EMT Ch 1-8 Vocabulary

advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT)

An individual who has training in specific aspects of advanced life support, such as intravenous therapy and the administration of certain emergency medications

advanced life support (ALS)

Advanced lifesaving procedures, such as advanced airway management, intravenous access, and medication administration

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Comprehensive legislation that is designed to protect people with disabilities against discrimination

automated external defibrillators (AEDs)

Devices that detect treatable life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia) and deliver the appropriate electrical shock to the patient

basic life support (BLS)

Noninvasive emergency lifesaving care that is used to treat medical conditions, including airway obstruction, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest

certification

A process in which a person, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care

credentialing

An established process to determine the qualifications necessary to be allowed to perform a particular skill or role, or to function as an organization

emergency medical responder (EMR)

A professional, such as police officer, firefighter, lifeguard, or other rescuer, who may arrive first at the scene of an emergency to provide initial medical assistance and ensure access to EMS

emergency medical services (EMS)

A multidisciplinary system to provide out-of-hospital care to the sick and injured within communities

emergency medical technician (EMT)

An individual who has training in basic life support, including automated external defibrillation, use of a definitive airway adjunct, and assisting patients with certain medications

evidence-based medicine (EBM)

An approach to medicine where decisions are based on well-conducted research that is integrated with the expertise of the EMS clinician and the patient’s wishes and needs

health equity

As defined by the World Health Organization, “the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically.”

Just Culture

An approach to quality management that strives to balance accountability and justice in a system that believes in learning from errors

licensure

The process whereby a competent authority, usually the state, allows people to perform a regulation act

medical director

The physician who authorizes or delegates to the EMT the authority to provide medical care in the field

medical oversight

Supervision of an EMS system or education program that includes instructions given directly by radio or cell phone (online/direct) to those on scene or indirectly by protocol/guidelines (off-line/indirect); also includes credentialing EMS clinicians and overseeing quality improvement activities as authorized by the medical director of the service or program

mobile integrated health care (MIH)

A method of delivering health care that involves providing health care within the community rather that at a physician’s office or hospital

National EMS Education Standards

A set of professional standards published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that define the knowledge and competencies that students should acquire to perform at entry level as an EMS clinician. Four levels are defined: EMR, EMT, AEMT, or paramedic

National EMS Information System (NEMSIS)

A system funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that is responsible for developing and maintaining the national EMS data standard

National EMS Scope of Practice Model

A document created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that outlines the minimum entry-level skills performed by EMS clinicians at each nationally recognized level

Paramedic

An individual who has extensive training in advanced life support, including endotracheal intubation, emergency pharmacology, cardiac monitoring, and other advanced assessment and treatment skills

Primary prevention

Efforts to prevent an injury or illness from ever occurring

Public health

The branch of medicine that is focused on examining the health needs of entire populations with the goal of preventing health problems

public safety access point (PSAP)

A call center, staffed by trained personnel who are responsible for managing requests for police, fire, and ambulance services

quality assurance (QA)

A reactive process that involves monitoring compliance against a standard to identify problems that have already occurred

quality improvement (QI)

A proactive process that involves making changes to a system to improve performance

secondary prevention

Efforts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that has already occurred

social drivers of health

The conditions in which people live, including the forces and systems shaping their daily lives.

aerosol-generating procedure (AGP)

Treatments that increase the risk for transmission of infections that are spread through the air or by droplets; CPR is an example

airborne transmission

The spread of an organism via droplets or dust

bloodborne pathogens

Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

burnout

A combination of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance resulting from long-term job stresses in health care and other high-stress professions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The primary federal agency that conducts and supports public health activities in the United States. The CDC is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services

communicable disease

A disease that can be spread from one person or species to another

compassion fatigue

A stress disorder characterized by gradual lessening of compassion over time

contamination

The presence of infectious organisms on or in objects such as dressings, water, food, needles, wounds, or a patient’s body

critical incident stress management (CISM)

A process that confronts the responses to critical incidents and defuses them, directing the emergency services personnel toward physical and emotional equilibrium

cultural competence

The ability to deliver care in a way that meets the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients

cultural humility

An ongoing process in which a person seeks to learn more about others and continuously reflects on their own viewpoints

designated officer

The individual in the department who is charged with the responsibility of managing exposures and infections control issues

direct contact

Exposure or transmission of a communicable disease from one person to another by physical contact

distress

A negative response to a stressor

exposure

A situation in which a person has had contact with blood, body fluids, tissues, or airborne particles in a manner that suggests disease transmission may occue

foodborne transmission

The contamination of food or water with an organism that can cause disease

hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection, that causes fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, fatigue, and altered liver function

host

The organism or individual that is attacked by the infecting agent

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by HIV, which damages the cells in the body’s immune system so that the body is unable to fight infection or certain cancers

immune

The state of being able to resist the adverse effects of an infectious exposure

indirect contact

infection

infection control

infectious disease

Occupational Safetly and Health Administration (OSHA)

pathogen

personal protective equipment (PPE)

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

potentially psychologically traumatizing event

resilience

standard precautions

transmission

vector-borne transmission

wellness