EMT glossary page 1350 Flashcards
Venule
The smallest branch of a vein.
Vertebrae
The 33 bony segments of the spinal column; plural of vertebra.
Vertebral column
See spinal column.
Vesicants
Chemical agents that cause blistering, burning, and tissue damage on contact as well as causing generalized illness if a significant amount is absorbed. Vesicants include sulfur and nitrogen mustards, lewisite, and phosgene oxime.
Visceral pain
Poorly localized, intermittent, crampy, dull, or aching pain associated with ischemia, tearing, or distention of an organ.
Visceral pleura
Innermost layer of the pleura that covers the lung.
Vital signs
The traditional signs of life; assessments related to breathing, pulse, skin, pupils, and blood pressure.
Vitreous body
The large chamber of the eye, containing the vitreous humor.
Vitreous humor
The clear jelly that fills the large chamber of the eye.
Volatile inhalants
Substances that are easily vaporized and inhalable.
Volatility
The tendency of a chemical agent to evaporate; a volatile liquid evaporates easily and creates a dangerous, breathable vapor.
Voluntary guarding
A deliberate abdominal wall muscle contraction.
Voluntary muscle
See skeletal muscle.
Voluntary nervous system
Part of the nervous system that influences voluntary muscles and movements of the body.
Warm zone
The area that is established surrounding or immediately adjacent to the hot zone in a hazardous materials emergency, the purpose of which is to prevent the spread of contamination. Lifesaving emergency care is performed here; also called contamination reduction zone.
Water chill
The increase in rate of cooling in the presence of water or wet clothing.
Weapons of mass destruction
Weapons intended to cause widespread and indiscriminate death and destruction.
White blood cells
The part of the blood that helps the body’s immune system defend against infection.
Wind chill
The combined cooling effect of wind speed and environmental temperature.
Withdrawal
A syndrome that occurs after a period of abstinence from the alcohol or drugs to which a person’s body has become accustomed.
Witnessed cardiac arrest
For the purposes of emergency medical services and provision of resuscitation and defibrillation, a cardiac arrest in which an EMT or other emergency responder witnesses the patient become unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless (does not refer to a lay-person witnessing the patient collapse).
Xiphoid process
Inferior portion of the sternum.
X-ray radiation
X-ray radiation and gamma radiation are the same type of powerful and penetrating radiation that may be generated by the reaction in a nuclear bomb or through the decay or radioactive particles, as in fallout. Gamma radiation is both an external and an internal hazard associated with a nuclear detonation or reactor accident.
Zygomatic bones
The cheekbones.
