Emergency Medicine

50 vocabulary flashcards reviewing emergency care, trauma center levels, cardiac and respiratory emergencies, fractures, wound complications, types of shock, and neurological conditions from the lecture transcript.

Emergency

A serious, unexpected event that demands immediate attention, or a sudden change/deterioration in a patient's status while under care.

Level I Trauma Center

A trauma center found in large cities and institutions capable of caring for all levels of traumatic injuries with 24/7 specialized staff and comprehensive imaging.

Level II Trauma Center

A trauma center (such as Avera McKennan) with ED physicians, nurses, and radiology staff on duty 24/7, and access to surgical, fluoroscopic, Angiography, CT, and MRI procedures.

Level III Trauma Center

A small community hospital where the ED physician and radiology staff are on call at night.

Golden Hour

The principle stating that trauma patients have a greater chance of recovery if immediate, appropriate, and specialized care is given within the 1st hour after an incident.

STAT

An exam priority designation for immediate care where any delay could jeopardize the patient.

Level 1 Mass Casualty

A mass casualty alert designation involving 1 to 14 injured patients.

Level 2 Mass Casualty

A mass casualty alert designation involving 15 or more injured patients.

Yankauer

A rigid pharyngeal catheter device (also known as a 'Tonsil Tugger') that is the most common and easiest tool used to clear the airway with suction.

Reactive Airway Disease

A general term (not a diagnosis) used to describe conditions characterized by coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath with an undetermined cause.

Asthma

Difficulty breathing caused by bronchospasm.

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

An umbrella term used to cover a group of clinical symptoms that can indicate acute myocardial ischemia.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

A heart attack that occurs when a coronary artery becomes occluded and a portion of the heart wall becomes ischemic.

Ischemia

An insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle that results from coronary artery disease.

Angina Pectoris

Chest pain during exertion or stress caused by a lack of O2 to the heart, usually relieved with rest or sublingual nitroglycerin.

Cardiac Arrest

A condition in which the heart has stopped pumping and the patient is pulseless and breathless.

Defibrillation

Sending an electrical current through the heart muscle when fibrillation is present.

Fibrillation

A rhythm that can be defibrillated, consisting of small, local, involuntary muscle contractions due to spontaneous activation of single muscle cells or fibers.

Glasgow Coma Scale

An assessment tool for neurologic and cognitive function that evaluates Eyes Open, Motor Response, and Verbal Response, where a score less than 8 requires intubation.

Hemothorax

The accumulation of blood in the pleural space.

Pneumothorax

The presence of air in the pleural space.

Flail Chest

A condition where a segment of the rib cage breaks and becomes detached from the rest of the chest wall.

Sucking Chest Wound

A type of pneumothorax where air is sucked into the thoracic cavity through the chest wall instead of into the lungs through the airway.

Hemorrhage

A loss of a large amount of blood in a short period of time, occurring either externally or internally.

Subcutaneous Emphysema

A condition where gas or air is trapped in the layer under the skin.

Cardiac Tamponade

Compression of the heart produced by the accumulation of blood in the pericardial sac.

Compound Fracture

An open fracture where the splintered ends of the bone come through the skin.

Closed Fracture

A fracture where the bone did not break through the skin.

Greenstick Fracture

A fracture in young or soft bone where the bone bends and partially breaks.

Spiral Fracture

A fracture resulting from the affected bone being twisted apart.

Comminuted Fracture

A fracture in which the bone has broken into a number of pieces.

Transverse Fracture

A fracture that is at a right angle to the long axis of the bone.

Compression Fracture

The collapse of a bone on itself, which is most common in the spine.

Depressed Skull Fracture

A break in one or more of the bones of the skull usually occurring from blunt force trauma.

Dehiscence

A post-surgical wound complication that occurs when the suture line parts.

Evisceration

The loss or protrusion of organs from a body cavity.

Pleural Effusion

The accumulation of fluid in the pleural space.

Pneumonia

An inflammation of the lungs.

Shock

A general term describing a failure of circulation in which blood pressure is inadequate to support oxygen perfusion of vital tissues and unable to remove metabolic by-products.

Hypovolemic Shock

'Low volume shock' occurring when a large amount of blood or plasma is lost, leaving insufficient fluid to fill the circulatory system.

Septic Shock

Shock occurring when a massive infection produces toxins that drop blood pressure sharply.

Neurogenic Shock

Shock resulting from nervous system injury, causing failure of arterial resistance and pooling of blood in peripheral vessels.

Cardiogenic Shock

Shock resulting from cardiac failure or compromised heart function.

Anaphylactic Shock

Allergic shock occurring when individuals are exposed to foreign substances to which they are sensitive, causing a rapid drop in blood pressure and severe dyspnea.

Erythema

Reddening of the skin.

Urticaria

Hives.

Vasovagal Reaction

Stimulation of the vagus nerve causing cardiovascular changes that result in increased vasodilation of arterioles.

Hyperglycemia

An abnormally elevated level of blood glucose.

Hypoglycemia

A less than normal amount of glucose in the blood.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

An interruption of blood supply to the brain, commonly known as a stroke.

Methods to Trigger a Rapid Response

Dialing 55 to call for a Rapid Response Team or Code, or pressing the Code Blue button.

Primary Action when Emergency Response Team Arrives

Allow the response team to take over immediately, communicate the situation history, and assist with record keeping.

Radiology Staff Documentation Responsibilities in an Emergency

Noting the exact time the emergency started and recording times of events, administered medications, and patient status updates.

Indication to Call for Help During an Imaging Exam

Any time the technologist notices a clinical change or suspects the patient is deteriorating or not doing well.