Williamson County EMS Patient Care & Treatment Protocols

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers essential terminology, clinical definitions, and treatment protocols for various emergency scenarios as outlined in the 2025.1 Williamson County EMS System document.

Adult (Clinical Age Definition)

A patient aged 12 years and older.

Pediatric (Clinical Age Definition)

Typically a patient weighing less than 36 kg (80 pounds) or under 12 years old.

Delegated Practice

A statute in Texas where each individual EMS physician determines the scope of practice for the EMS providers under their medical direction.

Capacity

A clinical determination of a patient's ability to effectively communicate, understand their condition, and provide a coherent rationale for medical decisions (distinct from the legal term 'competency').

Informed Consent

Consent given by a patient who is alert and able to understand the benefits and risks of treatment and the consequences of refusal.

Implied Consent

The legal assumption that a patient without decision-making capacity would want reasonable care if they were in a normal state of mind.

Emancipated Minor

In Texas, a minor who is legally emancipated, on active military duty, 16+ and living independently, or a minor parent with custody.

Patient

Any person identified by EMS with a stated/visible complaint, a suggestive mechanism of injury, or a lack of mental capacity to identify medical needs.

DSI (Delayed Sequence Intubation)

The process of maximizing ventilation, oxygenation, and hemodynamics either before or during the pharmaceutical induction and intubation process.

Push-Dose Epinephrine

A quick alternative to IV infusions using 10mcg/mL (1:100,000) boluses to augment circulation in near-arrest or peri-intubation patients.

VAN Screen

A clinical tool used to predict a Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) stroke by checking for Vision, Aphasia, and Neglect.

Cushing's Response

A sign of increased intracranial pressure characterized by hypertension and bradycardia.

ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation)

The resumption of a sustained heart rhythm that flows blood after cardiac arrest.

Traumatic Cardiac Arrest

An arrest where the protocol prioritizes fixing reversible causes like exsanguination, obstructive shock, and ventilatory failure rather than standard ACLS medications.

Eclampsia

A syndrome in pregnancy (>20 weeks) or postpartum characterized by hypertension, edema, and seizures.

BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event)

An event in an infant <1 year old involving loss of consciousness, cyanosis, irregular breathing, or abnormal muscle tone.

Shock Index

Heart Rate divided by Systolic Blood Pressure; used to predict hemodynamic stability (Normal is 0.5-0.7).

Finger Thoracostomy

An invasive procedure to decompress a tension pneumothorax by making an incision in the 4th or 5th intercostal space at the anterior axillary line.

TRALI (Transfusion Associated Lung Injury)

An inflammatory response in the lungs caused by blood administration, appearing similar to ARDS.

OOH-DNR

Texas Out-of-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate order; a legal document or device directing EMS to omit CPR and other resuscitation measures.