First Aid, Triage, and Basic Life Support Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering basic first aid materials, splinting techniques, triage color codes, mass casualty incident protocols, and basic life support concepts.

Dressing

A clean material placed directly over a wound to protect it from dirt and support safe first-aid care.

Bandaging

The process of using a bandage to hold a dressing securely in place without being too tight.

Splinting

A first-aid technique used to support and immobilize an injured body part to protect it, limit movement, reduce pain, and keep the person safe until medical care is available.

CSEA Assessment Criteria

First-aid assessment mnemonic standing for Clean, Safe, Effective, and Appropriate, used before applying any alternative material.

Fracture

A break or crack in a bone.

Dislocation

An injury that occurs when bones at a joint are forced out of their normal position.

Long Bones

Bones that are longer than they are wide and form the main supporting parts of the limbs, such as the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula.

Rigid Splint

A type of splint that provides firm support to limit movement, such as padded boards, commercial splints, or carefully shaped cardboard.

Soft or Padded Splint

A splint made from flexible materials such as towels, folded clothing, or blankets that provide gentle support and pressure relief.

Triage

The critical process of sorting injured persons according to the severity of their injuries so that those who need immediate care receive treatment first.

RED Tag (Priority 1)

Triage category indicating immediate life-threatening injuries with high potential for survival if treated promptly, such as severe uncontrollable bleeding or severe shock.

YELLOW Tag (Priority 2)

Triage category for serious injuries requiring attention where the patient's condition is stable enough to wait while immediate cases are treated, such as broken bones without severe bleeding.

GREEN Tag (Priority 3)

Triage category for minor injuries not requiring immediate advanced medical care, often referred to as the walking wounded.

BLACK Tag (Priority 4)

Triage category for deceased or expectant patients whose injuries are so severe that survival is highly unlikely even with maximal medical intervention.

Absolute MCI

A high-impact event that completely overwhelms an entire regional emergency system.

Relative MCI

A localized event in an area served by limited immediate resources where critical care demand exceeds immediate supply.

S.A.F.E.T.Y. Protocol

Scene size-up protocol standing for Safety First, Assess Boundaries, Find Hazards, Estimate Casualties, Threat Assessment, and Yield Control / Declare MCI.

Hot Zone (Exclusion Zone)

The immediate hazard area where entry is restricted strictly to specialized rescue personnel with proper PPE and no medical treatment is performed except rapid self-extrication.

Warm Zone (Contamination Reduction)

An area with reduced threat levels where trained first responders in PPE perform decontamination and primary START triage.

Cold Zone (Support Zone)

A completely secure area with unrestricted entry for medical personnel housing treatment areas, staging, transport logistics, and the command post.

Unity of Command

An Incident Command System principle where every individual on the scene reports to exactly one designated supervisor.

Span of Control

An Incident Command System principle maintaining an optimal supervisor-to-subordinate ratio of $1:5$ (operational range $1:3$ to $1:7$).

Incident Commander (IC)

The individual who holds overall legal and operational accountability for the scene during an incident response.

Triage Officer

A medical branch officer who executes primary START triage without stopping to treat individual patients, except for rapid airway opening or tourniquet application.

CAN Structure

Standardized tactical radio communications format representing Conditions, Actions, and Needs.

Heart Attack

A circulatory plumbing problem where blood flow is blocked but the heart usually continues beating and the victim is usually conscious.

Cardiac Arrest

An electrical problem where the heart stops beating entirely, the electrical system fails, and the victim is unconscious, requiring immediate CPR.

Respiratory Arrest

A ventilation problem where breathing stops while the heart may still be beating initially, making immediate rescue breathing critical.

Hands-Only CPR

A CPR protocol consisting of continuous chest compressions without rescue breaths, recommended for sudden adult collapse or lay rescuers.

Standard CPR

A CPR protocol consisting of 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, recommended for respiratory arrest or trained rescuers.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A smart device that analyzes heart rhythms and delivers a shock only if it detects a fatal electrical misfire.