Emergency care section 3 14th edition

blunt-force trauma

injury caused by a blow that does not penetrate the skin or other body tissues.

danger zone

the area around the wreckage of a vehicle collision or other incident within which special safety precautions should be taken.

index of suspicion

awareness that there may be injuries.

mechanism of injury

a force or forces that may have caused injury.

nature of the illness

what is medically wrong with a patient.

penetrating trauma

injury caused by an object that passes through the skin or other body tissues.

scene size-up

steps taken when approaching the scene of an emergency call: checking scene safety, taking Standard Precautions, noting the mechanism of injury or nature of the patient's illness, determining the number of patients, and deciding what, if any, additional resources to call for.

A-B-Cs

airway, breathing, and circulation.

AVPU

a memory aid for classifying a patient's level of respon- siveness or mental status. The letters stand for alert, verbal response, painful response, unresponsive.

chief complaint

in emergency medicine, the reason EMS was called, usually in the patient's own words.

general impression

impression of the patient's condition that is formed on first approaching the patient, based on the patient's environment, chief complaint, and appearance.

interventions

actions taken to correct or manage a patient's problems.

manual stabilization

using one's hands to prevent movement of a patient's head and neck until a cervical collar can be applied.

mental status

level of responsiveness.

primary assessment

the first element in a patient assessment; with any life-threatening problems. The six parts of primary steps taken for the purpose of discovering and dealing (5) assessing circulation, and (6) determining the priority of the mental status, (3) assessing airway, (4) assessing breathing, assessment are: (1) forming a general impression, (2) assessing patient for treatment and transport to the hospital.

priority

the decision regarding the need for immediate trans- port of the patient versus further assessment and care at the scene.

spinal motion restriction

a procedure for limiting movement of the head, neck, and spine when spinal injury is possible or likely.

auscultation

listening. A stethoscope is used to auscultate for characteristic sounds.

blood pressure

the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels.

blood pressure monitor

a machine that automatically inflates a blood pressure cuff and measures blood pressure.

brachial artery

the major artery of the arm.

brachial pulse

the pulse felt in the upper arm.

bradycardia

a slow pulse; any pulse rate below 60 beats per minute.

carotid pulse

the pulse felt along the large carotid artery on either side of the neck.

constrict

get smaller.

diastolic blood pressure

the pressure remain- ing in the arteries when the left ventricle of the heart is relaxed and refilling.

dilate

get larger.

oxygen saturation (SpO2)

the ratio of the amount of oxygen present in the blood to the amount that could be carried, expressed as a percentage.

dilate

get larger.

palpation

touching or feeling. A pulse or blood pressure may be palpated with the fingertips.

pulse

the rhythmic beats felt as the heart pumps blood through the arteries.

pulse oximeter

an electronic device for determining the amount of oxygen carried in the blood, known as the охудen saturation or SpO2.

pulse quality

the rhythm (regular or irregular) and force (strono or weak) of the pulse.

pulse rate

the number of pulse beats per minute.

pupil

the black center of the eye.

radial pulse

the pulse felt at the wrist.

reactivity

in the pupils of the eyes, reacting to light by changing size.

respiration

the act of breathing in and breathing out.

respiratory quality

the normal or abnor- mal (shallow, labored, or noisy) character of breathing.

respiratory rate

the number of breaths taken in one minute.

respiratory rhythm

the regular or irreg- ular spacing of breaths.

sphygmomanometer

the cuff and gauge used to measure blood pressure.

systolic blood pressure

the pressure created when the heart contracts and forces blood out into the arteries.

tachycardia

a rapid pulse; any pulse rate above 100 beats per minute, for an adult.

vital signs

outward signs of what is going on inside the body, including respiration; pulse; skin color, temperature, and con- dition (plus capillary refill in infants and children); pupils; and blood pressure.

chief complaint

the patient's statement that describes the symptom or concern associated with the primary problem the patient is having.

closed-ended question

a question requiring only a "yes" or "no" answer.

crepitation

the grating sound or feeling of broken bones rubbing together.

diagnosis

a description or label for a patient's condition that assists a clinician in further evaluation and treatment.

differential diagnosis

a list of potential diagnoses compiled early in the assessment of the patient.

history of the present illness (HPI)

information gathered regarding the symptoms and nature of the patient's current concern.

jugular vein distention (JVD)

bulging of the neck veins.

open-ended question

a question requiring more than just a "yes" or "no" answer.

OPQRST

a memory aid in which the letters stand for questions asked to get a description of the present illness: onset, provo- cation, quality, radiation, severity, time.

past medical history (PMH)

information gathered regarding the patient's health problems in the past.

SAMPLE

a memory aid in which the letters stand for elements of the past medical history: signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, and events leading to the injury or illness.

detailed physical exam

an assessment of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, and posterior of the body to detect signs and symptoms of injury. It differs from the rapid trauma assessment only in that it also includes examination of the face, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth during the examination of the head.

distention

a condition of being stretched, inflated, or larger than normal.

history of the present illness (HPI)

information gathered regarding the symptoms and nature of the patient's current concern.

medical patient

a patient with one or more medical diseases or conditions.

paradoxical motion

movement of a part of the chest in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest during respiration.

past medical history (PMH)

information gathered regarding the patient's health problems in the past.

priapism

persistent erection of the penis that may result from spinal injury and some medical problems.

rapid trauma assessment

a rapid assessment of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, and posterior of the body to detect signs and symptoms of injury.

reassessment

a procedure for detecting changes in a patient's condition. It involves four steps: repeating the primary assess- ment, repeating and recording vital signs, repeating the phys- ical exam, and checking interventions.

sign

evidence of the patient's condition that you can see.

stoma

a permanent surgical opening in the neck through which the patient breathes.

symptom

something regarding the patient's condition that the patient tells you.

tracheostomy

a surgical incision held open by a metal or plastic tube.

trauma patient

a patient suffering from one or more physical injuries.

reassessment

a procedure for detecting changes in a patient's rondition It involves four steps: repeating the primary assess- ment, repeating and recording vital signs, repeating the phys- ical exam, and checking interventions.

trending

changes in a patient's condition over time, such as slowing respirations or rising pulse rate, that may show improvement.

base station

a two-way radio at a fixed site such as a hospital or dispatch center.

cell phone

a phone that transmits through the air instead of over wires, so the phone can be transported and used over a wide area.

drop report (or transfer report)

an abbreviated form of the PCR that an EMS crew can leave at the hospital when there is not enough time to complete the PCR before leaving.

mobile radio

a two-way radio that is used or affixed in a vehicle.

portable radio

a handheld two-way radio.

repeater

a device that picks up signals from lower-power radio units, such as mobile and portable radios, and retransmits them at a higher power. It allows low-power radio signals to be trans- mitted over longer distances.

telemetry

the process of sending and receiving data wirelessly.

watt

the unit of measurement of the output power of a radio.