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paramedic
paramedic Vocab 11-20
150
Medical
Undergraduate 1
02/18/2011
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Term
acceleration
 Definition
The rate of change of velocity
Term
accessory muscle
 Definition
-- Muscles not normally used during normal breathing; includes the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck
Term
acetylcholine
 Definition
-- Chemical neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Term
acute radiation syndrome
 Definition
-- The clinical course that usually begins within hours of exposure to a radiation source. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and headache. The long-term symptoms are dose-related and are hematopoietic and gastrointestinal.
Term
adipose
 Definition
-- Referring to fat tissue.
Term
adventitious
 Definition
-- Abnormal.
Term
aerobic metabolism --
 Definition
Metabolism that can proceed only in the presence of oxygen.
Term
afterload
 Definition
-- The pressure in the aorta against which the left ventricle must pump blood.
Term
alert and oriented
 Definition
(A ¥ O) -- A determination made when assessing mental status by looking at whether the patient is oriented to four elements: person, place, time, and the event itself. Each element provides information about different aspects of the patient’s memory.
Term
alveoli
 Definition
-- Small pits or cavities, such as the sockets for the teeth.
Term
anaerobic metabolism --
 Definition
-- The metabolism that takes place in the absence of oxygen; the principal product is lactic acid
Term
anaphylaxis
 Definition
-- An extreme systemic form of an allergic reaction involving two or more body systems.
Term
angle of impact
 Definition
-- The angle at which an object hits another; this characterizes the force vectors involved and has a bearing on patterns of energy dissipation.
Term
aphasia
 Definition
-- The impairment of language that affects the production or understanding of speech and the ability to read or write.
Term
arterial air embolism
 Definition
-- Air bubbles in the arterial blood vessels.
Term
ascites
 Definition
-- Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity
Term
aspiration
 Definition
-- Entry of fluids or solids into the trachea, bronchi, and lungs
Term
AVPU
 Definition
-- A method of assessing mental status by determining whether a patient is Awake and alert, responsive to Verbal stimuli or Pain, or Unresponsive; used principally in the initial assessment.
Term
base station
 Definition
-- Assembly of radio equipment consisting of at least a transmitter, receiver, and antenna connection at a fixed location.
Term
Biot respirations
 Definition
-- Characterized by an irregular rate, pattern, and volume of breathing with intermittent periods of apnea; also called ataxic respirations.
Term
biotelemetry
 Definition
-- Transmission of physiologic data, such as an ECG, from the patient to a distant point of reception (commonly referred to in EMS as “telemetry”).
Term
brisance
 Definition
-- The shattering effect of a shock wave and its ability to cause disruption of tissues and structures.
Term
bruit
 Definition
-- An abnormal “whoosh”-like sound of turbulent blood flow moving through a narrowed artery.
Term
burn shock
 Definition
-- The shock or hypoperfusion caused by a burn injury and the tremendous loss of fluids
Term
cardiac output
 Definition
-- The volume of blood delivered to the body in 1 minute.
Term
cardiac output (CO)
 Definition
-- The amount of blood pumped through the circulatory system in 1 minute.
Term
carina
 Definition
-- Point at which the trachea bifurcates into the right and left mainstem bronchi.
Term
cavitation
 Definition
-- Cavity formation; shock waves that push tissues in front of and lateral to the projectile and may not necessarily increase the wound size or cause permanent injury but can result in cavitation.
Term
cellular telephones
 Definition
-- Low-power portable radios that communicate through an interconnected series of repeater stations called “cells.”
Term
chemoreceptors
 Definition
monitor the levels of O2 CO2, and the ph of the csf and provide feedback to the respiratory centers to modify the rate and depth of breathing based on teh body's needs at any given time.
Term
chief complaint
 Definition
-- The problem for which the patient is seeking help
Term
chief complaint
 Definition
-- The problem for which the patient is seeking help
Term
compartment syndrome
 Definition
-- An increase in tissue pressure in a closed fascial space or compartment that compromises the circulation to the nerves and muscles within the involved compartment
Term
compensated shock
 Definition
-- The early stage of shock, in which the body can still compensate for blood loss. The systolic blood pressure and brain perfusion is maintained.
Term
concept formation
 Definition
-- Pattern of understanding based on initially obtained information.
Term
cookbook medicine
 Definition
-- Treatment based on a protocol or algorithm without adequate knowledge of the patient being treated.
Term
crush syndrome
 Definition
-- Significant metabolic derangement that can lead to renal failure and death. It develops when crushed extremities or other body parts remain trapped for prolonged periods.
Term
current health status
 Definition
-- A composite picture of a number of factors in a patient’s life, such as dietary habits, current medications, allergies, exercise, alcohol or tobacco use, recreational drug use, sleep patterns and disorders, and immunizations.
Term
cyanosis
 Definition
-- Slightly bluish, grayish, slatelike, or dark purple discoloration of the skin due to hypoxia.
Term
data interpretation
 Definition
-- The process of formulating a conclusion based on comparing the patient’s condition with information from your training, education, and past experiences
Term
decompensated shock
 Definition
decompensated shock -- The late stage of shocdecompensated shock -- The late stage of shock, when blood pressure is fallingk, when blood pressure is falling
Term
desquamation
 Definition
-- The continuous shedding of the dead cells on the surface of the skin.
Term
detailed physical exam
 Definition
-- The part of the assessment process in which a detailed area-by-area exam is performed on patients whose problems cannot be readily identified or when more specific information is needed about problems identified in the focused history and physical exam.
Term
distributive shock
 Definition
-- A condition that occurs when there is widespread dilation of the resistance vessels, the capacitance vessels, or both.
Term
ecchymosis
 Definition
-- Localized bruising or blood collection within or under the skin.
Term
ejection fraction
 Definition
-- The portion of the blood ejected from the ventricle during systole.
Term
elastin
 Definition
-- A protein that gives the skin its elasticity.
Term
electrical energy
 Definition
-- The energy delivered in the form of high voltage.
Term
emergency medical dispatch
 Definition
-- First aid instructions given by specially trained dispatchers to callers over the telephone while an ambulance is en route to the call.
Term
encoded
 Definition
-- A message is put into a code before it is transmitted.
Term
enhanced 9-1-1 system
 Definition
-- An emergency call-in system in which additional information such as the phone number and location of the caller is recorded automatically through sophisticated telephone technology and the dispatcher need only confirm the information on the screen.
Term
escharotomy
 Definition
-- A surgical cut through the eschar or leathery covering of a burn injury to allow for swelling and minimize the potential for development of compartment syndrome in a circumferentially burned limb or the thorax
Term
expiration
 Definition
-- Passive movement of air out of the lungs; also called exhalation.
Term
expiratory reserve volume
 Definition
-- The amount of air that you can exhale following a normal exhalation; average volume is about 1,200 mL.
Term
Federal Communications Commission
 Definition
(FCC) -- The federal agency that has jurisdiction over interstate and international telephone and telegraph services and satellite communications, all of which may involve EMS activity.
Term
field diagnosis
 Definition
-- A determination of what a paramedic thinks is the patient’s current problem, usually based on the patient history and the chief complaint.
Term
frequency
 Definition
-- In radio communications, the number of cycles per second of a signal, inversely related to the wavelength.
Term
gangrene
 Definition
-- Permanent cell death.
Term
general impression
 Definition
-- The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based on the patient’s surroundings, the mechanism of injury, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint.
Term
glomerular filtration
 Definition
-- The first step in the formation of urine; calculated to determine renal function.
Term
glottis
 Definition
-- The space in between the vocal cords that is the narrowest portion of the adult’s airway; also called the glottic opening.
Term
Heimlich maneuver
 Definition
-- Abdominal thrusts performed to relieve a foreign body airway obstruction.
Term
hematochezia
 Definition
-- Passage of stools containing bright red blood.
Term
hemostasis
 Definition
-- The body’s natural blood-clotting mechanism.
Term
hertz (Hz)
 Definition
-- Unit of frequency equal to 1 cycle per second.
Term
homeostasis
 Definition
-- The balance of all body systems of the body; also known as homeostatic balance.
Term
hypoxic drive
 Definition
-- Secondary control of breathing that stimulates breathing based on decreased PaO2 levels.
Term
implosion --
 Definition
A bursting inward.
Term
initial assessment
 Definition
-- The part of the assessment process that helps you identify immediately or potentially life-threatening conditions so that you can initiate lifesaving care.
Term
inspiration
 Definition
-- The active process of moving air into the lungs; also called inhalation.
Term
keloid scar
 Definition
-- An abnormal scar commonly found in people with darkly pigmented skin. It extends over the wound margins.
Term
ketamine
 Definition
-- A drug with sedative, analgesic, and hypnotic properties; created in the laboratory from phencyclidine (PCP).
Term
kinetic energy
 Definition
-- The energy associated with bodies in motion, expressed mathematically as half the mass times the square of the velocity.
Term
Korotkoff sounds
 Definition
-- Sounds related to blood pressure that are heard by stethoscope.
Term
kyphosis
 Definition
-- Outward curve of the thoracic spine.
Term
laryngospasm
 Definition
-- Spasmodic closure of the vocal cords.
Term
lordosis
 Definition
-- Inward curve of the lumbar spine just above the buttocks. An exaggerated form of lordosis results in the condition known as swayback.
Term
Lund and Browder chart
 Definition
-- A detailed version of the rule of nines chart that takes into consideration the changes in body surface area brought on by growth.
Term
macrophages
 Definition
-- Cells that developed from the monocytes that provide the body’s first line of defense in the inflammatory process.
Term
mechanical energy
 Definition
-- The energy that results from motion (kinetic energy) or that is stored in an object (potential energy).
Term
mechanism of injury (MOI)
 Definition
-- The way in which traumatic injuries occur; the forces that act on the body to cause damage.
Term
medical ambiguity
 Definition
-- Uncertainty regarding the specific cause of the patient’s condition.
Term
melanin
 Definition
-- The pigment that gives skin its color.
Term
minute volume
 Definition
-- The amount of air that moves in and out of the respiratory tract per minute.
Term
mottling
 Definition
-- A condition of abnormal skin circulation, caused by vasoconstriction or inadequate circulation.
Term
multiplex
 Definition
-- Method by which simultaneous transmission of voice and ECG signals can be achieved over a single radio frequency.
Term
myoglobin
 Definition
-- A protein found in muscle that is released into the circulation after crush injury or other muscle damage and whose presence in the circulation may produce kidney damage.
Term
nature of illness
 Definition
(NOI) -- The general type of illness a patient is experiencing.
Term
nebulizer
 Definition
-- Device used primarily to deliver aerosolized medications. Oxygen enters an aerosol chamber that contains 3 to 5 mL of fluid. The pressurized oxygen in this chamber aerosolizes the medication for inhalation.
Term
nebulizer
 Definition
-- Device used primarily to deliver aerosolized medications. Oxygen enters an aerosol chamber that contains 3 to 5 mL of fluid. The pressurized oxygen in this chamber aerosolizes the medication for inhalation
Term
nebulizer
 Definition
-- Device used primarily to deliver aerosolized medications. Oxygen enters an aerosol chamber that contains 3 to 5 mL of fluid. The pressurized oxygen in this chamber aerosolizes the medication for inhalation
Term
negative-pressure ventilation
 Definition
-- 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).
Term
obstructive shock
 Definition
-- Shock that occurs when there is a block to blood flow in the heart or great vessels, causing an insufficient blood supply to the body’s tissues.
Term
ongoing assessment
 Definition
-- The part of the assessment process in which problems are reevaluated and responses to treatment are assessed.
Term
opioids
 Definition
-- Also called narcotics; potent analgesics with sedative properties; includes drugs such as fentanyl (Sublimaze) and alfentanil (Alfenta).
Term
orthostatic hypotension
 Definition
-- A fall in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a recumbent to a sitting or standing position.
Term
pancuronium
 Definition
-- A nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent; used to maintain paralysis following succinylcholine-facilitated intubation; also called Pavulon.
Term
parasthesias
 Definition
-- Tingling or sensory
Term
Parkland formula
 Definition
-- A formula that recommends giving 4 mL of normal saline for each kilogram of body weight, multiplied by the percentage of body surface area burned; sometimes used to calculate fluid needs during lengthy transport times.
Term
past medical history
 Definition
-- Information obtained during the patient history, such as the patient’s general state of health, childhood and adult diseases, surgeries and hospitalizations, psychiatric and mental illnesses, or traumatic injuries, which may relate to the patient’s current problem.
Term
pathologic fracture
 Definition
-- A fracture that occurs when normal forces are applied to abnormal bone structures.
Term
patient history
 Definition
-- Information about the patient’s chief complaint, present symptoms, and previous illnesses.
Term
phrenic nerves
 Definition
phrenic nerves -- Nerves that innervate the diaphragm.


-- Nerves that innervate the diaphragm.
Term
phrenic nerves
 Definition
phrenic nerves -- Nerves that innervate the diaphragm.

-- Nerves that innervate the diaphragm.
Term
physiologic fracture
 Definition
-- A fracture that occurs when abnormal forces are applied to normal bone structures.
Term
pneumotaxic center
 Definition
-- Area of the brain stem that has an inhibitory influence on inspiration.
Term
positive-pressure ventilation
 Definition
-- Forcing of air into the lungs.
Term
potential energy
 Definition
-- The amount of energy stored in an object, the product of mass, gravity, and height, that is converted into kinetic energy and results in injury, such as from a fall.
Term
pulsus paradoxus
 Definition
-- A drop in the systolic BP of 10 mm Hg or more; commonly seen in patients with pericardial tamponade or severe asthma.
Term
rales
 Definition
-- Rattling, bubbling, or crackling lung sounds.
Term
rapid trauma assessment
 Definition
-- A unique and specialized assessment performed between the initial assessment and the focused physical exam of a trauma patient, usually on patients with a significant mechanism of injury, assessing specific parts of the entire body.
Term
repeater
 Definition
-- Miniature transmitter that picks up a radio signal and rebroadcasts it, extending the range of a radio communications system.
Term
rule of nines
 Definition
-- A system that assigns percentages to sections of the body, allowing calculation of the amount of skin surface involved in the burn area.
Term
rule of palm
 Definition
-- A system that estimates total body surface area burned by comparing the affected area with the size of the patient’s palm, which is roughly equal to 1% of the patient’s total body surface area.
Term
safe residual pressure
 Definition
-- A term that implies that it is unsafe to continue using an oxygen cylinder with a pressure of less than 200 psi.
Term
scar revision
 Definition
-- A surgical procedure to improve the appearance of a scar, reestablish function, or correct disfigurement from soft-tissue damage, surgical incision, or lesion.
Term
shearing
 Definition
-- An applied force or pressure exerted against the surface and layers of the skin as tissues slide in opposite but parallel planes.
Term
signs
 Definition
-- Indications of illness or injury that the examiner can see, hear, feel, smell, and so on.
Term
simplex
 Definition
-- Method of radio communication using a single frequency that enables transmission or reception of voice or an ECG signal but is incapable of simultaneous transmission and reception.
Term
stenosis
 Definition
-- Narrowing.
Term
stroke volume
 Definition
-- The amount of blood that the left ventricle ejects into the aorta per contraction.
Term
subcutaneous layer
 Definition
-- Beneath the skin.
Term
supraglottic
 Definition
-- Located above the glottic opening, as in the upper airway structures.
Term
surfactant
 Definition
-- A proteinaceous substance that lines the alveoli; decreases alveolar surface tension and keeps the alveoli expanded.
Term
symptoms
 Definition
-- The pain, discomfort, or other abnormality that the patient feels.
Term
tension lines
 Definition
-- The pattern of tautness of the skin, which is arranged over body structures and affects how well wounds heal.
Term
therapy regulator
 Definition
-- Attaches to the stem of the oxygen cylinder, and reduces the high pressure of gas to a safe range (about 50 psi).
Term
thermoregulation
 Definition
-- The ability of the body to maintain temperature through a combination of heat gain by metabolic processes and muscular movement and heat loss through respiration, evaporation, conduction, convection, and perspiration.
Term
trismus -- Clenching of the teeth owing to spasm of the jaw muscles.
 Definition
trismus -- Clenching of the teeth owing to spasm of the jaw muscles.
Term
trismus
 Definition
-- Clenching of the teeth owing to spasm of the jaw muscles.
Term
trunking
 Definition
-- Sharing of radio frequencies by multiple agencies or systems.
Term
turgor
 Definition
-- Loss of elasticity in the skin.
Term
vallecula
 Definition
-- An anatomic space, or “pocket,” located between the base of the tongue and the epiglottis; an important anatomic landmark for endotracheal intubation
Term
visual acuity (VA
 Definition
) -- The ability or inability to see, and how well one can see.
Term
Volkmann contracture
 Definition
-- Deformity of the hand, fingers, and wrist resulting from damage to forearm muscles; develops from muscle ischemia and is associated with compartment syndrome.
Term
Waddell triad
 Definition
-- A pattern of automobile-pedestrian injuries in children and people of short stature in which (1) the bumper hits pelvis and femur, (2) the chest and abdomen hit the grille or low hood, and (3) the head strikes the ground.
Term
wavelength
 Definition
-- The distance in a propagating wave from one point to the corresponding point on the next wave.
Term
whiplash
 Definition
-- An injury to the cervical vertebrae or their supporting ligaments and muscles, usually resulting from sudden acceleration or deceleration.
Term
whistle-tip catheters
 Definition
-- Soft plastic, nonrigid catheters; also called French catheters.
Term
zone of coagulation
 Definition
-- The reddened area surrounding the leathery and sometimes charred tissue that has sustained a full-thickness burn.
Term
zone of hyperemia
 Definition
-- In a thermal burn, the area that is least affected by the burn injury.
Term
zone of stasis
 Definition
-- The peripheral area surrounding the zone of coagulation that has decreased blood flow and inflammation. This area can undergo necrosis within 24 to 48 hours after the injury, particularly if perfusion is compromised due to burn shock.
Term
inspiratory reserve volume
 Definition
-- The amount of air that can be inhaled after a normal inhalation; the amount of air that can be inhaled in addition to the normal tidal volume.
Term
Newton's first law of motion
 Definition
the principle that a body at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by a outside force
Term
Newton's second law of motion
 Definition
the principle that a force of an object
can exert the product of it's mass that it's accleration
Term
scene size up
 Definition
a quick assessment of the scene and it's surrounding made to provide information about scene safety about the moi and noi before you enter and begin patient care
Term
scolliosis
 Definition
side ways' curvative of the spine
Term
field diagnosis
 Definition
-- A determination of what a paramedic thinks is the patient’s current problem, usually based on the patient history and the chief complaint.
Term
current health status
 Definition
-- A composite picture of a number of factors in a patient’s life, such as dietary habits, current medications, allergies, exercise, alcohol or tobacco use, recreational drug use, sleep patterns and disorders, and immunizations.
Term
duplex --
 Definition
duplex -- Radio system using more than one frequency to permit simultaneous transmission and reception.
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