| A | B |
|---|
| abandonment | Termination of care without the patient's consent and without making any provsions for continuing care at the same or higher level |
| abdominal cavity | The portion of the torso beneath the thorax and above the pelvis; contans the liver, gallbladder, stomach, pancreas, intestines, spleen, kidneys, and ureters |
| abortion | Delivery of the products of conception early in a pregnancy; may be spontaneous or medicaly induced |
| abrasion | A superficial scrape injury to the top layer of skin |
| absorbed poison | A toxic substance taken into the body across unbroken skin or mucous membranes |
| acromion | The highest point of the shoulder |
| action | The desired effect of a medication or a treatment |
| activated charcoal | Substance that hinders the absorption of ingested poisons and enhances their elimination from the body, preventing further damage |
| acute illness | Ilness with a severe, rapid onset |
| acute myocardial infarction (AMI) | Sudden cardiac muscle death or injury due to lack of oxygen; a heart attack |
| adolescent | Child who is 12 to 18 years old |
| adrenaline | Another name for epinephrine |
| advance directive | A legal statement of a patient's wishes regarding his or her health care; used in the event the patient becomes unable to make decisions |
| agonal respirations | occasional gasping breaths that may occur in the final stage of death |
| airway adjunct | Device that helps keep the airway open by keeping the tongue away from the back of the throat |
| allergen | An antigen that causes an allergic reaction, such as dust, mold, or pollen |
| allergic reaction | An exaggerated immune response to a substance that is normally harmless |
| altered mental status (AMS) | Broad term indicating a change in normal thinking or clarity of thought; behavior may range from mild confusion to complete unresponsiveness |
| avleoli | Termination of the respiratory passages; the functional units of the lungs, across whose walls gas exchange occurs |
| ambient temperature | The air termperature surrounding the patient |
| amniotic | Sac which holds the fetus suspended in amniotic fluid; also called "bag of waters" |
| amputation | Removal of an extremity through trauma or surgery |
| anaphylactic shock | Severe allergic reaction in which blood vessels dilate rapidly, causing a drop in blood pressure and respiratory distress |
| anaphylaxis | Another name for anaphylactic shock |
| anatomy | The study of the structures of the body and how they relate to one another |
| angina pectoris | Severe pain and constriction about the heart; also called angina or myocardial ischemia; often treated with nitroglycerin |
| anterior | Toward the front; front of the body; also called ventral |
| antibody | A protein produced by the immune system that combines with a specific antigen and helps to destroy it |
| antigen | A foreign substance that enters the body and causes and immune response |
| aorta | The main trunk of the arterial system of teh body; it leaves the heart from the upper surface of the left ventricle |
| APGAR score | Method for assessing newborns based on five ratings: appearance, pulse, brimace, activity, and respiration |
| arteries | Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart |
| arterioles | Smaller vessels that branch off the arteries and lead to the capillaries |
| aspiration | To draw foreign material, a foreign body, or fluid into the respiratory tract while inhaling |
| assault | Threatening or attempting to inflict offensive physical contact; physical contact is not necessary for assault to occur |
| assessment | Evaluation of a situation or patient; the information is used to determine priorties for management |
| asthma | Reactive airway disease caused by spasmodic contraction of the bronchi; characterized by recurrent attacks of dyspnea, coughing, and wheezing |
| atrium | One of two upper chambers of the heart |
| auscultation | Listening for sounds with a stethoscope |
| automated external defibrillator (AED) | Defibrillation equipment designed to analyze, shock, and re-analyze cardiac dysfunction after applying electrodes to patient |
| AVPU | Memory aid used to help categorize a patient's level of unresponsiveness: A= Alert, V= responds to Verbal stimuli, P= responds to Pain; U= Unresponsive |
| avulsion | A tearing off or tearing away of a skin flap or body part |
