Paramedic Vocabulary Ch 39-51 Teex

Front 1

-- A premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus.

Back 1

abruptio placenta

Front 2

-- The type of seizures characterized by a brief lapse of attention in which the patient may stare and not respond; formerly known as petit mal seizures.

Back 2

absence seizures

Front 3

-- Any form of maltreatment that results in harm or loss. Maltreatment may be physical, sexual, psychological, or financial/material.

Back 3

abuse

Front 4

-- A method of accounting for all personnel at an emergency incident and ensuring that only personnel with specific assignments are permitted to work within the various zones.

Back 4

accountability system

Front 5

-- The refusal or failure to fulfill a caregiving obligation; a conscious or intentional attempt to inflict physical or emotional stress. Examples include abandonment and denial of food or health-related services.

Back 5

active neglect

Front 6

-- Organizations that investigate cases involving abuse and neglect and provide case management services in some cases.

Back 6

adult protective services (APS)

Front 7

-- A deadly bacteria (Bacillus anthracis) that lays dormant in a spore (protective shell); the germ is released from the spore when exposed to the optimal temperature and moisture. The route of entry is inhalation, cutaneous, or gastrointestinal (from consuming food that contains spores).

Back 7

anthrax

Front 8

-- Scale used to assess newborn infant status (range, 0 to 10).

Back 8

apgar score

Front 9

-- The impairment of language that affects the production or understanding of speech and the ability to read or write.

Back 9

aphasia

Front 10

-- An unexpected sudden episode of color change, tone change, or apnea that required mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or vigorous stimulation.

Back 10

apparent life-threatening event (ALTE)

Front 11

-- Any gas that displaces oxygen from the atmosphere; can be deadly if exposure occurs in a confined space.

Back 11

asphyxiant

Front 12

-- Unlawfully placing a person in fear of immediate bodily harm.

Back 12

assault

Front 13

-- Unlawfully touching a person; this includes providing emergency care without consent.

Back 13

battery

Front 14

-- A chirping or squealing sound, synchronous with engine speed.

Back 14

belt noise

Front 15

-- Sadness from loss; grieving.

Back 15

bereavement

Front 16

-- A plug of mucus, sometimes mixed with blood, that is expelled from the dilating cervix and discharged from the vagina.

Back 16

bloody show

Front 17

-- A mnemonic for the five types of terrorist incidents that first responder agencies may be confronted with in the field.

Back 17

BNICE

Front 18

-- Produced by bacteria, this is a very potent neurotoxin. When introduced into the body, this neurotoxin affects the nervous system’s ability to function and causes muscle paralysis.

Back 18

botulinum

Front 19

-- A sensation that an ambulance has lost its power brakes.

Back 19

brake fade

Front 20

-- A sensation that, when an operator depresses the brake pedal, the steering wheel is being pulled to the left or the right.

Back 20

brake pull

Front 21

-- A condition seen in children younger than 2 years, characterized by dyspnea and wheezing.

Back 21

bronchiolitis

Front 22

-- An epidemic that spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, causing over 25 million deaths, also called the Black Death, transmitted by infected fleas and characterized by acute malaise, fever, and the formation of tender, enlarged, inflamed lymph nodes that appear as lesions, called buboes.

Back 22

bubonic plague

Front 23

-- The diagnostic checking and synchronizing of digital or electronic equipment to assure that is in good working order and will measure accurately.

Back 23

calibrated

Front 24

-- A nonprogressive bilateral neuromuscular disorder in which voluntary muscles are poorly controlled.

Back 24

cerebral palsy

Front 25

-- Tubes that drain fluid manufactured in the ventricles of the brain from the subarachnoid space to another part of the body outside of the brain, such as the peritoneum; lowers pressure in the brain.

Back 25

cerebrospinal fluid shunts

Front 26

-- The introduction of either single cytotoxic drugs or combinations of cytotoxic drugs into the body for the purpose of interrupting or eradicating malignant cellular growth.

Back 26

chemotherapy

Front 27

-- An agency that is the community legal organization responsible for protection, rehabilitation, and prevention of child maltreatment and neglect; it has the legal authority to temporarily remove from home children who are at risk for injury or neglect and to secure foster placement.

Back 27

child protective services (CPS)

Front 28

-- Illnesses that cause obstructive problems in the lower airways, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and sometimes asthma.

Back 28

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Front 29

-- Locations where illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ecstasy, and phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP) are manufactured.

Back 29

clandestine drug laboratories

Front 30

-- A fissure or hole in the palate (roof of the mouth) that forms a communicating pathway between the mouth and nasal cavities.

Back 30

cleft palate

Front 31

-- A contained incident in which patients are found in one focal location and the situation is not expected to produce more patients than initially present.

Back 31

closed incident

Front 32

-- A cultural ritual intended to treat an illness by rubbing hot coins, often on the back, which produces rounded and oblong red, patchy, flat skin lesions.

Back 32

coin rubbing

Front 33

-- The outermost zone of management at a hazardous materials scene; the area where paramedics typically first encounter the patient.

Back 33

cold zone

Front 34

-- Establishment of an opening between the colon and the surface of the body for the purpose of providing drainage of the bowel.

Back 34

colostomy

Front 35

-- An unusual form of seizures that occurs in association with a rapid increase in body temperature.

Back 35

complex febrile seizures

Front 36

-- A curable temporary condition, caused by an injury to the eardrum.

Back 36

conductive deafness

Front 37

-- A space with limited or restricted access that is not meant for continuous occupancy, such as a manhole, well, or tank.

Back 37

confined space

Front 38

-- Short lengths of wood that are used to stabilize vehicles.

Back 38

cribbing

Front 39

-- The external foundation in communities made up of structures and services critical in the day-to-day living activities of humans: energy sources, fuel, water, sewage removal, food, hospitals, and transportation systems.

Back 39

critical infrastructure

Front 40

-- A childhood viral disease characterized by edema of the upper airways with barking cough, difficult breathing, and stridor.

Back 40

croup

Front 41

-- The cultural practice of placing warm cups on the skin to pull out illness from the body. The red, flat, rounded skin lesions are often more intensely red at the borders.

Back 41

cupping

Front 42

-- Agent that affects the body’s ability to use oxygen. It is a colorless gas that has an odor similar to almonds. The effects begin on the cellular level and are very rapidly seen at the organ system level.

Back 42

cyanide

Front 43

-- Chronic dysfunction of the endocrine system that affects multiple body systems, primarily the respiratory and digestive systems.

Back 43

cystic fibrosis

Front 44

-- Separation of the edges of a wound.

Back 44

dehiscence

Front 45

-- An acute confusional state characterized by global impairment of thinking, perception, judgment, and memory.

Back 45

delirium

Front 46

-- The slow onset of progressive disorientation, shortened attention span, and loss of cognitive function.

Back 46

dementia

Front 47

-- Passage of loops of bowel with or without other abdominal organs, through the diaphragm muscle; occurs as the bowel from the abdomen “herniates” upward through the diaphragm into the chest (thoracic) cavity.

Back 47

diaphragmatic hernia

Front 48

-- A planned, coordinated response to a disaster that involves cooperation of multiple responders and agencies and enables effective triage and provision of care according to triage decisions.

Back 48

disaster management

Front 49

-- Widespread events that disrupt community resources and functions, in turn threatening public safety, lives, and property.

Back 49

disasters

Front 50

-- Written documentation by a physician giving permission to medical personnel not to attempt intubation.

Back 50

Do Not Intubate

Front 51

-- Written documentation by a physician giving permission to medical personnel not to attempt resuscitation in the event of cardiac arrest.

Back 51

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)

Front 52

-- Federal standards that regulate the design and manufacturing guidelines of emergency ambulances.

Back 52

DOT KKK 1822

Front 53

-- A genetic chromosomal defect that can occur during fetal development and that results in mental retardation as well as certain physical characteristics, such as a round head with a flat occiput and slanted, wide-set eyes.

Back 53

Down syndrome

Front 54

-- Driving with awareness and responsibility for other drivers on the roadways when operating an ambulance in the emergency mode.

Back 54

due regard

Front 55

-- A pregnancy in which the ovum implants somewhere other than the uterine endometrium.

Back 55

ectopic pregnancy

Front 56

-- The fetus in the earliest stages after fertilization.

Back 56

embryo

Front 57

-- A hazardous materials reference developed by the US Department of Transportation that provides valuable information about hazardous materials, isolation distances, etc; should be carried on every emergency response unit, and every paramedic should know how to use it.

Back 57

Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)

Front 58

-- Inflammation of the epiglottis.

Back 58

epiglottitis

Front 59

-- Lack of movement at the shoulder due to nerve injury resulting from the stretching of the cervical nerve roots (C5 and C6 most commonly) during delivery of the baby’s head during birth. The effect is usually transient, but can be permanent

Back 59

Erb palsy

Front 60

-- The stage of labor that begins with the onset of regular labor pains, crampy abdominal pains, during which the uterus contracts and the cervix effaces.

Back 60

first stage of labor

Front 61

-- A fraction (not average) of all emergency responses for the purpose of setting standards in response times.

Back 61

fractile response time

Front 62

-- Early nerve agents that were developed by German scientists in the period after WWI and into WWII. There are three such agents: sarin, soman, and tabun.

Back 62

G agents

Front 63

-- The assessment and treatment of disease in someone 65 years or older.

Back 63

geriatrics

Front 64

-- Pregnant; the number of times a woman has been pregnant is indicated by gravida, for example, gravida 3 indicates three pregnancies.

Back 64

gravid

Front 65

-- Any substance that is toxic, poisonous, radioactive, flammable, or explosive and causes injury or death with exposure.

Back 65

hazardous material

Front 66

-- A rope rescue operation where the angle of the slope is greater than 45°; rescuers depend on life safety rope rather than a fixed support surface such as the ground.

Back 66

high-angle operations

Front 67

-- is a term derived from the Greek words for “same” and “steady.” All organisms constantly adjust their physiologic processes in an effort to maintain an internal balance.

Back 67

homeostasis

Front 68

-- An organization that provides end-of-life care to patients with terminal illnesses and their families.

Back 68

hospice

Front 69

-- The area immediately surrounding an incident site that is directly dangerous to life and health. All personnel working in the hot zone must wear complete and appropriate protective clothing and equipment. Entry requires approval by the IC or a designated sector officer. Complete backup, rescue, and decontamination teams must be in place at the perimeter before operations begin.

Back 69

hot zone

Front 70

-- The increased accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain.

Back 70

hydrocephalus

Front 71

-- Damage to cells in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) from inadequate oxygen.

Back 71

hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Front 72

-- Surgical procedure to remove large portions of the small intestine.

Back 72

ileostomy

Front 73

-- An area designated by the incident commander, or a designee, in which public information officers from multiple agencies disseminate information about the incident.

Back 73

joint information center (JIC)

Front 74

-- A sorting system for pediatric patients less than 8 years old or weighing less than 100 pounds. There is a minor adaptation for infants since they cannot ambulate on their own.

Back 74

JumpSTART triage

Front 75

-- An injury of childbirth affecting the spinal nerves C7, C8, and T1 of the brachial plexus. It can be contrasted to Erb palsy, which affects C5 and C6.

Back 75

klumpke paralysis

Front 76

-- Designated location for the landing of air ambulances.

Back 76

landing zone

Front 77

-- A surgical procedure in which the larynx is removed.

Back 77

laryngectomy

Front 78

-- A rope rescue operation on a mildly sloping surface (less than 45°) or flat land where rescuers are dependent on the ground for their primary support, and the rope system is a secondary means of support.

Back 78

low-angle operations

Front 79

-- A category of professional required by some states to report suspicions of child maltreatment. Prehospital professionals may be included.

Back 79

mandated reporter

Front 80

-- An emergency situation that can place great demand on the equipment or personnel of the EMS system or has the potential to overwhelm your available resources.

Back 80

mass-casualty incident (MCI)

Front 81

-- Information documents that are supposed to be kept on site at workplaces for every potentially hazardous chemical at the workplace.

Back 81

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Front 82

-- A dark green material in the amniotic fluid that can indicate disease in the newborn; the meconium can be aspirated into the infant’s lungs during delivery; the baby’s first bowel movement.

Back 82

meconium

Front 83

-- An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; it is usually caused by a virus or bacterium.

Back 83

meningitis

Front 84

-- Blue-gray areas of discoloration of the skin caused by abnormal pigment, not by trauma or bruising.

Back 84

Mongolian spots

Front 85

-- A chronic disease of the central nervous system in which there is destruction of the myelin and nerve axons within several regions of the brain and spinal cord.

Back 85

multiple sclerosis

Front 86

-- An inherited muscular disease causing degeneration of the muscle fibers.

Back 86

muscular dystrophy

Front 87

-- A condition in which the body creates antibodies against the acetylcholine receptors, causing muscle weakness, often in the face.

Back 87

myasthenia gravis

Front 88

-- A Department of Homeland Security system designed to enable federal, state, and local governments and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to effectively and efficiently prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism.

Back 88

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Front 89

-- Drawing of air into the lungs; airflow from a region of higher pressure (outside the body) to a region of lower pressure (the lungs); occurs during normal (unassisted breathing).

Back 89

negative-pressure ventilation

Front 90

-- Refusal or failure on the part of the caregiver to provide life necessities, such as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, and personal safety.

Back 90

neglect

Front 91

-- Infant during the first month after birth.

Back 91

neonate

Front 92

-- Infant within the first few hours after birth.

Back 92

newborn

Front 93

-- A stiff or painful neck; commonly associated with meningitis.

Back 93

nuchal rigidity

Front 94

-- The technical rescue training level geared toward working in the warm zone of an incident. Training at this level allows responders to directly assist those conducting the rescue operation and to use certain rescue skills and procedures.

Back 94

operations

Front 95

-- A decrease in bone mass and density.

Back 95

osteoporosis

Front 96

-- The number of pregnancies a woman has carried to more than 28 weeks, regardless of whether the fetus was delivered dead or alive.

Back 96

para

Front 97

-- An unintentional refusal or failure to fulfill a caregiving obligation, which results in physical or emotional distress. Examples include forgetting or isolating the person.

Back 97

passive neglect

Front 98

-- A time of day or day of week in which the call volume is at its highest.

Back 98

peak loads

Front 99

-- An assessment tool that allows rapid formation of a general impression of the type and level of illness or injury in an infant or child without touching him or her; consists of assessing appearance, work of breathing, and circulation to the skin.

Back 99

Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)

Front 100

-- Used to describe an infant delivered at less than 37 completed weeks.

Back 100

preterm

Front 101

-- A pulmonary agent that is a product of combustion, such as might be produced in a fire at a textile factory or house, or from metalwork or burning Freon. Phosgene is a very potent agent that has a delayed onset of symptoms, usually hours.

Back 101

phosgene

Front 102

-- The evidence that ties a suspect or victim to a crime. It may include body materials, objects, and impressions.

Back 102

physical evidence

Front 103

-- A condition present at birth marked by a very small lower jaw (micrognathia). The tongue tends to fall back and downward (glossoptosis), and there is a cleft soft palate.

Back 103

Pierre Robin sequence

Front 104

-- A condition in which the placenta develops over and covers the cervix.

Back 104

placenta previa

Front 105

-- A lung infection, also known as plague pneumonia, that is the result of inhalation of plague bacteria.

Back 105

pneumonic plague

Front 106

-- A viral infection that attacks the axons, especially motor axons, and destroys them, causing weakness, paralysis, and respiratory arrest. An effective vaccine has been developed and this disease is now rare.

Back 106

poliomyelitis

Front 107

-- The use of multiple medications.

Back 107

polypharmacy

Front 108

-- Underdeveloped; the condition of an infant born too soon. Refers to infants delivered before 37 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period.

Back 108

premature

Front 109

-- Progressive hearing loss, particularly in the high frequencies, along with lessened ability to discriminate between a particular sound and background noise.

Back 109

presbycusis

Front 110

-- The main means of escape should violence erupt. This is usually the door you used to enter the building.

Back 110

primary exit

Front 111

-- A situation in which the umbilical cord comes out of the vagina before the infant.

Back 111

prolapsed umbilical cord

Front 112

-- The ability to perceive the position and movement of one’s body or limbs.

Back 112

proprioception

Front 113

-- Discharge that contains pus.

Back 113

purulent exudates

Front 114

-- Paralysis of all four extremities and the trunk.

Back 114

quadriplegia

Front 115

-- Sexual intercourse inflicted forcibly on another person, against that person’s will

Back 115

rape

Front 116

-- A virus that commonly causes bronchiolitis; usually results in lifelong immunity following exposure.

Back 116

respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Front 117

-- A systematic survey of the patient’s symptoms according to the major organ systems.

Back 117

review of systems

Front 118

-- A nerve agent that is one of the G agents; a highly volatile colorless and odorless liquid that turns from liquid to gas within seconds to minutes at room temperature.

Back 118

sarin (GB)

Front 119

-- A method used to ascend rocky faces and ridges and can be considered a cross between hill climbing and rock climbing.

Back 119

scrambling

Front 120

-- The stage of labor in which the baby’s head enters the birth canal, during which contractions become more intense and more frequent.

Back 120

second stage of labor

Front 121

-- A permanent lack of hearing caused by a lesion or damage of the inner ear.

Back 121

sensorineural deafness

Front 122

-- A pathologic state, usually in a febrile patient, resulting from the presence of invading microorganisms or their poisonous products in the bloodstream.

Back 122

sepsis

Front 123

-- Discharge that contains serum, a thin watery substance.

Back 123

serous exudates

Front 124

-- An attack against a person that is sexual in nature, the most of common of which is rape.

Back 124

sexual assault

Front 125

-- A method of supporting a trench wall or building components such as walls, floors, or ceilings using either hydraulic, pneumatic, or wood shoring systems. Shoring is used to prevent collapse.

Back 125

shoring

Front 126

-- An infant whose size and weight are considerably less than the average for babies of the same age.

Back 126

small for gestational age

Front 127

-- A highly contagious disease; it is most contagious when blisters begin to form.

Back 127

smallpox

Front 128

-- In incident command, the subordiate positions under the commander's direction to which the workload is distributed; the supervisor/worker ratio.

Back 128

span of control

Front 129

-- The most common permanently disabling birth defect in which, during the first month of pregnancy, the spinal column of the fetus does not close properly or completely and vertebrae do not develop, leaving a portion of the spinal cord exposed.

Back 129

spina bifida

Front 130

-- Immobility and consolidation of a vertebral joint.

Back 130

spondylosis

Front 131

-- Expulsion of the fetus that occurs naturally; also called miscarriage.

Back 131

spontaneous abortion

Front 132

-- A patient sorting process that stands for simple triage and rapid treatment and uses a limited assessment of the patient’s ability to walk, respiratory status, hemodynamic status, and neurologic status.

Back 132

START triage

Front 133

-- Specialized cribbing assemblies made out of wood or plastic blocks in a step configuration.

Back 133

step blocks

Front 134

-- The staging of ambulances to strategic locations within a service area to allow for coverage of emergency calls.

Back 134

strategic deployment

Front 135

-- A vesicant; it is a brownish-yellowish oily substance that is generally considered very persistent; has the distinct smell of garlic or mustard and, when released, it is quickly absorbed into the skin and/or mucous membranes and begins an irreversible process of damaging the cells.

Back 135

sulfur mustard (H)

Front 136

-- Used to describe an infant delivered at 38 to 42 weeks of gestation.

Back 136

term

Front 137

-- A sickness that the patient cannot be cured of; death is imminent.

Back 137

terminal illness

Front 138

-- The oral documentation by a witness of the facts of a criminal act.

Back 138

testimonial evidence

Front 139

-- The stage of labor in which the placenta is expelled.

Back 139

third stage of labor

Front 140

-- Surgical opening into the trachea.

Back 140

tracheostomy

Front 141

-- Dangerous situation when a paramedic becomes so completely involved with patient care that he or she fails to see the possibility of physical harm to the patient or other care providers.

Back 141

tunnel vision

Front 142

-- Conventional, truck-cab chassis with a modular ambulance body that can be transferred to a new chassis as needed.

Back 142

Type I Ambulance

Front 143

-- Standard van, forward-control integral cab-body ambulance.

Back 143

Type II Ambulance

Front 144

-- Specialty van, forward-control integral cab-body ambulance.

Back 144

Type III Ambulance

Front 145

-- A command system used in larger incidents in which there is a multiagency response or multiple jurisdictions are involved.

Back 145

unified command system

Front 146

-- The formation of an opening to allow the passage of urine.

Back 146

ureterostomy

Front 147

-- A group of diseases that include the Ebola, Rift Valley, and yellow fever viruses among others. This group of viruses causes the blood in the body to seep out from the tissues and blood vessels.

Back 147

viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF)

Front 148

-- The area located between the hot zone and the cold zone at an incident. Decontamination stations are located in the warm zone.

Back 148

warm zone

Front 149

-- Used to snug loose cribbing.

Back 149

wedges