| A | B |
|---|
| circulatory system components | heart, blood vessels (veins/arteries), blood |
| respiratory system components | nose/mouth, trachea, bronchi, lungs |
| central nervous system components | brain, brain stem, spinal cord |
| two required questions | conscious? breathing normally? |
| pulmonary | relating to the lungs |
| myocardial infarction | heart attack |
| trauma | injury to the body by an outside force |
| ALS unit staff | paramedics |
| BLS unit staff | EMTs |
| Code Red | respond with lights and sirens |
| Code Yellow | respond with traffic, no lights and sirens |
| Code Green | cancel a unit |
| ABRASION | scrape |
| ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK | severe allergic reaction: low BP, resp difficulty, inadequate perfusion of oxygenated blood to cells |
| ANEURYSM | Weakened bulging area in wall of artery |
| ANGINA PECTORIS | chest pain, usually relieved by NTG |
| ANOXIA | absence of oxygen |
| AORTA | main artery from the heart to the body |
| APNEA | absence of respiration |
| ARRHYTHMIA | irregular heart rhythm or rate |
| ASPHYXIA | suffocation |
| ASTHMA | respiratory condition caused by bronchiolar spasm |
| AVULSION | separation or tearing away of a body part or tissue |
| BRADYCARDIA | slow hear rate, below 60/min |
| CARDIAC | pertaining to the heart |
| CEREBRAL | pertaining to the brain |
| CERVICAL SPINE | first seven bones of the spine, neck area |
| CHF (congestive heart failure) | cardiac failure, characterized by increased BP and pulmonary edema |
| CLAVICLE | collarbone |
| CHOLECYSTITIS | Inflammation of the gallbladder |
| COLOSTOMY | Part of large intestine is brought through incision in abdominal wall to allow discharge of feces |
| COMA | unconsciousness, no response to external stimuli |
| COMBATIVE | eager to fight or struggle |
| CONTUSION | bruise |
| COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) | persistent disruption of airflow into or out of lungs, e.g. chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema |
| CORONARY ARTERIES | blood vessels that supply blood directly to the heart muscle |
| CPR | mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions |
| CVA (cerebral vascular accident) | stroke (brain attack), clot or bleed preventing blood flow to brain |
| CYANOSIS | bluish tint to skin caused by lack of oxygen |
| DECAPTITATED | amputation of the head |
| DEFIBRILLATION | shock to heart to stop defibrillation, allowing normal rhythm to return |
| DIABETES | metabolic disorder, lack of insulin inhibits ability to take fuel (blood sugar) into cells |
| DIAPHORETIC | Sweating profusely |
| DIAPHRAGM | muscular wall separating thoracic and abdominal cavities. Major muscle of breathing. |
| DIASTOLE | resting period of heart rhythm. Diastolic pressure is the pressure on the internal walls of the arteries during this resting period. |
| DTs (delerium tremors) | visual and auditory hallucinations from habitual and excessive use of alcohol. |
| DYSPNEA | difficulty breathing |
| EDEMA | excessive fluid in tissues |
| EMBOLISM | obstruction in a blood vessel, most commonly a blood clot |
| EMETIC | causes vomitting |
| EMESIS | vomitting |
| EMPHYSEMA | lungs progressively lose their elasticity, causes respiratory distress |
| EPILEPSY | recurring transient attacks of disturbed brain function, altered state of consciousness or seizures |
| EPIGLOTTIS | cartilage flap that covers larynx to prevent food from entering the airway |
| ESOPHAGUS | canal from throat to stomache |
| -ITIS | inflammation of |
| FEBRILE | pertaining to fever |
| FEBRILE SEIZURE | convulsions due to sudden high fever in children |
| FEMUR | thigh bone, upper leg |
| FIBRILLATION | quivering individual muscle fibers |
| FIBULA | outer and smaller of two bones in the lower leg, between knee and ankle |
| FIRST PARTY REPORT | report taken by talking directly to the patient |
| FLAIL CHEST | several ribs broken in more than one place, segment of chest wall moves at opposition to normal breathing motion |
| FRACTURE | broken bone (can also be use to describe a broken solid organ) |
| GI (gastrointestinal) | pertaining to the stomache and intestines |
| GRAND MAL | seizure characterized by tonic, clonic, and post-ictal phases; stiffening, twitching/contracting muscles, sleepy recovery |
| HEMATOMA | swelling or mass of blood confined to an organ, tissue or space, from a break in a blood vessel |
| HEMORRHAGE | abnormal internal or external discharge of blood |
| HIVES | intensely itching welts, usually caused by an allergic reaction to a substance or food |
| HUMERUS | upper arm bone, between shoulder and elbow |
| HYPERGLYCEMIA | high glucose level in blood (high blood sugar) |
| HYPERTENSION | high blood pressure |
| HYPERTHERMIA | high body temperature |
| HYPOGLYCEMIA | low glucose level (low blood sugar) |
| HYPOTENSION | low blood pressure |
| HYPOTHERMIA | low body temperature |
| HYPOXIA | low oxygen to the body tissues |
| HYPOXIC SEIZURE | seizure resulting from low oxygen to brain |
| INSULIN | hormone secreted by the pancreas which aids the body in metabolism of blood sugar. |
| IPECAC | used to induce vomitting |
| ISCHEMIA | need better definition |
| LACERATION | irregular tear or the skin |
| LARYNGECTOMY | surgical removal of the larynx |
| LARYNX | voice box |
| MAXILLA | upper jaw bone |
| MANDIBLE | lower jaw bone |
| MEDIC ALERT TAG | bracelet or necklace with info about a patient's medical history, condition, allergies, etc. |
| MENINGES | covering of the brain and spinal cord |
| MENINGITIS | inflammation of the meninges |
| MI (myocardial infarction) | heart attack, death of a part of the heart muscle |
| NITROGLYCERIN (NTG) | medication used in the treatment of angina pectoris (chest pain) |
| OCCLUSION | closure/block of a passage |
| PALPATION | examination by touch |
| PALPITATION | generally used to describe rapid throbbing or fluttering of the heart |
| PANCREAS | elongated gland that produces insulin |
| PARALYSIS | loss of function, sensation, or voluntary motion |
| PERISTALSIS | progressive contractgion of muscles that propels food down the GI tract |
| PERICARDIAL SAC | fibrous membrane covering the heart |
| PHALANGES | bones of the fingers and toes |
| CARPALS | bones of the wrist |
| METACARPALS | bones of the hand/palm |
| TARSALS | bones of the ankle |
| METATARSALS | bones of the foot/arch |
| PNEUMOTHORAX | air in the chest cavity caused by puncture in the chest wall or lungs |
| POLST | physician's order for life-sustaining treatment (part of the order may be DNR/NO CPR) |
| RADIUS | one of two bones of the forearm, on the thumb side |
| SCAPULA | shoulder blade |
| PATELLA | knee cap |
| SECOND PARTY REPORT | report taken from person who is with patient (not patient directly) |
| SEIZURE | sudden episode of uncontrolled electical activity in the brain |
| SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) | sudden, unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant, diagnosis is made after autopsy |
| SPOTTING | small amount of vaginal bleeding |
| STOOL | feces |
| STOMA | surgically-created opening, e.g. tracheostomy, colostomy |
| SYNCOPE | fainting |
| SYSTOLE | muscular contraction of the heart muscle. Systolic pressure is the pressure on the interior of the artery walls during the contraction of the heart. |
| TACHYCARDIA | rapid heart rate, over 100/min in adult |
| TENSION PNEUMOTHORAX | air is filling the chest cavity (outside the lungs) and cannot escape, putting pressure on the lung and heart. |
| THIRD PARTY REPORT | report taken from a person who is not the patient and is not directly with the patient |
| THORAX | chest cavity/upper torso |
| TIA (transient ischemic attack) | "mini stroke", temporary interference with the blood flow to the brain, like a stroke but without permanent damage |
| TIBIA | the medial and larger of the two bones in the lower leg |
| TRACHEA | windpipe |
| TRAUMA | an injury to the body by an outside force |
| TRIAGE | sorting of patients to determine priority of care, level of care, and urgency of care needed |
| ULCER | lesion on the surface of the skin or membrane, usually with inflammation, may be internal or external |
| ULNA | medial and larger bone of the forearm, opposite the thumb |
| UNILATERAL | one-sided |
| BILATERAL | two-sided (both sides) |
| VERTEBRAE | bones of the spinal column, protectors of the spinal cord |
| VERTIGO | dizzy feeling of spinning |
| XIPHOID PROCESS | catilage at the lower end of the sternum |
| superior | above |
| inferior | below |
| medial | closer to mid-line (axis) |
| lateral | away from mid-line (axis), to the side |
| proximal | closer to |
| distal | further from |
| anterior | front |
| posterior | back |
