Common Medical terms Module 1 Unit 3

Dilated section of the lower aorta in the abdomen; can rupture causing severe pain, internal bleeding and even death

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Type of injury caused by the scraping away of portions of skin

Abrasion

Sharp, severe or having rapid onset; usually short course and not chronic

Acute

state of collapse due to injection of or exposure to a substance to which the victim is allergic (includes ingestion, breathing and skin contact)

Anaphylactic shock

A steady, dull, squeezing pressure; choking or suffocating pain; almost exclusively used to indicate heart or chest pains; can radiate out to the neck, arms or shoulder; is due to the lack of adequate oxygen delivery to the heart muscle (through blockage of coronary arteries)

Angina

Lack of Oxygen

Anoxia

Inflammation of the appendix resulting in severe pain, fever and nausea

Appendicitis

bleeding from an artery; a cut or punctured artery will usually emit bright red blood in spurts or waves (though it can be a steady flow if the artery is deeply buried)

Arterial hemorrhage

disease characterized by spasms of bronchial tubes, resulting in shortness of breath and "wheezing"; can be fatal if not quickly treated

Asthma

not dangerous; not recurrent or progressive

Benign

the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries as it travels through the body

Blood pressure

sudden cessation of heart functions; usually confused with myocardial infarction (MI)

Cardiac arrest (aka "Sudden Death")

a poisonous gas found mainly in exhaust fumes of gasoline and diesel powered engines

Carbon monoxide (CO)

the act of attempting to restore consciousness via manual heart massage and lung inflation

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (also CPR)

an injury in which the skin is not broken; usually due to sudden impact with hard objects

Contusion (aka "bruise")

pertaining to the skull

Cranial

disease characterized by difficult breathing and feelings of suffocation accompanied by an intense, barking cough and swelling of the larynx and/or upper trachea

Croup

a state of childbirth in which the baby's head is seen

Crowning

a potentially life-threatening circumstance when a fetus implants itself in a fallopian tube rather than the uterus; after growing there for approximately six weeks, the fetus may rupture through the wall of the tube, causing hemorrhage, severe pain and life-threatening internal bleeding

Ectopic pregnancy (aka "tubal pregnancy")

discoloration of the skin (usually a gray, blue or purple tint) due to a lack of oxygen in the blood

Cyanosis (also cyanotic)

profuse sweating; is one symptom of respiratory distress but can occur for any reason

Diaphoresis

iron-containing pigment of the red blood cells

Hemoglobin

swelling caused by blood outside of the blood vessel

Hematoma

abnormal internal/external discharge of blood

Hemorrhage

partial slippage of the upper stomach above the diaphragm; protrusion of the stomach through the diaphragm

Hiatal hernia

eruptions of very itchy spots on the skin; usually associated with allergies

Hives

increase in the inspiration and expiration of air as a result of an increase in the rate or depth of respiration; usually accompanied by great anxiety; does not usually exist in isolation (is usually symptomatic of a more serious, underlying problem)

Hyperventilation

blood in the anterior chamber of the eye in front of the iris

Hyphema

drastic lowering of body temperature usually caused by prolonged exposure to extreme cold

Hypothermia

diminished blood volume

Hypovolemia

a tear or cut in the flesh

Laceration

inflammation of the spinal cord or brain causing intense headaches, intolerance to light or sound and possibly delirium, convulsions and/or coma

Meningitis

severe headache, frequently resulting in disordered/distorted vision, nausea and vomiting

Migraine

death of an area of the heart muscle due to obstructions in blood flow or sometimes confused with cardiac arrest which is the end result of an M.I.

Myocardial Infarction (aka M.I. or "Heart Attack")

injury to the eye

Ocular trauma

a break in the portion of the skull that encases the eyeball

Orbital fracture

loss or impairment of motor function due to injury in part of the body

Paralysis

Inflammation of the sac that encloses the heart

Pericarditis

the genital area

Perineum

a pressure wave exerted against the arteries upon the contraction of the heart; can be felt by placing fingertips on an artery where it passes close to the skin

Pulse

Something a rescuer can see, hear, feel and occasionally taste concerning a patient; not the same as a symptom

Signs

sudden interruption of blood flow to an area of the brain (due to obstruction, bleeding, clot, etc.) causing loss of strength, feeling speech or even decrease in conciousness

Stroke

Something a patient expresses about themselves

Symptom

rapid breathing; is one symptom of respiratory distress

Tachypnea

dilation of a main blood vessel in the chest cavity

thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

A bandage wrapped tightly around an extremity used to slow or stop bleeding/blood loss

tourniquet

Poisonous

Toxic

An Injury inflicted by some violent even or external force ( Physical, emotional, or psychological)

Trauma

Of or pertaining to the veins

Venous