EMSP 1210 Module 1 and Module 2 Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions extracted directly from EMSP 1210 Module 1 and Module 2 study notes.

Abandonment

The unilateral termination of care by the EMT without the patient’s consent and without making any provisions for continuing care by a medical professional who is competent to provide care for the patient.

DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Order

An order directing healthcare providers not to attempt resuscitation; valid for patients with decision-making capacity or signed by physicians and the person/legal guardian within the last 12 months.

Living Will

A written document specifying medical treatment for a patient should they become unable to make decisions, commonly used during coma or dementia; also referred to as a health care directive or advance directive.

POLST / MOLST

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment or Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms that explicitly describe acceptable interventions as valid medical orders signed by an authorized health care clinician.

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

A designation naming surrogates to make health care decisions for a patient if they are incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves; also referred to as a health care proxy.

National EMS Scope of Practice Model

Defines the skills and knowledge for EMTs at the national level, including tasks like CPAP/BiPAP use, oral OTC analgesics, blood glucose monitoring, pulse oximetry, and assisting higher-level providers.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Equipment worn by an individual to prevent exposure to a pathogen or other hazardous condition, such as gloves, gowns, pocket masks, or bag-masks.

Primary Prevention

A public health strategy aiming to prevent disease or injury before it occurs through measures like vaccinations and health education.

Secondary Prevention

A public health strategy focusing on early detection and treatment of diseases to minimize their impact, such as through screening tests.

Emergency Move

A patient movement technique required when there is an immediate threat to life, necessitating instant action.

Urgent Move

A patient movement technique needed when there is potential danger that is not life-threatening, allowing for a bit more time to respond.

Lateral Lift Technique

The proper method to lift a patient on a backboard by keeping the board close to the body and distributing weight evenly to ensure safety and stability.

Automatic AED

An automated external defibrillator that delivers a shock on its own after detecting a shockable rhythm.

Traditional (Semi-Automatic) AED

An automated external defibrillator that requires the rescuer to press a button to deliver the shock.

Quality Assurance (QA)

A reactive process whose purpose is to monitor compliance against a standard and identify problems after they have already occurred.

Quality Improvement (QI)

A proactive approach aimed at making meaningful improvements in desired outcomes by making systemic changes to improve performance.

Workforce Wellness

A concept focusing on the overall health and well-being of employees, including physical, mental, and emotional aspects.

Workforce Safety

A workplace focus emphasizing the prevention of accidents and injuries.

ASA

The medical abbreviation for aspirin.

hemo-

Prefix or root word relating to blood.

erythro-

Prefix or root word relating to the color red.

leuko-

Prefix or root word relating to the color white.

lympho-

Prefix or root word related to the lymphatic system or lymph.

Tachycardic

A term describing a fast or rapid heart rate.

Bradycardic

A term describing a slow heart rate.

Incontinence

The loss of bowel or bladder control.

Constipation

A bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass.

Triage Tags

Tools used during a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) to help first responders quickly categorize victims based on injury severity and allocate medical resources effectively.

Hypoxemia

A low level of oxygen in arterial blood.

Hypercarbia

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) in the blood.

Ischemia

Decreased oxygen supply of the heart.

Infarction

Tissue death due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area.

Suffix

A word part placed at the end of a word, usually indicating a process, procedure, condition, disease, amount, or part of speech.

Root

The foundation of a word that indicates a body part, organ, or organ system.

Prefix

Part of a word that occurs before the word root, generally describing location, number, amount, color, or intensity.

epi-

Prefix meaning above, upon, or on.

anti-

Prefix meaning against or opposed to.

dys-

Prefix meaning difficult, painful, or abnormal.

a-

Prefix meaning without or lack of.

hyper-

Prefix meaning over, excessive, or high.

hypo-

Prefix meaning under or below normal.

pneumo-

Word root meaning lung.

pnea

Word component representing breathing.

oxia

Word component representing oxygen.

cardio-

Word root representing heart.

peri-

Prefix meaning around.

-itis

Suffix meaning inflammation.

-ology

Suffix meaning study of.

-ist

Suffix meaning specialist.

Pertinent Negative

Symptoms or findings that are absent but are important in the context of a medical evaluation to help rule out certain conditions or diagnoses.

Ventral

Anatomical term synonymous with anterior, referring to the front of the body.

Dorsal

Anatomical term synonymous with posterior, referring to the back of the body.

Sign

An objective finding that is visible and observable, such as a rash or high blood pressure.

Symptom

A subjective indication of disease or bodily disorder that a patient personally feels, such as pain or fatigue.

Myalgia

Muscle pain, often dull and localized.

Neuralgia

Nerve pain that feels sharp, burning, or electric-shock-like and may radiate along a nerve path.

Cellulitis

A bacterial skin infection that spreads, most often in the lower leg, causing swelling, pain, warmth, and sometimes fever.

Fasciitis

Inflammation of the thick band of tissue (the plantar fascia) on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes, often causing sharp heel pain.

Decubitus

An ulcer or bedsore.

Gangrene

The death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection, commonly affecting the arms and legs.