EMT Study Guide Chapters 4 & 5 Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary cards covering medical law, ethics, terminology, and anatomy for EMT students.

Scope of Practice

The skills and procedures an EMT is legally allowed to perform as determined by state law, local protocols, and medical direction.

Standard of Care

The level of care a reasonably competent EMT with similar training would provide under similar circumstances.

Offline Medical Direction

Standing orders or written protocols that allow EMTs to provide care without directly contacting medical control.

Online Medical Direction

Direct communication with a physician or medical control for specific orders or guidance for situations not covered by standing orders.

Expressed Consent

Permission for treatment given by a patient with decision-making capacity, through verbal or physical/nonverbal communication.

Implied Consent

Assumed permission for treatment when a patient is unable to give consent and emergency care is necessary.

Informed Consent

Permission given for treatment after the patient understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives.

Advance Directive

A written statement expressing a patient's wishes regarding future medical care, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care.

DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)

A valid medical order indicating that CPR or resuscitation should not be performed under specified circumstances.

POLST (Physician/Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)

A medical order addressing treatments such as CPR, life-sustaining treatments, and hospitalization preferences.

Duty to Act

A legal obligation to provide care when an EMT is assigned to a call or has a professional obligation to provide care.

Abandonment

Leaving a patient after beginning care without properly transferring responsibility to someone with equal or higher medical training.

Negligence

A failure to provide the expected standard of care that results in harm to the patient.

Four Elements of Negligence

Duty to Act, Breach of Duty, Damages, and Causation.

Assault

An act that creates a reasonable fear or apprehension of harmful or unwanted contact.

Battery

Providing treatment or making physical contact without the patient's consent.

Tort

A civil wrong that can result in a lawsuit, such as negligence.

Criminal Act

An act that violates criminal law and can result in criminal prosecution.

Good Samaritan Laws

Protection for off-duty healthcare providers who provide emergency assistance in good faith, depending on state law.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

A law that protects patients' private health information (PHI).

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Identifying information such as patient diagnosis, treatment history, and address.

Mandatory Reporting

A legal requirement to report specific situations such as suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or certain types of violence.

Patient Care Report (PCR)

A legal document used for documentation that should be accurate, objective, complete, timely, legible, and factual.

Correcting Documentation Errors

Draw a single line through the error, write the correct info, and initial; never erase or use white-out.

Medical Identification Jewelry

Items like bracelets or necklaces providing EMS with info on medical conditions, allergies, and medications.

Prefix

A word part found at the beginning of a medical term, such as brady- or tachy-.

Root

The main meaning of a word, such as cardi, gastr, or nephr.

Suffix

A word part found at the end of a medical term, such as -itis, -ology, or -emia.

Combining Form

A word root combined with a vowel.

Brady-

A prefix meaning slow.

Tachy-

A prefix meaning fast.

Hyper-

A prefix meaning excessive or high.

Hypo-

A prefix meaning below or low.

-itis

A suffix meaning inflammation.

-ology

A suffix meaning the study of.

-emia

A suffix meaning blood condition.

Dyspnea

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Diaphoretic

Sweating.

Cyanosis

Bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes.

Tachycardia

A fast heart rate.

Bradycardia

A slow heart rate.

Hypertension

High blood pressure.

Hypotension

Low blood pressure.

AVPU

Scale for Level of Consciousness (LOC): Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive.

SAMPLE

Abbreviation used for gathering a patient's medical history.

OPQRST

Abbreviation used for performing a pain assessment. Onset (when it started), Provocation (what makes it better or worse), Quality (what it feels like), Region/Radiation (where it is and if it moves), Severity (how bad it is on a scale of 0 to 10), and Time (how it changed over time)

DCAP-BTLS

Abbreviation used for performing a trauma assessment.

Superior

Toward the head.

Inferior

Toward the feet.

Anterior / Ventral

The front of the body.

Posterior / Dorsal

The back of the body.

Medial

Toward the body's midline.

Lateral

Away from the body's midline.

Proximal

Closer to the point of attachment or the body.

Distal

Farther from the point of attachment or the body.

Bilateral

Referring to both sides of the body.

Unilateral

Referring to one side of the body.

Supine

Lying on the back, face up.

Prone

Lying face down.

Fowler's

Sitting or partially sitting upright.

Recovery Position

Side-lying position for unconscious patients breathing adequately without spinal immobilization.

RUQ (Right Upper Quadrant)

Contains the Liver and Gallbladder.

LUQ (Left Upper Quadrant)

Contains the Stomach and Spleen.

RLQ (Right Lower Quadrant)

Contains the Appendix.

LLQ (Left Lower Quadrant)

Contains the Descending/sigmoid colon.