ECC Final Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards based on the provided lecture notes on first aid.

Role of the First Aider

Four basic steps: Recognize an emergency, decide to act, activate the EMS, and give care until help takes over.

Call First

Call 9-1-1 first for adults/children over 12 who are unconscious, children/infants witnessed collapsing, and unconscious individuals known to have heart problems.

Care First

Provide two minutes of care, then call 9-1-1 for unconscious children under 12 who you did not see collapse and any drowning victim.

Implied Consent

Given for unconscious victims.

Informed Consent

Given for conscious victims.

Heat Exhaustion

Heavy perspiration with normal/slightly above normal temperature. Symptoms include heavy sweating, severe thirst, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. No altered mental status, clammy skin, but not hot. Fatigue, SOB, increased heart rate.

Classic Heat Stroke

Takes days to develop, seen in poor, old, chronically ill, alcoholics, and obese individuals.

Exertional Heat Stroke

More common in summer, 50% sweat, seen in healthy, active people.

Conduction (Heat Loss)

Direct contact with a colder object.

Convection (Heat Loss)

Loss of heat from the body by air.

Windchill

Combined effect of temperature and wind speed.

Evaporation (Heat Loss)

Conversion of liquid on skin to vapor.

Radiation (Heat Loss)

Primary method of heat loss, body radiates heat to cooler air.

Respiration (Heat Loss)

Inhalation of cold air.

Chilblain

A nonfreezing cold injury causes pain with little to no permanent damage; symptoms include swollen skin, tenderness, hot skin, itchiness, blisters, aching, pins and needles, and loss of sensation.

Trench Foot

A serious, nonfreezing cold injury that develops when the skin on the feet is exposed to moisture and cold for prolonged periods (12+ hours); symptoms include itching, numbness, tingling pain, swollen feet, pale skin, red/blue blotches, and sometimes open weeping or bleeding.

Frostnip

Water on the skin surface freezes, initial tingling/numbness that becomes painful; symptoms include yellow/gray skin and frost on the skin.

Superficial Frostbite

Occurs during below-freezing temperatures; tissue damaged in two ways: actual tissue freezing and obstruction of blood supply; the skin is white, waxy, or gray-yellow, affected part feels very cold/numb, tingling, stinging, or aching sensation, skin surface feels stiff/crusty and underlying tissue feels soft when depressed.

Deep Frostbite

Affected part feels cold, hard, and solid and cannot be depressed; it feels like a piece of wood/frozen meat; skin is pale and waxy; a painfully cold part suddenly stops hurting.

Cold Stress

Person has been exposed to a cold environment, is alert and shivering, can move and care for themselves.

Hypothermia

Body temperature falls when the body cannot produce heat as fast as it is lost. Life-threatening condition. Occurs when the heat loss is faster than heat production. Common symptoms: Altered mental status, Shivering, Cool abdomen, Low core body temperature.

Acute Hypothermia

Body heat loss occurs very rapidly, usually in water.

Subacute Hypothermia

Occurs when exposure ranges from 6-24 hours, land or water based.

Chronic Hypothermia

Involves long-term cooling, usually on land for 24+ hours.

Mild Hypothermia

Vigorous, uncontrollable shivering, Awake and alert, Cold, painful hands and feet, Grumbles, mumbles, fumbles, stumbles, tumbles.

Moderate Hypothermia

Shivering stops, More grumbles, mumbles, fumbles, stumbles, tumbles, Less movement/sleepy, Pulse and Breathing, Confused/indifferent to surroundings, Skin is pale, blue, and cold when touched.

Severe Hypothermia

Barely responsive or unresponsive, Rigid/stiff muscles, Skin feels ice cold and appears blue, Slow, shallow, or absent breathing, Weak, slow, or absent pulse, Appears dead (heartbeat and breathing may be difficult to detect).

Primary Survey

Identifying and treating life-threatening conditions involving airway, breathing impairments, and circulation.

Secondary Survey

Focusing on chief complaints and immediately treating any life-threatening conditions.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Equipment/clothing used to protect a person from infection.

Stroke

Sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain.

Ischemic Stroke

Blood vessels become narrowed or clogged.

Transient Ischemic Attack

Part of the brain is deprived of oxygen-rich blood to cause symptoms, but not permanent damage.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Blood vessel ruptures.

Shock

Inadequate delivery of blood (oxygen) and glucose (nutrients) to the cells.

Compensatory Shock

First stage of shock, body uses defense mechanisms.

Progressive Shock

Second stage of shock, body moves blood towards heart, brain, and lungs to preserve functioning. Blood pressure decreases.

Irreversible Shock

In shock, final stage. Multiple organs fail and death follows.

Hypovolemic Shock

Loss of blood.

Cardiogenic Shock

Cardiac muscle is not pumping effectively.

Distributive Shock

Extreme vessel dilation, usually from spinal injury.

Obstructive Shock

Blockage, usually blood clots.

Internal Bleeding

Skin is not broken, and blood is not visible.

Anaphylactic Shock

Severe allergic reaction.

Splinting

Any device used to immobilize a fracture or dislocation.

Implied Consent

Permission to give care to an unresponsive person with a life threatening condition without verbal consent.

Informed Consent

Verbal permission to give care to a responsive person after explaining who you are, how much training you have, what you intend to do, and what you believe is wrong.

Expressed Consent

Expressive (ex. Nodding head) permission to give care to a responsive person after explaining who you are, how much training you have, what you intend to do, and what you believe is wrong

Dressing

Sterile, larger than the wound, thick, soft, compressible, and lint-free.

Bandage

Holds dressing in place, applies pressure, controls bleeding, prevents swelling, and provides stability.

Epilepsy

An underlying condition that affects the delicate systems that govern how electrical energy behaves in the brain, making it susceptible to recurring seizures.

Abandonment

Failure to continue first aid until relieved by someone with an equal or higher level of training.

Negligence

Not using accepted standards of care.

Act of Omission

Failure to do what a reasonably prudent person with similar training would do in the same circumstances.

Act of Commission

Doing something that a reasonably prudent person would not do under the same circumstances.

Seizure

Abnormal firing of brain cells, usually resulting in jerking movements followed by an unresponsive period.

Amputation

Injury in which part of the body is completely severed.

Crushing Amputation

Extremity separated from being crushed or mashed off.

Clean Amputation

Cut cleanly off and completely detached.

Avulsion

Injury in which the skin is completely torn or hanging as a flap.

Blister

Collection of fluid in a bubble under the outer layer or skin.

Closed Injury

Occurs when a blunt object strikes the body. Skin is not broken, but tissue/blood vessels beneath the skin’s surface are crushed.

Fracture

Crack or break in the continuity of a bone.

Thermal Burn

Burn caused by flames, hot objects, flammable vapor, steam, and hot liquid.

Sprain

An injury in which ligaments are stretched and partially or completely torn.

Dislocation

An injury in which the joints comes apart and stays apart; the bone ends that articulate over each are no longer in proper close contact with each other

Strain

An injury to a muscle that occurs when the muscle is stretched beyond its normal range of motion, causing the muscle to tear