Environmental Emergencies – Vocabulary Flashcards

A vocabulary set covering key terms, conditions, mechanisms, and treatments from Chapter 33: Environmental Emergencies (Emergency Care & Transportation of the Sick and Injured, 12th Edition).

Hypothermia

A core body temperature below 95°F (35°C) in which the body loses the ability to regulate heat and generate warmth.

Hyperthermia

A core body temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher caused by the body’s inability to dissipate excess heat.

Conduction

Heat loss through direct contact between a warm body part and a colder object or surface.

Convection

Heat loss to circulating air moving across the body.

Evaporation

Heat loss when a liquid (sweat) turns to vapor, using body heat as energy.

Radiation (heat)

Transfer of body heat to cooler objects in the environment without physical contact.

Respiration (heat loss)

Loss of body heat as warm air is exhaled and cooler air is inhaled.

Frostnip

Superficial cold injury where skin freezes but deeper tissues are unaffected; often affects ears, nose, and fingers.

Immersion Foot (Trench Foot)

Cold injury from prolonged exposure to cold water, causing pale, wrinkled, numb skin of the feet.

Frostbite

Severe local cold injury in which tissues actually freeze, risking permanent cell damage and possible gangrene.

Passive Rewarming

Allowing the body to reheat itself by removing from cold, drying, and insulating without external heat sources.

Active Rewarming

Applying external heat (warm packs, warm-water bath) to raise body temperature; used only per protocol.

Heat Cramps

Painful muscle spasms after vigorous activity due to salt and fluid loss.

Heat Exhaustion

Condition from heavy sweating and hypovolemia producing dizziness, weakness, nausea, and cool clammy skin.

Heatstroke

Life-threatening failure of thermoregulation with core temperature up to 106°F, hot skin, altered mental status, and possible seizures.

Drowning

Respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid.

Laryngospasm

Protective spasm of vocal cords triggered by small water aspiration, blocking the airway and causing hypoxia.

Diving Reflex

Bradycardia and reduced metabolism triggered by cold-water submersion, sometimes preserving organs during drowning.

Air Embolism (Diving)

Bubbles entering bloodstream during rapid ascent when breath is held; can cause chest pain, stroke-like signs, or cardiac arrest.

Decompression Sickness (The Bends)

Nitrogen bubbles obstructing vessels after too rapid ascent, producing severe joint or abdominal pain hours after surfacing.

Dysbarism

Injury from pressure differences between body tissues and surrounding atmosphere, including diving and altitude illnesses.

Acute Mountain Sickness

Headache, fatigue, nausea, and dyspnea occurring above 5,000 ft due to hypoxia from rapid ascent.

High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

Fluid accumulation in lungs above ~8,000 ft producing dyspnea, pink sputum, and cyanosis.

High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

Brain swelling above ~12,000 ft causing severe headache, ataxia, vomiting, and altered consciousness.

Lightning Strike

Electrical discharge injury often causing cardiac or respiratory arrest with minimal external burns.

Splash Effect (Lightning)

Indirect lightning injury when current jumps from a struck object to a nearby person.

Reverse Triage

Lightning-specific triage giving first priority to patients who are pulseless or apneic because they are most likely to survive with prompt care.

"Reach, Throw, Row, Go"

Hierarchy of water-rescue techniques emphasizing remote contact before entering the water.

Black Widow Spider

Venomous spider with red hourglass marking; bite causes painful muscle spasms and neurotoxic effects.

Brown Recluse Spider

Venomous spider with violin-shaped back marking; cytotoxic bite leads to severe local tissue necrosis.

Hymenoptera

Insect order including bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and ants; stings can trigger anaphylaxis.

Pit Viper

Family of venomous snakes (rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth) with heat-sensing pits and hemotoxic venom.

Coral Snake

Red-yellow-black banded snake whose neurotoxic venom causes progressive paralysis; "red on yellow, kill a fellow."

Pressure Immobilization Bandage

Snug wrap applied to pit viper bite extremity to slow venom spread while maintaining distal pulses.

Nematocyst

Microscopic stinging cell of coelenterates that injects venom on contact.

Tick

Small arachnid that attaches to skin; may transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Tick-borne illness causing fever, headache, and possible paralysis or cardiovascular collapse within 7-10 days of bite.

Lyme Disease

Tick-borne infection first presenting with flu-like symptoms and bull’s-eye rash, later leading to painful joint swelling.

Warm-Water Bath (Rewarming)

102–104°F (40–41°C) immersion method to thaw frostbitten tissue when refreezing risk is absent.

Squeeze Problem

Painful pressure imbalance in sinuses, ears, or mask during descent phase of a dive.

Splash-Hazard Environment

Scene with wet, icy, or unstable surfaces that can endanger rescuers treating environmental emergencies.

CPAP for HAPE

Use of continuous positive airway pressure to improve oxygenation in high-altitude pulmonary edema.

Cold Water Hypothermia Protection

Phenomenon where low temperature slows metabolism, increasing resuscitation window for submersion victims.

assess carotid pulse for 60 seconds

For a cold patient, you must

Heatstroke

is a severe heat-related illness characterized by a body temperature above 106°F (40°C), altered mental state, and potential organ damage.

DON’T treat, maintain temperature

Treatment of Severe or Moderate Hypothermia?

O2, Active cooling, remove clothing, immediate transport

Treatment for Heat Stroke?

Barotrauma

Injury caused by increase in pressure

Perforated tympanic membrane

caused by rapid changes in pressure, diver may lose his or her balance and orientation, shoot to the surface and run into ascent problems

Repressurized in hyperbaric chamber

Treatment for nitrogen absorption into tissue under pressure?

air embolism

Blotching skin, severe pain in muscle and joints, froth at mouth and nose, dyspnea, chest chain, cough, cyanosis, irregular pulse or cardiac arrest are all signs of…

Remove patient from water, O2, left lateral recumbant position with head down

Treatment for Air Embolism/Decompression Sickness?

hemotoxin

venom causes damage to cells and can disrupt clotting

neurotoxin

venom causes paralysis and/or damage to the nervous system

Rabies

Acute viral infection to the central nervous system transmitted by saliva

Washing with soap and water can reduce transmission rate by 90%

Reducing rabies transmission?

Cytotoxic

Spider bite characterized by severe local tissue damage

Neurotoxic bites (black widow)

Ice can be put on…

use a firm edged item

For bees, to remove the stinger and venom sac you must