| A | B |
|---|
| accessory muscles | The secondary muscles of respiration. |
| AVPU | A method of assessing a patient''s level of consciousness by determining whether a patient is Awake and alert, responsive to Verbal stimulus or Pain, or Unresponsive; used principally in the initial assessment. |
| body substance isolation (BSI) | An infection control concept and practice that assumes that all body fluids are potentially infectious. |
| breath sounds | An indication of air movement in the lungs, usually assessed with a stethoscope. |
| capillary refill | The ability of the circulatory system to restore blood to the capillary system; evaluated by using a simple test. |
| chief complaint | The reason a patient called for help. Also, the patient''s response to questions such as "What''s wrong?" or "What happened?" |
| coagulate | To form a clot to plug an opening in an injured blood vessel and stop bleeding. |
| conjuctiva | The delicate membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the exposed surface of the eye. |
| crepitus | A grating or grinding sensation caused by fractured bone ends or joints rubbing together; also air bubbles under the skin that produce a crackling sound or crinkly feeling. |
| cyanosis | A bluish-gray color that is caused by reduced levels of oxygen in the blood. |
| DCAP-BTLS | A mnemonic for assessment in which each area of the body is evaluated for Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/Penetrations, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, and Swelling. |
| detailed physical exam | The part of the assessment process in which a detailed area by area exam is performed on patients whose problems cannot be readily identified or when more specific information is needed about the problems identified in the focused history and physical exam. |
| focused history and physical exam | The part of the assessment process in which the patient's major complaints or any problems that are immediately evident are further and more specifically evaluated. |
| frostbite | Damage to tissues as the result of exposure to cold; frozen or partially frozen body parts. |
| general impression | The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based on the patient"s surroundings, the mechanism of injury MOI, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint. |
| Golden Hour | The time from injury to definitive care, during which treatment of shock or traumatic injuries should occur because survival potential is best. |
| guarding | Involuntary muscle contractions (spasm) of the abdominal in an effort to protect the inflamed abdomen; a sign of peritonitis. |
| hypothermia | A condition in which the internal body temperature falls below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) after exposure to a cold enviroment. |
| initial assessment | The part of the assessment process that helps you to identify any immediately or potentially life-threatening conditions so that you can initiate lifesaving care. |
| jaundice | A yellow skin or sclera color that is caused by liver disease or dysfunction. |
| mechanism of injury (MOI) | The forces or energy transmission applied to the body that cause injury. |
| nasal flaring | Flaring out of the nostrils, indicating that there is an airway obstruction. |
| nature of illness (NOI) | The general type of illness a patient is experiencing. |
| ongoing assessment | The part of the assessment process in which problems are reevaluated and responses to treatment are assessed. |
| OPQRST | An abbreviation for key terms used in evaluating a patient"s signs and symptoms: onset, provocation or palliation, quality, region/radiation, severity, and timing of pain. |
| orientation | The mental stasus of a patient as measured by memory of person (name), place (current location), time (current year, month, and approximate date, and event (what happened). |
| palpate | Examine by touch. |
| paradoxical motion | The motion of the chest wall section that is detatched in a flail chest; the motion is exactly the opposite of normal motion during breathing (ie, in during inhalation, out during exhalation). |
| rales | Crackling, rattling, breath sound that signals fluid in the air spaces of the lungs; also called crackles. |
| responsiveness | The way in which a patient responds to extenal stimuli, including verbal stimuli (sound), tactile stimuli (touch), and painful stimuli. |
| retractions | Movements in which the skin pulls in around the ribs during inspiration. |
| rhonchi | Coarse breath sounds heart in patients with chronic mucus in the airways. |
| SAMPLE history | A brief history of a patient"s condition to determine signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, and events leading up to the injury or illness. |
| scene size-up | A quick assessment of the scene and the surroundings made to provide information about its safety and the mechanism of injury or nature of illness, before you enter and begin patient care. |
| sclera | The white portion of the eye. |
| stridor | A harsh, high-pitched, crowing inspiratory sound, such as the sound often heard in acute laryngeal (upper airway) obstruction. |
| subcutaneous emphysema | The presence of air in soft tissues, causing a characteristic crackling sensation on palpation. |
| triage | The process of sorting patients based on the severity of injury and medical need to establish treatment and transportation priorities. |
| two- to three-word dyspnea | A severe breathing problem in which a patient can speak only two to three words at a time without pausing to take a breath. |
