San Diego paramedic terminology
rev. 01-30-97
- A.B.C.'s
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation: The first three items to evaluate
and manage in the examination of any victim. These are the basic life
support skills.
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (A.C.L.S.)
- Advanced procedures and definitive therapy used to treat cardiac
patients.
- Ambulance
- A vehicle designed and built to transport sick and injured people
to the hospital.
- Advanced Life Support (A.L.S.)
- Basic Life Support (the A.B.C.s) plus definitive care and
therapy. Includes the use of invasive procedures, drugs and
defibrillation.
- Assesment Paramedic
- A paramedic unit usually on an engine that can Triage and
determine a transport disposition prior to an ambulance arriving. This unit can
also preform a full scope of practice if needed.
- Atrical Tachycardia
- Uncontrolled rapid heart beat generated form the Atrium. Non life
threatening however can produce emboli which could cause a stroke. Can cause a
decrease in cardiac ouput due to improper filling, synchronization and
contraction of the Atrium.
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Tackycardia generated from the Atrium. Causes a synchronized
rapid contraction of the Ventriacles causing a decreased cardiac output. Fatal
if not corrected.
- Basic Life Support (B.L.S.)
- Simple emergency life saving procedures which can aid a person in
respiratory or circulatory failure.
- Basic treatment and transportation of the sick and injured.
- Base Station
- A hospital designated to receive reports form paramedic units and
provide direction and medical control and give orders for treatment beyond
"standing orders."
- Base Hospital Physician
- An M.D. whose responsibility is to oversee the paramedics and the
units assigned to his district or hospital.
- Basic Life Support
- The A.B.C.'s without ajunctive equipment.
- Blood Pressure (BP)
- The pressure exerted by the pulsatile flow of blood against the
arterial walls.
- Diastolic blood pressure:
- Blood pressure measured during (rest) ventricular
relaxation (diastole).
- Systolic blood pressure:
- Blood pressure measured during (work) ventricular
contraction (systolic).
- Biological Death
- Irriversible brain damage and the death of tissue usually
occuring within 4 to 6 minutes of cardiac arrest.
- Burn
- An injury caused by extremes of temperature, electric current, or
certain chemicals.
- First-degree burn:
- A burn affecting only the outer layer of skin layer caracterized
as a red sunburn like appearance.
- Second-degree burn:
- A burn penetrating beneath the superficial skin layers, producing
edema (swelling) and blistering.
- Third-degree burn:
- A full-thickness burn, involving all layers of the skin and
underlying tissue as well, having a charred white, leathery appearance.
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.)
- The artificial establishment of circulation of the blood and
movement of air into and out of the lungs in a pulseless, nonbreathing
patient.
- Cardiac Arrest
- The sudden and unexpected cessation of adequate cardiac
output.
- Clinical Death
- The moment the pulse and bolld pressure are absent; the cessation
of mechanical function of the heart and vital organs. Occurs immediately after
the onset of cardiac arrest.
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (C.I.S.D.)
- A program designed to help emergency medical personnel cope with
psychological reactions to stressful job related incidents.
- Defibrillation
- The use of unsynchronize direct cuurent (D.C.) electric
shock to terminate ventricular fibrillation.
- Defibrilltor
- A device that delivers direct current (D.C.) electric
shock for the purpose of terminating Unconcious Ventricular Tackycardia
( rapid uncontrolled heart beating) or Ventricular Fibrillation (erratic
non-functional heart pulsating) .
- Disaster Plan (Annex-D)
- A local county plan to initiate a broad spectrum of care and
transportation for a large scale incident.
- Electrocardiogram E.C.G.
- A graphic display of the electrical activity produced by
depolorization and repolarization of the heart (Atria and
Ventricals).
- 12 Lead E.C.G.
- An advanced diagnostic procedure used to evaluate possible acute
myocardial infarct patients by viewing the electrical function of the heart
from 12 different angles or vectors.
- Emergency Medical Services
- The combined efforts of several professionals and agencies to
provide prehospital emergency care to the sick and injured.
- Emergency Medical Technician (E.M.T.)
- A member of a prehospital emergency medical system who is trained
to provide basic life support.
- Engine Company
- A fire truck staffed with at least 4 personnel including a
captain. Dispatched on all serious or potentially life threatening illnesses or
injuries.
- First Responder
- The first person (usually a police officer or firefighter engine
company) present at the scene of sudden illness or injury.
- A.L.S. first responder
- An engine company that has at least one paramedic on board that
can initate a limited amount of advanced procedures and therapy.
- Heart Attack
- A layperson's term for a condition resulting form a blockage of a
coronary artery with the subsequent death of the heart muscle; and acute
cardiac infarction; a "coronary."
- Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (M.I.C.N.)
- A registered nurse who operates the radio and provide medical
control and direct paramedic units accordingly.
- Paramedic
- A trained professional E.M.T. who provides sophisticated advanced
life support in the field.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (P.A.L.S)
- Advanced prehospital life support for all pediatric patients
including premature infants, newborns, and all pediatric patients.
- PreHospital Advanced Life Support (P.H.T.L.S.)
- Adanced prehospital training for extrication, immobilization,
stabilization, airway maintenance, and hemmorhage control.
- Rescue
- A situation in which someone needs to be extricated from a
vehicle in which they are trapped. Or an incident in which a victim needs to be
removed from a hazardous environment such as a fire or cliff side.
- S.I.D.S.
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Ventricular Tackycardia
- Uncontrolled rapid heart beat generated from the Ventriculum
producing non-suficient cardiac output due to decreased filling of the
ventricles. Progresses to Ventricular Fibrillation if non corrected.
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- Uncontrolled quivering of the heart muscle producing no cardiac
output. Eminent death if non corrected via defibrillation.
Reference:
- "The Orange Book" Emergency Care and Transprtation of the Sick and
Injured
- The American College of Othorpedic Surgeons
.
Web page design and maintenance by
Mitch Mendler
E.M.T. Fire Fighter Paramedic;The WebMaster!
