EMT Medical Terminology

Acidosis

an acid condition of the body - can occur with decreased ventilations - not enough carbon dioxide is eliminated. With water, CO2 becomes carbonic acid.

Alkalosis

an alkaline condition of the body - can occur with hyperventilation - blowing off too much carbon dioxide

Adjuncts

things that help - so oxygen assist in the delivery of oxygen

Agitation

an emotional state of being restless, anxious, nervous

Aggravation

an emotional state of being angry, or extremely unhappy about something

Algorithm

an illustrative method to summarize assessment and treatment information. Memory aids.

Antecubital

pertaining to the front of the elbow - a place to start an IV

Arthritis

an inflammation of the joints

Aspirate

to suck into

Atrophy

a wasting of tissue - when leg is not in use it wastes away

Bifurcate

to split in two - the trachea bifurcates at the carina into two main stem bronchi

Blunt trauma

an injury that was caused by a blunt object - no break in the skin

Child

pediatrics- a child is over 1 year old but less than 14

Compromise

to make worse - compromised airway

Contraindicated

a condition that renders a treatment improper or undesirable

Copious

large amounts

Dermatology

the study of the skin

Ectopic

out of the ordinary (pregnancy, pacemaker, beats)

Edema

swelling of tissue due to excessive fluid in the area

Electrodes

the "leads" placed on a patient's chest for ECG

Embolus

a lump of something traveling through the blood vessel (air, fat from a fracture or blood clot)

Emphysema

means trapped air - a chronic respiratory disease that involves trapping air

Epistaxis

medical term for nosebleed

Epidemiology

the study of the distribution of illness & injury across a population and the applying this knowledge to help control disease

Etiology

the study of the cause of a disease

Evisceration

an open wound where internal organs are visible on the outside such as an abdominal evisceration

Exacerbate

to make worse - increased severity of symptoms

Expedite

to hurry along, to do quickly

Expiration

to breathe out - exhalation

Febrile

having a fever

Fibrillation

where the ventricles stop contracting properly and just quiver, no pumping

Gait

a manner of walking - ataxic gait refers to staggering

Geriatrics

relating to elderly patients

Hemothorax

blood filling the pleural space - a life-threatening chest injury

Hemopneumothorax

blood and air filling the pleural space

Hernia

an injury where internal organs are pushed through a opening into an area where they do not normally occur

High flow oxygen

either 6 liters by NC or 12 liters by face mask

Hives

an allergic skin reaction characterized by blood vessel dilation (flush skin), cell membrane permeability (edema), itchy

Hyperglycemia

abnormally high blood sugar

Hypoglycemia

abnormally low blood sugar

Hypovolemia

abnormally low blood volume

Hypertension

abnormally high blood pressure (>140/90)

Hypotension

abnormally low blood pressure (systolic <90 in adult)

Hypertrophy

over growth - such as in the heart, left ventricular hypertrophy is a result of chronic hypertension

Hyperventilation

abnormally rapid and deep respirations

Incontinence

lack of bowel or bladder control - could indicate brain or spinal cord injury

Infant

child over 1 month, but less than 1 year old

Infiltration

something an IV can do - when the needle comes out of the vein but remains in the air still infusing liquids

Infusion

putting fluids into someone

Inspiration

to draw into - inhalation

Inter-

meaning between - interstitial fluid=between the cells

Intra-

meaning within- intravenous

Invasive

entering the body with an object - needle or blade

Ischemia

inadequate perfusion - not pumping or supplying the tissue adequately

Leads

small sticky patches places on the patient's torso for ECG

Malaise

feeling lousy, uneasy, discomfort

Macro

means large - used to describe IV tubing that puts out big drops of IV fluids

Micro

means very small - used to describe IV tubing that puts out very little drops of IV fluids

Morbidity

the incidence of injury or illness

Mortality

the incidence of death

Necrosis

tissue death

Neonate

"new born" = from birth till one month old

Neurologic deficit

a nerve function that is diminished or absent - such as partial paralysis or weakness

Occlude

to block or obstruct -an occlusion is a blockage

Parameter

the boundaries or measurements of things

Paresthesia

an abnormal finding of the sensory system - such as a tingling sensation, a burning feeling, or the pins and needles sensation

Patent

open or unobstructed

Patho-

pertains to disease

Pathology

the study of disease

Pathologic

"diseased" or bad

Pathogenic

something that produces a disease

Pedal

pertaining to the foot

Pediatric

any patient under the age 14

Perfusion

supplying blood through blood vessels through tissues

Permeability

the characteristic of a membrane to leak, to become more permeable

Petechiae

pinpoint, non-raised, purplish-red spots on the skin caused by intradermal or mucus membrane hemorrhage (pe-teke-eal)

Phlebitis

inflammation of the veins

Phlebotomy

putting a needle into a vein a withdrawing blood

Pitting edema

severe pedal edema that leaves a dent or pit in the skin when you press on it

Placebo

usually a sugar pill that is given in place of a real medication - used sometimes as a control in a medical study

Plaque

a deposit that builds up

Pleuritic

as in pleuritic chest pain = pain in the chest wall that is usually stabbing and very sharp pain, often when inhaling

Pneumothorax

a collapsing lung - air in the pleural space

Polyp

a lump of tissue growing where it shouldn't

Post mortem

after death

Postural vital signs

"orthostatic vital" BP and pulse are taken when the patient is in each of three postures, lying supine, sitting in the "dangle position" and standing. Patient is considered hypovolemic if the BP drops more that 20 mmHg or the pulse raises more than 20 beats per min.

Posturing

assuming an abnormal body position usually in an unconscious patient with severe neurological injuries

Prognosis

a prediction of the course and outcome of a disease

Prolapsed

to push through an opening

Prosthesis

an artificial limb

Pulmonary edema

fluid build up in the lungs, leaking in the alveolar spaces, producing a breath sound called "crackles"

Shock

a rapid and progressive deterioration or depressed state of the vital body functions brought about by an inadequate tissue perfusion with oxygen. It is a syndrome, a collection of signs and symptoms.

Shunt

something that moves things from one place to another- dialysis shunt

Spontaneous pneumothorax

a type of pneumothorax where, with no known cause and no injury, a lung just deflates

Stoma

an artificial opening - such as surgically created

Tamponade

to press upon

Tension pneumothorax

a type of pneumothorax where after completely collapsing the lung with air filling the plural space, more air enters the space and then, on exhale, causes compression of the mediastinum - affecting the heart by preventing refilling

Thrombus

a blood clot within a blood vessel

Thrombophlebitis

inflammation of a vein with the formation of a blood clot

Tinnitus

a ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ear