Fluid in and around the alveoli in the lungs.
Pulmonary embolism
Blockage in the pulmonary arteries of the lungs.
Pulmonary vein
Vein that carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart.
Pulse
The wave of blood propelled through the arteries as a result of the contraction of the left ventricle.
Pulse oximeter
Electronic device used to determine the oxygen concentration in arterial blood.
Pulse oximetry
Measurement of blood oxygen saturation.
Pulse pressure
The difference between the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure.
Pulseless electrical activity (PEA)
A condition in which the heart generates relatively normal electrical rhythms but fails to perfuse the body adequately because of a decreased or absent cardiac output from cardiac muscle failure or blood loss.
Pulsus paradoxus
A decrease in pulse strength during inhalation; a drop in blood pressure of more than 10 mmHg during inhalation resulting from increased pressure within the chest that suppresses the filling of the ventricles of the heart with blood.
Pupil
The dark center of the eye; the opening that expands or contracts to allow more or less light into the eye.
Purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculin test
A test to determine the presence of a tuberculosis infection based on a person’s positive reaction to tuberculin, a substance prepared from the tubercle bacillus.
Quadriplegic
Paralyzed from the neck down.
Quality improvement (QI)
A system of internal and external reviews and audits of an EMS system to ensure a high quality of card; also known as continuous quality improvement (CQI).
Raccoon sign
Discoloration of tissue around the eyes suggestive of basilar skull injury.
Radial artery
A major artery of the arm, distal to the elbow joint.
Radiation
Transfer of heat from the surface of one object to the surface of another without physical contact between the objects.
Radius
The lateral bone of the forearm.
Rapid extrication
A technique using manual stabilization rather than application of an immobilization device for the purpose of speeding extrication when the time saved will make the difference between life and death.
Rapid secondary assessment
A head-to-toe physical exam that is swiftly conducted on a trauma patient who is unresponsive or who has a significant mechanism of injury, has altered mental status, responds to verbal or painful stimuli, or is unresponsive; or on a medical patient who is not alert, is disoriented, does not respond to verbal or painful stimuli, or is unresponsive.
Reasonable force
The minimum amount of force required to keep a patient from injuring himself or others.
Reassessment
The continuous assessment that is conduct following the secondary assessment to detect any changes in the patient’s condition, to identify any missed injuries or conditions, and to adjust emergency care as needed.
Red blood cells
Part of the blood that gives it its color, carries oxygen to body cells, and carries carbon dioxide away from body cells.
Referred pain
Pain that is felt in a body part removed from the point of origin of the pain.
Reflex
An instantaneous and involuntary movement resulting from a stimulus.
Renal
Referring to the kidneys.
Renal calculi
Kidney stones.
Renal system
See urinary system.
Repeaters
Devices that receive transmissions from a relatively low-powered source such as a mobile or portable radio and rebroadcast them at another frequency and a higher power.
Reproductive system
The male or female organs that function to accomplish human reproduction, the creation of offspring.
Residual volume
The air remaining in the lungs after a maximal exhalation.
Respiration
The exchange of gases between an organism and its environment; the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that takes place during inhalation and exhalation.
Respiratory arrest
Complete stoppage of breathing; also called apnea.
Respiratory control centers
Centers in the brainstem that regular respiration, including the dorsal respiratory group (DRG) and the ventral respiratory group (VRG).
Respiratory distress
Increased respiratory effort resulting from impaired respiratory function, while tidal volume and respiratory rate are still adequate.
Respiratory failure
Insufficient respiratory rate and/or tidal volume.
Respiratory rate
The number of breaths taken in one minute; also called frequency.
Respiratory system
The organs involved in the exchange of gases between an organism and the atmosphere.
Resuscitation
Bringing a patient back from the potential or apparent death; an attempt to restore normal or adequate physiologic function.
Reticular activating system (RAS)
A network of specialized nerve cells within the brainstem that controls states of arousal and consciousness including wakefulness, attentiveness, and sleep.
Retina
The structure at the back of the system that is responsible for vision.
Retractions
Depressions seen in the neck, above the clavicles, between the ribs, or below the rib cage from excessive muscle use during breathing. It is an indication or respiratory distress.
Retrograde amnesia
Inability to remember circumstances prior to an incident.
Retroperitoneal cavity
The space located behind the peritoneal cavity.
Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
Return of a spontaneous pulse during the cardiac resuscitation.
Right
Refers of the patient’s right.
Right plane
Everything to the right of the midline.
Right catheter
A rigid plastic tube that is part of a suctioning system, commonly referred to as a tonsil tip or tonsil sucker.
Rigidity
See involuntary guarding.
Route
The means by which a medication is given or taken; for example, sublingual (under the tongue), oral (by mouth), inhalation (breathed in), or injection (inserted by needle into a muscle or vein).
Rule of nines
Standardized format to quickly identify the amount of skin or body surface area (BSA) that has been burned.
Rule of ones
The concept that the area of patient’s palm is equal to about 1% of his body surface area (BSA); a way to quickly identify the amount of skin or body surface area that has been burned; also called the rule of palms.
Rule of palms
See rule of ones.
Sacral spine
Five vertebrae that are fused together to form the rigid part of the posterior side of the pelvis; also called the sacrum.
Safety zones
Areas surrounding an accident involving hazardous materials, designated for specific rescue operations; see also hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone.
Sagittal plane
A vertical plane that divides the body into right and left segments; also called median plane - see also midsagittal plane.
SAMPLE history
A format for taking a patient history. SAMPLE is an acronym used to remember categories of information necessary to the patient history: signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, and events leading to the injury or illness.
SABR
Acronym for situation, background, assessment, and recommendation; a method of organizing communications about a patient.
Scapula
The shoulder blade.
Scene safety
Steps taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the EMT, his partners, patients, and bystanders.
Scene size-up
An assessment of the scene for safety hazards and to determine the nature of the patient’s problem and the number of patients.
Schizophrenia
A chronic mental illness in which a patient experiences distortions of speech and thought, bizarre delusions and hallucinations, social withdrawal, catatonic behavior, and/or lack of emotional expressiveness, and does not return to premorbid level of functioning.
School-age child
A child 6-12 years of age.
Sclera
The outer coating of the eye; the exposed portion is “the white of the eye.”
Scope of practice
The actions and care that an EMT is legally allowed to perform, as typically defined by state laws.
Secondary assessment
The portion of patient assessment conducted after the primary assessment, for the purpose of identifying additional serious or potentially life-threatening injuries or conditions and as a basis for further emergency care.
