Paramedic Wellness, Occupational Safety, and Clinical Practice Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering paramedic wellness, stress management, infection control, legal terminology, and response to CBRNE/Terrorist incidents based on the lecture transcript.

Wellness

A multidimensional concept encompassing physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and potentially a spiritual dimension.

Canada’s Food Guide

A resource that helps Canadians make healthy food choices by integrating nutrition science into practical eating patterns, recommending a plate of half fruits/vegetables, one quarter protein, and one quarter whole grains.

Target Heart Rate Formula

Calculated by subtracting age from $220$ for the estimated maximum heart rate, then: $((\text{Maximum Heart Rate} - \text{Resting Heart Rate}) \times 0.7) + \text{Resting Heart Rate}$.

Circadian Rhythms

Natural body rhythms that often conflict with EMS shift work, impacting sleep, cognitive function, and physical coordination.

Eustress

Positive stress that motivates a person to achieve goals.

Distress

Negative stress that is overwhelming and debilitating for an individual.

Fight-or-Flight Response

A physiological reaction to perceived threats where the body redirects blood flow to essential organs, enhancing physical abilities while potentially impairing speech, fine motor control, and depth perception.

Projection

A psychological defence mechanism where a patient attributes their own unacceptable feelings or behaviours to others.

Displacement

A psychological defence mechanism involving the redirection of emotions from their original source to a more immediate substitute.

Conversion Hysteria

A subconscious process where anxiety is converted into a bodily dysfunction, such as blindness, deafness, or paralysis.

Burnout

The exhaustion of physical or emotional strength due to chronic, unrelieved stress and how a person interprets that stress.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Grieving Stages

A five-stage process used to adapt to reality consisting of: 1. Denial, 2. Anger, 3. Bargaining, 4. Depression, and 5. Acceptance.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

A confidential 3-hour session held within $24-72$ hours of a traumatic incident, led by professional counsellors to allow crew members to discuss their experiences.

Defusing Session

A brief intervention provided immediately after a traumatic call intended to allow personnel to express feelings and remove the explosive potential of the situation.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A condition occurring after a traumatic event characterized by intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, sleep disturbances, and social withdrawal.

Routine Practices

Infection prevention measures used for every patient contact, including hand hygiene, PPE, and sharps safety, based on the premise that all patients are potentially infectious.

Incubation Period

The time interval between exposure to an infectious organism and the first appearance of symptoms of illness.

Communicable Period

The timeframe during which an infected person can transmit an illness to another person.

Virulence

The strength or ability of a pathogenic organism to cause disease.

Vector-Borne Transmission

The spread of disease to humans via an intermediate carrier, such as mosquitoes transmitting malaria or blacklegged ticks transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi.

Koplik Spots

Small spots in the mouth that are a clinical symptom of Measles, often appearing before the characteristic rash.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, often presenting with sudden fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and light sensitivity.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

The amount of energy needed for the body to maintain basic functions while at rest.

Assault

The legal term for creating a fear of immediate bodily harm in a patient.

Battery

Under criminal or civil law, the act of harmful or offensive contact without consent, which can include medical treatment provided without permission.

False Imprisonment

The detention of a person against their will, such as transporting a patient without consent or the misuse of restraints.

Cover vs. Concealment

Cover provides physical protection from bullets (e.g., brick walls, engine blocks), whereas concealment only hides the paramedic from view (e.g., tall grass, shrubs).

Interview Stance

A defensive position for paramedics standing at a $45$-degree angle, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hands relaxed.

CBRNE

An acronym for types of terrorist or hazardous agents: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive.

Vesicants

Blister agents, such as Sulphur Mustard, that cause burn-like blisters on the skin and respiratory tract upon contact or inhalation.

Nerve Agents

Highly toxic organophosphates (e.g., Sarin, VX) that disrupt the nervous system by blocking the enzyme cholinesterase.

SLUDGEM / DUMBELS

Mnemonics for symptoms of nerve agent exposure: Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Defecation, GI distress, Emesis, Miosis (SLUDGEM) and Diarrhea, Urination, Miosis, Bradycardia, Emesis, Lacrimation, Salivation (DUMBELS).

Miosis

Bilateral pinpoint constricted pupils, which is a key indicator of nerve agent exposure.

Syndromic Surveillance

The monitoring of patient patterns and call volumes, such as an unusual increase in flu-like symptoms, to detect disease outbreaks or terrorist events early.

Radiation Protection Triad

The three primary ways to protect oneself from radiation: Time (minimize), Distance (maximize), and Shielding (utilize concrete or lead).

PPE Level A

The highest level of protection, featuring a fully encapsulating, chemical-resistant suit with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).