| A | B |
|---|
| Designated agent | an EMT-B or other person authorized by a Medical Director to give medications and provide emergency care |
| EMS System | a system designed to get trained personnel to the patient as quickly as possible and to provide emergency care on the scene, en route to the hospital, and in the hospital |
| Enabling legislation | state laws that allow an EMS system to exist |
| Enhanced 9-1-1 | a communication system taht has the capability of automatically identifying the caller's phone number and location |
| Medical direction | the provisions for physician input and direction of patient care, training, and quality assurance of an emergency medical service or system |
| Medical Director | a physician who assumes the ultimate responsibility for the patient care aspects of teh EMS system |
| 9-1-1 system | a system for telephone access to report emergencies in which a dispatcher answers the call, takes the information, and alerts EMS or the fire or police departments as needed |
| Protocols | lists of steps, such as assessment and interventions, to be taken in different situations that are developed by the Medical Director of an EMS system |
| Quality improvement | an all out effort by EMS personnel to improve the service provided from the moment of contact to the moment of delivery to the most appropriate medical facility and personnel |
| Standing order | policy or protocol issued by a Medical Director that authorizes EMT-Bs or others to perform particular skills in certain situations |
| Anger | when a patient gets upset and questions, "Why me?" |
| Bargaining | when a patient mentally tries to postp[one death for a short time |
| Biohazard | a potentially infectious material |
| Body Substance Isolation (BSI) | infection control based on the presumption that all body fluids are infectious |
| Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) teams | mental health professionals and peer counselors who work as a team to provide emotional and psyuchological support to EMS personnel who are or have been involved in a highly stressful incident |
| Decontamination | the removal or cleansing of danderous chemicals or other dangerous or infectious materials |
| Denial | when the patient puts off dealing with the inevitable end of the process of dying |
| Distress | when a rescuer becomes overwhelmed by the stress of a scene |
| Hazardous material incident | the release of a harmful substance into the environment |
| HEPA | a High Efficiency Particulate Air respirator or mask designed to reduce the spread of TB |
| Abandonment | leaving a patient after care has been initiated and before the patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training |
| Advance directive | a written order given by the physician based upon a decision by a patient prior to his demise |
| Battery | subjecting a patient to unwanted care and transport can be considered this in a court of law |
| Breach of duty | not providing the standard of care |
| Confidentiality | the obligation not to reveal information about a patient except to other health-care professionals involved in the patient's care, or under subpoena, or in a court of law |
| Consent | permission from the patient to treat his/her |
| DNR order | a legal document, usually signed by the patient and his/her physician, to "do not resuscitate" |
| Duty to act | an obligation to provide emergency care to a patient |
| Emancipated minor | child who is married or of a specific age who, in certain states, can make his/her own legal decisions |
| Expressed consent | permission given by adults who are of legal age and mentally competent to make a rational decision in regard to their medical well-being |
| Good Samaritan laws | am series of laws, varying ine ach state, designed to provide immunity from liability to individuals trying to help in emergencies |
| Implied consent | persmiision to treat an unconscious patient until he/she becomes conscious |
| Liability | being held legally responsible |
| Negligence | a inding of failure to act properly in a situation in which there was a duty to act |
| Scope of practice | the collective medical, legal, and ethical guidelines that govern the EMT-B |
| Immunizations | injections given to a rescuer that are designed to prevent his/her from getting a disease |
| MCI | an emergency involving multiple patients |
| Pathogens | the organisms that cause infection, such as viruses and bacteria |
| Personal protection equipment | equipment such as eyewear, mask, gloves, gown, turnout gear, or helmet that protect the EMS worker from infection and.or from hazardous materials and the dangers of rescue operations |
| PPD test | purified protein derivative test that determines if a person has been exposed to TB |
