EMT Definitions

Demand Valve

FROPVD

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke scale

Facial Droop, Arm Drift, Abnormal Speech

(Elements of EMS) Regulation and Policy

Legislation that identifies and supports EMS agency, Plan and Implementation, Rules and Regulation

NSC

National Standard Curriculum

OPQRST

Onset, Provocation, Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Time

O &A assessment

Oriented and alert based on person,place,time and event.

Medial

Relating to, situated in, or extending toward the middle/median

Chief complaint

The patients perception of the problem in his own words

Hemiparesis

Weakness on one side of the body

(CISM) Critical Incident stress management

a comprehensive system that includes education and resources to both prevent stress and to deal with stress appropriately when it occurs, comprised of 7 core components

"six rights"

right medication, right dose, right route, right patient, right time, right documentation.

Tachycardia

(Accelerated of the heart) a heart rate that exceeds the normal range for a resting heart rate

Dyspnea

(air hunger) the subjective symptom of breathlessness

Bradycardia

(heart slowness)- resting heart rate of under 60bpm

Bradypnea

(slow breath) an abnormally slow breathing rate

5 stages of Death

1)Denial 2)Anger 3)Bargaining 4)Depression 5)Acceptance

Ventilation (adult)

12 breaths per minute

Adult Respiratory rate

12-20/min

Child respiratory rate

15-30/min

Ventilation (Pediatric)

20 breaths per minute

Infant Respiratory rate

25-50/min

Ventilation (newborn)

30-50 breaths per minute

EMS Systems

A highly specialized chain of resources designed to minimize the impact of sudden injury and illness on our society

Antigen

A substance that when introduced into the body stimulates the production of an antibody. includes: toxins, bacteria, foreign blood cells, cells of transplanted organs

Air Borne Transmission

A transmission mechanism in which the infectious agent is spread as an aerosol and usually enters a person through the respiratory tract

General Impression includes

Age, Gender, Level of distress, is your 1st impression of the patients condition

AVPU

Alert, verbal, Painful, unresponsive

Tidal Volume

Amount of air that moves in and out of the lungs during a normal breath 400-600ml

Contusions

Areas of soft-tissue that have been damaged although the skin remains intact

(Elements of EMS) HR and Training

Assess HR needs, Establish and Monitor EMS training, Standardize curriculum and training

Quality (OPQRST)

Can you describe the feeling you have?

(Elements of EMS) Facilities

Categorizing functional capabilities of health care facilities

(Elements of EMS) Resource Management

Centralized method to coordinate all system resources

COPD

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema are considered Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases

DCAP_BTLS

Deformities,Contusions,abrasions, puncture/penetrations, burns,tenderness,lacerations,swelling

Provocation (OPQRST)

Does anything make the distress worse or better

Region/Radiation (OPQRST)

Does the feeling seem to spread to any other part of your body? Do you have pain anywhere else

Advanced EMT

EMT+ First level of (ALS)Advanced Life Support, can administer certain Meds, Start Intravenous lines, interpret and shock specific heart rhythms, insert more advanced airway management

Stress

Event or accumulation of events that places extraordinary demands on a person's mental or emotional resources

Emergency Medical Responder

First on scene. Emphasis on activating EMS system. Provide immediate care for Life-Threatening injuries or illnesses, control the scene, prepare for ambulance Arrival, Assist other EMS personnel

Initial assessment steps

General Impression, determine responsiveness, Cheif compaint/apparent life threats, assess airway and breathing, assess circulation, determine priority

Time (OPQRST)

How long have you had this feeling? How long have you been in distress

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and the spinal cord, most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection and characterized by fever, vomiting, intense headache, and stiff neck

Portals of entry

Ingestion, Inhalation, Injection, absorption

Respiration

Inspiration + Expiration

Suctioning (child)

Less than 10 seconds

Suctioning (adult)

Less than 15 seconds

Suctioning (infant)

Less than 5 seconds

Rhonchi

Lower pitched snoring or rattling sounds caused by secretions in the larger airways. May be seen in COPD or pnuemonia

Emergency Medical Technician

Minimum level of training for someone providing care on an ambulance.EMT receives training in the assessment and care of many of the most common injuries and illnesses. Provide care on scene and transport. Level of care (BLS)Basic Life Support

Paramedic

Most Advanced level of EMS care. Perform ALS, can administer wide variety of meds, Initiate Intravenous lines, interpret and shock specific heart rhythms, insert advanced airway devices, other advance procedures.

NHTSA

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration- agency that identified 10 key components of EMS

Proximal

Nearer to a point of reference such as an origin, a point of attachment, or the midline of the body

Bacteria

One-celled organisms without a true nucleus or cell organelles

(Elements of EMS) Public Info and Education

PI &E program in place, enhance public knowledge,demonstrate essential self-help & bystander actions, encourage injury prevention

(Elements of EMS) Medical Direction

Physician involvement in all aspects, role of MD, legislative authority for standards and protocols, evaluation of care

Prophylaxis

Prevention of or the protective treatment for disease

(Elements of EMS) Communications

Public able to access 911, Central coordination of EMS communications

Roles of EMT

Safety Officer, Care provider, Record Keeper, Patient Advocate, Ems Professional, Quality improvement officer

SAMPLE

Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, pertinent past med history, last oral intake, events leading to injury/illness

Superior

Situated toward the head and further away from the feet

Respiratory distress

The body's attempt to compensate for an inadequate supply of oxygen

Portal of Entry

The entryway for viruses and bacteria to enter the body

Crackles

Usually heard on inspiration as fine crackles. Alveoli closed with fluid open up.

Croup

Viral illness characterized by inspiratory and expiratory stridor and a seal-barklike cough

Onset (OPQRST)

What were you doing when the stress began (not Time)

Hypoxic Drive

When the stimulus to breathe is the amount of Oxygen in the blood rather than the normal drive to breathe that is related to the amount of Carbon dioxide in the blood

Protocols

Written guidelines or treatment plans for patient care that help EMT provide most appropriate care, set up by MD

Pulmonary Edema

a condition of fluid in the lungs

Ongoing Assessment

a continuous recheck of the patients condition to ensure everything checked previously is still okay

Stridor

a harsh high-pitched sound that generally accurs during inhalation but can also occur during exhalation, indicative of partial upper airway obstruction

Hypoxia

a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen

Medical Director

a physician who assumes ultimate responsibility for the patient care aspects of the EMS system

Posterior

a situated at or toward the hind part of the body

Virus

a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms

Immune System

a system that protects the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms by producing the immune response

Hypotension

abnormally low blood pressure

Paraplegia

an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities

Contact Transmission

an incident in which an infectious disease is transmitted by contact, either directly (person to person) or indirectly (person to object to person.)

Antibody

any of a large variety of proteins normally present in the body or produced in response to an antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response

Standard precautions

awareness that all patients are potentially infectious regardless of diagnosis or presumed infections

Tachypnea

breathing faster and/or deeper than normal

hyperventilation

breathing that is abnormally rapid and deep

CSM

circulation, sensation, motor function

Tuberculosis

communicable disease caused by infection with the tubercle bacillus, most frequently affecting the lungs

(Elements of EMS) Transportation

comprehensive Transportation plan for coverage, air med transport, mutual aid

Chronic Bronchitis

condition where the lining of the bronchiole is inflamed. Excess mucus is formed and remains in the airway. The accumulations become severe because the body is unable to clear the mucus from the airway.

Emphysema

condition where the walls of the alveoli break down and lose surface area

subcutaneous emphysema

crackling sensation caused by air just underneath the skin

Cheyne-Stokes Respirations

deep respirations alternating with very shallow respirations. also may be priod of apnea, Seen in patients who have brian injury or end-stage brain tumors

Deformities

deviation from normal shape or size of body part, typically caused by broken bones or soft-tissue swelling

Asthma

disease that has attacks involving bronchoconstriction and mucous production with significant difficulty breathing

(Elements of EMS) Evaluation

effectiveness of services, uniform data collection system, drive improvements to health care, Disaster management services

Polyuria

excessive or abnormally large production and/or passage of urine

Standing orders

given by MD and authorizes EMT to perform particular skills in certain situations w/o medical direction contact

Sig Fall height for Peds

greater than 10 ft

Anatomical Position

he erect position of the body with the face directed forward, arms at the side, and the palms of the hands facing forward, used as a reference in describing the relation of the body parts to one another

CISDebriefing

held 1-10 days post incident, to accelerate normal recovery time, by mental health professionals or peer counselors

Wheezing

high-pitched, musical lung sounds created by air moving through constricted air passages

Hepatitis

inflammation of the liver, characterized by fever, jaundice, and weakness

gurgling

intermittent low-pitched sounds, indicative of fluids in the upper airway

Paradoxical movement

movement of a part of the chest in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest during inhalation and exhalation

Parietal

of or relating to either of the parietal joints

Cranial

of or relating to the cranium or skull

Lateral

of or relating to the side

Caudal

of, at, or near the tail or the posterior end of the body

Visceral

of, relating to, or located on or among the viscera

Severity (OPQRST)

on a 1-10 scale (1best and 10worst) how would you rate your distress

Anterior

or of relating to the front surface of the body

On-Line Med Direction

orders from physician given directly to EMT

referred pain

pain that is felt in a location other than where the pain originates

status asthmaticus

prolonged, life threatening asthma attack, often not responding to the patients own meds

(Elements of EMS) Trauma Systems

quality effective trauma care, Trauma center designation, triage transfer guidelines, Quality and improvement

Kussmaul's respirations

rapid, deep ventilations usually caused by very acidic blood such as some diabetic conditions and aspirin overdose

Multi-system trauma

refer to the multiple organ systems that are generally affected by a significant MOI

Distal

situated away from the point of attachment or origin or a central point

Inferior

situated nearer the soler in relation to a reference point

Defusing

small group discussion held within hours of critical incident, address acute systems

Emergency Medical dispatcher

specially trained dispatchers who not only obtain appropriate information from caller, but also provide medical instructions for emergency care including instructions for CPR, artificial ventilation, bleeding control, and more.

Off-line Med direction

standing orders performed w/o speaking to MD

anaphylaxis

sudden severe allergic reaction

Flexion

the act of bending a joint or limb in the body by action of flexors

Extension

the act of straightening or extending a flexed limb.

Crepitation

the grating sound or feeling of broken bones rubbing together, Also called crepitus

Myocardium

the muscular tissue of the heart

Universal Precautions

the practice of avoiding contact with patients' bodily fluids, by treating all patients as if they are infected, and wearing appropriate PPE or BSI

Respiratory rate

the rate at which a person inhales and exhales

Hemiplegia

total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk of the same side of the body

Central neurogenic hyperventilation

very rapid, deep ventilations usually caused by head injuries or strokes that involve the brain stem.