Prehospital Emergency Care: Trauma and Special Populations Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering submersion, behavioral emergencies, trauma mechanics, soft-tissue wounds, burns, orthopedic trauma, head/spine/chest/abdominal trauma, and special populations from Prehospital Emergency Care.

Drowning

An event in which a person is submerged in a liquid medium resulting in primary respiratory impairment.

Mammalian Diving Reflex

A primitive, protective physiological mechanism triggered by submersion in cold water that diverts oxygen-rich blood preferentially to the brain and heart.

Dysbarism

A medical problem or constellation of symptoms presenting as a result of the effects of changes in ambient pressure on the body.

Boyle's Law

The gas law explaining why nitrogen in the blood expands and forms ever-enlarging bubbles during a rapid ascent from a deep-sea dive, leading to tissue damage.

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by an extreme fear of being in public places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing.

Command Hallucination

A high-risk auditory hallucination in which an internal voice orders the patient to perform specific actions, such as harming themselves or others.

Pressured Speech

Speech that is rapid, accelerated, frenzied, and virtually impossible to interrupt, commonly seen in acute manic or behavioral episodes.

Cultural Humility

The ongoing practice of maintaining self-awareness and self-humility when encountering, communicating with, and understanding patients across diverse cultural backgrounds.

Platinum 10 Minutes

The targeted maximum scene time goal of $10\,\text{minutes}$ or less for EMS personnel to assess, manage critical life threats, package, and initiate transport of a critically injured trauma patient.

Cavitation

The formation of a temporary cavity within tissues produced by the pressure shockwaves of a high-velocity projectile, resulting in damage to organs beyond the direct path of the projectile.

Primary Blast Injury

Trauma sustained directly from the high-pressure shockwave generated by an explosion, characteristically injuring air-filled organs and structures such as the tympanic membranes and lungs.

Secondary Blast Injury

Trauma sustained when airborne debris, bomb fragments, and shrapnel propelled by an explosion strike the body.

Ecchymosis

The medical term for a contusion or bruise, caused by ruptured blood vessels in the dermal layer resulting in discoloration beneath intact skin.

Hematoma

A localized collection of blood beneath intact skin that produces a palpable, distinct mass or reddish-blue lump.

Avulsion

A soft-tissue injury in which a portion of the skin or underlying tissue is torn completely off or remains loosely attached as a flap.

High-Pressure Injection Injury

A severe wound caused by the mechanical introduction of foreign liquids or gases into the soft tissues under extreme pressure, commonly caused in residential settings by pressure washers.

Superficial Burn

A burn limited to the epidermal layer of the skin, characterized by erythema, dryness, pain, an absence of blisters, and little chance of permanent scarring.

Partial-Thickness Burn

A burn involving the epidermis and varying depths of the dermis, characterized by intense pain, moist skin, significant edema, and blister formation.

Full-Thickness Burn

A burn that destroys both the epidermal and dermal layers, extending into subcutaneous tissue or beyond, presenting with leathery, dry, charred, or pearly white skin and minimal or absent pain in the central burned area.

Rule of Palms

Also called the rule of ones; an assessment method where the surface area of the patient's palm represents approximately $1\%$ of their total body surface area.

Sprain

A traumatic injury to a joint involving stretching, microtearing, or complete tearing of the stabilizing ligaments.

Strain

An injury caused by the overstretching, tearing, or inflammation of a muscle belly or its associated tendon.

Crepitus

A grinding, grating, or crackling sound and tactile sensation produced when fractured bone ends rub directly against one another.

Compartment Syndrome

A limb-threatening condition in which increased tissue pressure within an enclosed fascial space compromises circulation and neuromuscular function, potentially leading to ischemic tissue loss.

Greenstick Fracture

An incomplete pediatric bone fracture where one cortex of the bone bends while the opposing cortical surface breaks.

Epiphyseal Plate

The cartilaginous growth zone located at the metaphysis-epiphysis junction of pediatric long bones; injury to this region carries the risk of abnormal bone development.

Basilar Skull Fracture

A fracture across the floor of the cranium, characterized clinically by cerebrospinal fluid drainage from the ears or nose, unequal pupils, and Battle sign.

Cerebral Contusion

A traumatic focal brain injury involving localized bruising, petechial bleeding, and edema within the cerebral brain tissue.

Epidural Hematoma

An acute intracranial collection of arterial blood that rapidly pools between the inner surface of the cranium and the dura mater.

Subdural Hematoma

An intracranial collection of venous blood occurring between the dura mater and the arachnoid/brain surface, which may develop insidiously over days in geriatric individuals.

Cushing Reflex

A physiological triad indicating markedly elevated intracranial pressure and impending brain herniation, consisting of severe systolic hypertension with widening pulse pressure, profound bradycardia, and irregular respirations.

Retrograde Amnesia

The inability to recall memories, events, or facts that took place immediately preceding a concussive or traumatic head injury.

Spinal Shock

A neurogenic hemodynamic state following acute spinal cord trauma, resulting from the disruption of autonomic pathways and marked by hypotension, bradycardia, flaccid paralysis below the lesion, and warm, dry skin.

Central Cord Syndrome

An incomplete spinal cord injury pattern marked by disproportionately greater motor impairment in the upper extremities compared to the lower extremities.

Brown-Séquard Syndrome

An incomplete spinal cord injury resulting from hemisection of the spinal cord, presenting with ipsilateral motor paralysis and loss of position sense, accompanied by contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation.

Anterior Cord Syndrome

An incomplete spinal cord injury characterized by loss of motor ability and pain sensation below the injury site, while dorsal column functions including light touch and position sense remain preserved.

Cornea

The transparent anterior convex structure of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil, serving as the main refractive medium through which light enters.

Hyphema

An accumulation of gross blood in the anterior chamber of the eye, visibly layering between the cornea and the colored iris.

Diplopia

The perception of two images of a single object (double vision), commonly caused by mechanical entrapment of extraocular muscles in an orbital blow-out fracture.

Flail Segment

A paradoxical, uncoupled motion of the chest wall produced when two or more adjacent ribs are fractured in two or more places each.

Tension Pneumothorax

A life-threatening complication of thoracic injury where one-way air entrapment in the pleural space leads to complete lung collapse, mediastinal shift with tracheal deviation, jugular venous distention, and profound obstructive shock.

Traumatic Asphyxia

A severe syndrome caused by sudden, massive thoracic compression, which forces blood backward from the heart into the cerebral veins, causing cyanotic discoloration, petechiae, and swelling of the face, neck, and upper chest.

Pericardial Tamponade

Extrinsic compression of the ventricles by blood or fluid accumulating inside the noncompliant pericardial sac, presenting with jugular venous distention, weak rapid pulse, and narrowing pulse pressure.

Peritonitis

Inflammation and irritation of the peritoneal membrane lining the abdominal cavity, most commonly resulting from the traumatic rupture of a hollow abdominal organ releasing digestive contents.

Kehr Sign

Acute referred pain radiating to the tip of the left shoulder caused by diaphragmatic irritation from free blood, classically indicative of splenic rupture.

Retroperitoneal Space

The anatomical space situated posterior to the parietal peritoneum containing structures like the kidneys, where occult and severe internal hemorrhage can develop without initial anterior distention.

Pediatric Assessment Triangle

A rapid visual and auditory prehospital triage tool designed to formulate a general impression of a pediatric patient using Appearance, Work of Breathing, and Circulation to Skin.

Kyphosis

An exaggerated, pathological forward curvature of the thoracic and cervical spine frequently found in elderly patients that requires specialized void padding during spine motion restriction.