Lesson 5 Key Terms

Hand Washing

The single most important means of preventing the spread of infection; perform for at least 20 seconds.

Equipment Needed for Proper Gloving

Sink, soap, antibacterial lotion, disposable paper towels, nail brush, and non-sterile latex/vinyl gloves.

Sterile Procedures

Activities required to maintain an area free from microorganisms and prevent patient infection.

Sterile Gloves

Gloves free from all microorganisms; required for invasive procedures or sterile site contact.

Emergency

Any instance where someone suddenly becomes ill or injured and requires immediate attention.

Emergency Medical Care

The immediate care given to a sick or injured person.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Temporary life-saving care for respiratory or cardiac arrest until advanced medical assistance arrives.

CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; primary method to support blood flow to the heart and brain.

ABC's of an Emergency

Airway, Breathing, Chest compressions; historical focus on rescue breathing first.

CAB of an Emergency

Chest compressions, Airway, Breathing; prioritizes rapid blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

A portable device that delivers an electric shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Triage

A decision-making system to prioritize medical care when resources are limited.

Three Categories for Triage

Patients who can wait, those requiring prompt treatment, and those unlikely to survive.

Common Triage Systems

Simple, advanced, telephone, and face-to-face triage.

START Triage System

Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment; classifies victims using black, red, yellow, and green tags.

Advanced Triage

Triage where specialized providers decide to withhold advanced care from those unlikely to survive.

Telephone Triage

An assessment of the severity of a patient's medical condition over the phone.

6 Steps of Telephone Triage

Introduce, assess, decide protocol, advise, conclude/follow up, and document.

Universal Medical Identification Tag

A small tag identifying the wearer's medical condition with the universal emergency symbol.

Chronic

Long and drawn out; opposite of acute.

Insidious

Hidden, not apparent, and treacherous.

Urgent

A situation requiring intervention as soon as it can be arranged.

Sudden

Occurring quickly and without any warning.

Severe

Very extensive and advanced; requires immediate medical attention.

Life Threatening

An illness or injury that could cause death.

Manifested

Injuries or illnesses that actively show symptoms.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System

A network of resources organized to respond to an emergency.

Emergency Kit

Contains all supplies and equipment necessary to handle most common medical emergencies.

Enhanced 911 System

A system that automatically identifies the caller's telephone number and location.

Incident Report / Accident Report

A detailed written account of an emergency and how it was managed.

Military Time

A 24-hour timekeeping system where noon is 1200 and midnight is 2400.

Seizures

Sudden, abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain.

Unknown Onset Seizure

A seizure where the beginning of the event is not known.

Generalized Onset Seizures

Seizures that affect both sides of the brain simultaneously.

Focal Onset Seizures

Also called partial seizures; they start in one specific area or side of the brain.

Diabetes Mellitus

A chronic syndrome of insufficient insulin production affecting metabolism.

Type 1 Diabetes

A chronic disease where the pancreas produces little to no insulin; requires daily insulin.

Alternative Names for Type 1 Diabetes

Insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile onset diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

A disorder characterized by problems in how the body produces or uses insulin.

Secondary Diabetes Mellitus

A diabetic condition caused by another underlying disease or event, not genetics.

Common Diabetic Symptoms

Frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, hunger, fatigue, and slow-healing sores.

Hyperglycemia

High blood sugar; triggered by excess carbs, infection, stress, or missed insulin.

Diabetic Coma

A life-threatening state induced when hyperglycemia remains untreated.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar; often caused by an excess amount of insulin.

Insulin Shock

A severe state that occurs when hypoglycemia remains untreated.

Fainting

Temporary loss of consciousness caused by decreased blood supply to the brain.

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)

Death of heart muscle tissue caused by a blocked blood supply.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

Also known as a stroke; acute neurological injury from interrupted brain blood supply.

Heat Exhaustion

Condition caused by heavy exertion, dehydration, electrolyte depletion, and low blood sugar.

Heat Stroke

A life-threatening condition where the body can no longer regulate its rising temperature.

Frostbite

Tissue damage resulting from exposure of the skin to extreme cold.

Gangrene

Death and decay of body tissue caused by loss of nerve and blood function.

Hypothermia

An abnormally low body temperature.

Bleeding

Loss of blood from the body.

Hemorrhage

Excessive, uncontrolled bleeding.

Internal Bleeding

Bleeding inside the body; hard to detect and usually requires surgery to treat.

Vaginal Bleeding

Physiologic bleeding during menstruation, or abnormal bleeding from hormonal/organic reproductive issues.

Epistaxis

A nosebleed, usually following internal or external injury.

Poison

A substance causing injury, illness, or death via ingestion, inhalation, injection, or absorption.

Choking

Occurs when an object becomes caught in the windpipe.

Artificial Breathing

Blowing air into a victim's mouth to breathe for them until they resume.

Shock

An immediate tissue response when they do not receive enough oxygen-rich blood.

Hypovolemic Shock

Shock caused by rapid loss of blood (hemorrhagic) or other body fluids.

Cardiogenic Shock

Extreme heart failure where the left ventricle cannot pump adequate blood.

Neurogenic Shock

Shock caused by a dysfunction of the nervous system.

Anaphylactic Shock

An acute, severe allergic reaction occurring minutes to hours after allergen exposure.

Septic Shock

Shock caused by a generalized infection of the bloodstream.

Direct Transmission

Infection spread via physical contact, kissing, sexual contact, or inhaling air droplets.

Indirect Transmission

Infection resulting from contact with a contaminated non-human source.