Ch 9 Terminology Ems

Front 1

apnea

Back 1

absence of breathing; respiratory arrest

Front 2

aspiration

Back 2

breathing a foreign substance into the lungs

Front 3

AVPU

Back 3

a mnemonic of alert, responds to verbal stimulus, responds to painful stimulus, unresponsive, to characterize levels of responsiveness

Front 4

blunt trauma

Back 4

a force that impacts or is applied to the body but is not sharp enough to penetrate it, such as a blow or a crushing injury

Front 5

brain herniation

Back 5

a protrusion, or pushing, of a portion of the brain through the cranial wall

Front 6

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Back 6

A clear fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and the spinal cord.

Front 7

Cheif Complaint

Back 7

the patient's answer to the question "Why did you call the ambulance?"

Front 8

detailed physical exam

Back 8

a head to toe physical assessement for injuries and medical conditions, which may follow the focused history and physical exam and is more thorough than the rapid trauma or medical assessment.

Front 9

dyspnea

Back 9

shortness of breath or percieved difficulty in breathing

Front 10

extension posturing

Back 10

a posture in which the patient arches the back and extends the arms straight out parallel to the body. A sign of serious head injury. Also called decerebrate posturing.

Front 11

flexion posturing

Back 11

a posture in which the patient arches the back and flexes the arms inward toward the chest. A sign of serious head injury. Also called decorticate posturing.

Front 12

focused history and physical exam

Back 12

the portion of patient assessment conducted after the inital assessment, for the purpose of identifying additional serious or potentially life-threating injuries or conditions and as a basis for further emergency care.

Front 13

focused medical assessment

Back 13

a physical exam that is focused on the parts of the body indicated by a responsive patient's chief complaint, signs, or symptoms

Front 14

focused trauma assessment

Back 14

a physical exam that is focused on a specific injury site, performed on a responsive patient with no significant mechanism of injury.

Front 15

initial assessment

Back 15

The portion of patient assessment conducted immediately following scene size-up for the purpose of discovering and treating immediately life-threatening conditions. Initial assessment also includes determining whether the patient is injured or ill and making decisions about priorities for further assessment, care, and transport.

Front 16

in-line stabilization

Back 16

Bringing the patient's head into a neutral postition in which the nose is lined up with the navel and holding it there manually

Front 17

medical patient

Back 17

a patient with a condition brought on by illness or by substances or by environmental factors that affect the function of the body.

Front 18

occlued

Back 18

Closed or blocked; not patent, as an occluded airway

Front 19

ongoing assessment

Back 19

the continuous assessment that is conducted following the rapid or focused assessment, or following the detailed physical exam if one is conducted, to detect any changes in the patient's condition, to identify any missed injuries or conditions, and to adjust emergency care as needed

Front 20

orthopnea

Back 20

shortness of breath while lying flat

Front 21

paradoxical movement

Back 21

a section of the chest that moves in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest during the phases of respiration. Typically seen with a flail segment

Front 22

patent

Back 22

open; not blocked, as a patent airway

Front 23

patient assessment

Back 23

procedures performed to find out what is wrong with a patient, on which decisions about emergency medical cared and transport will be based

Front 24

penetrating trauma

Back 24

a force that pierces the skin and body tissues, for example, a knife or gunshot wound.

Front 25

rapid medical assessment

Back 25

a head-to-toe physical exam that is swiftly conducted on an unresponsive medical patient or a medical patient who is suspected to also have injuries

Front 26

rapid trauma assessment

Back 26

a head-to-toe physical exam that is swiftly conducted on an trauma patient who is unresponsive or who has a significant mechanism of injury

Front 27

scene size up

Back 27

an assessment of the scene for safety hazards and to determine the nature of the patient's problem and the number of patients

Front 28

tenderness

Back 28

pain in response to palpation

Front 29

trauma patient

Back 29

a patient who has a physical injury or wound caused by external force or violence