First Aid Vocabulary

These flashcards contain essential vocabulary terms and their definitions related to first aid and emergency medical care.

Conscious

The state of being mentally alert and having awareness of surroundings, sensations, and thoughts.

First Aid

Emergency care given immediately to an injured person by the first people to respond to an emergency.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Medical procedures used when a person's heart or lungs have stopped working.

Carotid Pulse

The pulse located on the side of the neck, just below the jaw.

Brachial Pulse

The pulse located inside the elbow, about one to one-and-a-half inches above the elbow.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A device attached to a patient to analyze heart rhythm and deliver a shock, if needed, to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Obstructed Airway

A condition in which something is blocking the tube through which air enters the lungs.

Abdominal Thrusts

A method of attempting to remove an object from the airway of someone who is choking.

Shock

A condition that occurs when organs and tissues in the body do not receive an adequate blood supply.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

A condition that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen because blood flow to the heart is blocked; also called heart attack.

Syncope

Loss of consciousness; also called fainting.

Epistaxis

A nosebleed.

Insulin Reaction

A complication of diabetes that can result from either too much insulin or too little food; also known as hypoglycemia.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

A complication of diabetes that is caused by having too little insulin in the body.

Epilepsy

A brain disorder that results from a disruption in normal electrical impulses in the brain, which causes repeated seizures.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

A condition that occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks or ruptures within the brain; also called stroke.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A warning sign of a CVA/stroke resulting from a temporary lack of blood supply to the brain.

Emesis

The act of vomiting, or ejecting stomach contents through the mouth and/or nose.

Ergonomics

The science of designing equipment, areas, and work tasks to make them safer and to suit the worker's abilities.

Hazard Communication Standard

OSHA's system of identifying potential hazards in the workplace.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Document describing the composition and possible hazards of chemicals in the workplace.

Body Mechanics

The way the parts of the body work together when a person moves.

Posture

The way a person holds and positions their body.

Lever

Something that moves an object by resting on a base of support.

Aerosolize

To disperse a substance through the air in such a way that it might be inhaled.