EMT Chapter 14-18 Comprehensive Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering diagnostic reasoning, assessment methods, reassessment, communication, documentation, and pharmacology from Chapters 14 through 18.

OPQRST

A memory aid for assessing symptoms: Onset, Provocation/Palliation, Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, and Time.

SAMPLE

A memory aid for gathering medical history: Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent past history, Last oral intake, and Events leading up to the illness or injury.

Differential Diagnosis

A working list of potential diagnoses compiled early in the patient assessment that could explain the presentation.

Diagnosis

A description or identification of a patient's condition that guides further evaluation and clinical management.

Observation, Palpation, and Auscultation

The three standard hands-on physical examination techniques that an EMT must master.

Critical Thinking

The clinical reasoning process by which an EMT evaluates assessment findings, considers alternatives, and reaches a reasoned field impression.

Illusory Correlation

The perception of a causal relationship between two events or variables when no true relationship actually exists.

Crepitation

A grating or crackling sensation felt on palpation when fractured bone ends rub together.

Red Flags

Assessment findings or symptoms that suggest the possibility of a particularly serious or life-threatening problem.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to speed up the process of clinical decision-making.

Representativeness

A decision-making strategy where a situation is judged based on how closely it matches a familiar clinical pattern or prototype.

Sign

An objective physical finding observed, felt, or measured by the EMT, such as bleeding or vital signs.

Symptom

A subjective sensation or condition described by the patient, such as pain, nausea, or dizziness.

Priapism

A persistent penile erection that may indicate spinal cord injury.

Subcutaneous Emphysema

A crackling or crunching sensation felt under the skin when air escapes from normal passageways and becomes trapped in tissue.

Paradoxical Motion

The movement of an injured chest wall segment in the opposite direction from the rest of the chest during respiration, indicative of flail chest.

Tracheostomy

A surgical incision in the neck held open by a tube through which a patient can breathe.

Colostomy

A surgical opening in the abdominal wall diverting the colon into a collection bag for digestive waste.

Distention

Abnormal enlargement or swelling of the abdomen beyond its normal size.

Contusion

A bruise caused by tissue damage and internal bleeding beneath skin that remains intact.

Reassessment

The ongoing process of repeating the primary assessment, vital signs, physical exam, and evaluating treatment effectiveness during transport.

Trending

The continuous comparison of serial assessment findings and vital signs over time to detect changes in patient status.

Reassessment Interval for Stable Patients

Reassessing and documenting vital signs and status approximately every 15 minutes.

Reassessment Interval for Unstable Patients

Reassessing and documenting vital signs and status approximately every 5 minutes.

Base Station

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

Mobile Radio

A two-way radio mounted or affixed in an emergency vehicle.

Portable Radio

A handheld two-way radio that can be carried on an EMT's belt or person.

Repeater

A device that receives low-power radio signals and retransmits them at higher power over long distances.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The federal agency responsible for assigning and licensing radio frequencies to maintain orderly communications.

PCR Narrative

The written narrative section of the Patient Care Report detailing the patient presentation, assessment findings, interventions, and response.

Chief Complaint

The patient's primary reason for calling EMS, ideally recorded in the PCR using the patient's exact words in quotes.

NHTSA Minimum Data Set

A standardized set of operational and clinical data elements, including time of arrival at patient location, developed for EMS research.

Subjective Information

Data based on an individual's personal perception, opinion, or report, such as a symptom or complaint.

Objective Information

Data that is measurable, observable, verifiable, and free of bias.

Indication

A specific sign, symptom, or circumstance under which it is appropriate and recommended to administer a medication.

Contraindication

A sign, symptom, or condition that makes medication administration inappropriate or potentially harmful.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of how a medication affects the body, accounting for patient-specific factors like age and weight.

Five Rights of Medication Administration

The safety verification standard: right patient, right medication, right time, right dose, and right route.

Sublingual Route

Medication administration placed and absorbed directly beneath the tongue.

Parenteral Route

A route of medication administration that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, such as an intramuscular injection.

Aspirin

A medication given for suspected cardiac chest pain that reduces platelet aggregation and helps prevent further clotting.

Nitroglycerin

A sublingual vasodilator that increases blood supply to ischemic heart tissue and relaxes coronary vessels; can cause hypotension and headache.

Epinephrine

A hormone and medication that reverses severe anaphylaxis by dilating bronchioles and constricting blood vessels.

Activated Charcoal

A powdered medication mixed with water that binds ingested poisons to inhibit absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Oral Glucose

An oral gel given to conscious diabetic patients with altered mental status who can swallow to elevate blood sugar levels.

Off-Line Medical Direction

EMS protocols and standing orders written in advance by the Medical Director that do not require direct verbal radio contact.