| A | B |
|---|
| sign | objective condition that is observed, something you can see on examination |
| symptom | the patient's perception of his illness or injury, his subjective complaints that he tells the EMT |
| O | onset |
| P in OPQRST | provocation |
| R | radiation, region, relief |
| Q | quality |
| S in OPQRST | severity |
| T | time |
| S in SAMPLE | signs and symptoms |
| A | allergies |
| M | medications |
| P in SAMPLE | past medical history |
| L | last oral intake |
| E | events leading up to the illness or incident |
| first priority of the EMT | scene safety |
| AVPU | alert?, responsive to voice, response to pain, unresponsive |
| ABC | airway, breathing circulation |
| oriented x3 | oriented to person, place, time |
| measurements of the body's most basic function | vital signs |
| useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems | vital signs |
| first measurement of vital signs | baseline vital signs |
| why you reasses vital signs frequently | to catch any changes that may occur, detect and monitor |
| normal respiration rate | 12-20/minute |
| stridor | harsh sound on inspiration when air flows through a narrowed upper airway |
| snoring | tongue falls back in the throat and partially occludes it. |
| gurgling | heard when liquid material is in upper airway |
| wheezing | high-pitched sound typical of lower airway obstruction, like in asthma |
| grunting | indicates extreme effor being exerted |
| shallow breathing | chest wall is hardly moving during breaths |
| labored breathing | accessory muscles are being used, chest is working hard at getting breaths |
| normal pulse rate | 60-100/minute |
| name for wrist pulse | radial |
| name for upper arm pulse point | brachial |
| name for side of neck pulse point | carotid |
| name for groin pulse point | femoral |
| thready | weak pulse |
| bounding | very strong pulse |
| listening | auscultation |
| feeling pulse | palpation |
| the space opposite the elbow on the front of the arm | antecubital fossa |
| normal adult blood pressure | 90/60 to 150/90 |
| systolic | top number of b/p, pressure in vessels when heart is contracting |
| diastolic | lower b/p number, pressure in vessels when heart is resting |
| amount of upper arm the b/p cuff should cover | 2/3 |
| cyanosis | bluish |
| jaundice | yellowish |
| pallor | pale in color, paler than normal |
| flushed | red |
| capillary refill, normal time | less than 2 seconds |
| pupil | black part in the center of the eye |
| PERRL | pupils equal, round and reactive to light |
| constricted | smaller than normal pupils |
| pinpoint | tiny pupils |
| dilated | larger than normal pupils |
| blown pupils | huge, greater than 8 mm |
| anisocoria | unequal pupils |
| sluggish | pupils responding slowly to light |
| machine that indirectly measures the percent of oxygenated blood in the capillaries using infrared light | pulse oximeter |
| normal percentage of saturation of oxygen in the blood | 96-100% |
| reason for accurate history taking | often describes the reason for the present health crisis and past successful treatments |
| deformity | distorted, unnatural, looks funny |
| contusion | injury with skin intact, bruise |
| abrasion | scraped away top layer of skin, "skinned knee" |
| puncture | a wound that pierces the skin, "knife wound" |
| burns | tissue injury due to heat/chemicals |
| tenderness | pain when pressure applied, tender, sore |
| laceration | torn skin, cut |
| swelling | abnormal enlargement, swollen |
| a sign of fluid overload or serious chest injuries | jugular vein distension |
| crepitus | a crunching sensation caused by air accumulation under the skin |
| PMS in physical exam | pulse, movement and sensation |
| log roll | turning a person without turning the neck or spine by using 3-4 people and holding spine straight |
