Emergency Medical Services Key Concepts

These flashcards focus on key vocabulary terms and definitions essential for understanding emergency medical services concepts.

Personal Safety

A high priority when responding to emergencies; involves verifying location and route of travel.

Preassign Team Roles

Assigning specific responsibilities to team members prior to an emergency response.

Scene Size-Up

The process of evaluating safety and logistical considerations once a call is dispatched.

Primary Assessment

The initial evaluation of a patient to identify life-threatening conditions, referred to as ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation).

AVPU Scale

A method of measuring a patient's level of consciousness: Alert, Verbal response, Pain response, Unresponsive.

Assessment Triangle

A framework for assessing a patient's appearance, work of breathing, and circulation.

Hypoperfusion

A condition in which there is decreased blood flow to tissues leading to systemic failure.

Respiratory Physiology

The study of the mechanisms of breathing and the physiology behind gas exchange in the lungs.

Bronchoconstriction

Narrowing of the air passages in the respiratory system, often addressed with asthma medications.

Pathophysiology

The study of disordered physiological processes associated with disease or injury.