Vocab Exam 2 - TEEX Paramedic FT

The rate of change in velocity.

Muslces not normally used during normal breathing; includes the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck.

Chemical neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The clinical course that usually begins within hours of exposure to a radiation source. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and headache. The long-term symptoms are dose-related and are hematopietic and gastrointestinal.

A connective tissue containing large amounts of lipids. Also referred to as fat tissue.

A type of breath sound that occurs in addition to the normal breath sounds; examples are crackles and wheezing.

Metabolism that can proceed only in the process of oxygen.

The pressure in the aorta against which the left ventricle must pump blood.

A determination made when assessing mental status by looking at whether the patient is oriented to four elements: person, place, time and the event itself. each element provides information about different aspects of the patient's memory.

Sac-like units at the end of the bronchioles where gas exchange takes place (singular: alveolus).

The metabolism that takes place in the absence of oxygen; the principal product is lactic acid.

An extreme systemic form of an allergic reaction involving two or more body systems.

The angle at which an object hits another; this characterizes the force vectors involved and has a bearing on patterns of energy dissipation.

The impairment of language that affects the production or understanding of speech and the ability to read or write.

Air bubbles in the arterial blood vessles.

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity.

Entry of fluids or solids into the trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

A method of assessing mental status by determining whether a patient is Awake and alert, responsive to Verbal stimuli or Pain, or Unresponsive; used principally in the inital assessment.

Assembly of radio equipment consisting of at least a transmitter, receiver, and antenna connection at a fixed location.

The combination of a narrowed pulse pressure, muffled heart tones, and JVD associated with cardiac tamponage; usually resulting from penetrating chest trauma.

Characterized by an irregular rate, pattern, and volume of breathing with intermittent periods of apnea; results from increased intracranial pressure. Also called ataxic respirations.

Transmission of physiologic data, such as an ECG, from the patient to a distant point of reception (commonly referred to in EMS as "telemetry").

The shattering effect of a shock wave and its ability to cause disruption of tissues and structures.

An abnormal "whoosh"-like sound of turbulent blood flow moving through a narrowed artery.

The shock or hypoperfusion caused by a burn injury and the tremendous loss of fluids.

Amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate per minute.

Points at which the trachea bifurcates (divides) into the left and right mainstream bronchi.

Cavity formation; shock waves that push tissues in front of and lateral to the projectile and may not necessarily increase that wound size or cause permanent injury but can result in cavitation.

Low-powered portable radios that communicate through an interconnected series of repeater stations called "cells."

Monitor the levels of O2, CO2, and the pH of the CSF and then provide feedback to the respiratory centers to modify the rate and depth of breathing based on the body's need at any given time.

The factors that cause cells to migrate into an area.

The problem for which the patient is seekeing help.

A condition that develops when edema and swelling result in increased pressure within soft tissues, causing circulation to be compromised, possibly resulting in tissue necrosis.

The early stage of shock, in which the body can still compensate for blood loss.

Pattern of understanding based on initially obtaining information.

Treatment based on a protocol or algorithm without adequate knowledge of the patient being treated.

Significant metabolic derangement that can lead to renal failure and death. It develops when crushed extremities or other body parts remain trapped for prolonged periods.

A composite picture of a number of factors in a patient's life, such as dietary habits, current medications, allergies, exercise, alcohol or tabacco use, recreational drug use, sleep patterns and disorders, and immunizations.

The combination of a slowing pulse, rising blood pressure, and erratic respiratory patterns; a grave sign for patients with head trauma.

A bluish-grey skin color that is caused by reduced levels of oxygen in the blood.

The process of formulating a conclusion based on comparing the patient's condition with information from your training, education, and past experiences.

The late stage of shock, when blood pressure is falling.

The continuous shedding of the dead cells on the surface of the skin.

The part of the assessment process in which a detailed area-by-area exam is performed on patients whose problems cannot be readily identified or when more specific information is needed about problems identified in the focused history and physical exam.

A condition that occurs when there is widespread dilation of the resistance vessels, the capacitance vessels, or both.

Radio system using more than one frequency to permit simultaneous transmission and reception.

Localized bruising or blood collection within or under the skin.

The portion of the blood ejected from the ventricle during systole.

A protein that gives the skin its elasticity.

The energy delivered in the form of high voltage.

First aid instructions given by specially trained dispatchers to callers over the telephone while an ambulance is en route to the call.

A message is put into a code before it is transmitted.

An emergency call-in system in which additional information such as the phone number and location of the caller is recorded automatically through sophisticated telephone technology and the dispatcher need only confirm the information on the screen.

A surgical cut through the eschar or leathery covering of a burn to allow for swelling and minimize the potential for development of compartment syndrome in a circumferentially burned limb or the thorax.

Passive movement of air out of the lungs; also called exhalation.

the amount of air that you can exhale following a normal exhalation; average volume is about 1,200 mL.

The federal agency that has jurisdiction over interstate and international telephone and telegraph services and satellite communications, all of which may involve EMS activity.

A determination of what a paramedic thinks is the patient's current problem, usually based on the patient history and the chief complaint.

In radio communications, the number of cycles per second of a signal inversely related to the wavelength.

An infection commonly caused by C perfringens. The result is tissue destruction and gas production that may lead to death.

The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based on the patient's surroundings, the mechanism of injury, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint.

The first step in the formation of urine; calculated to determine renal function.

The space in between the vocal cords that is the narrowest portion of the adult's airway; also called the glottic opening.

Abdominal thrusts performed to relieve a foreign body airway obstruction.

Blood with the stool that is seperate. Caused by lower GI bleeds.

The body's natural blood-clotting mechanism.

Unit of frequency equal to 1 cycle per second.

Information about the chief complaint, obtained using the OPQRST mnemonic.

A tendency to constancy or stability in the body's internal enviroment.

Secondary control of breathing that stimulates breathing based on decreased PaO2 levels.

A bursting inward.

the part of the assessment process that helps you identify immediately or potentially life-threatening conditions so that you can initiate lifesaving care.

The active process of moving air into the lungs; also called inhalation.

The amount of air that can be inhaled after a normal inhalation; the amount of air that can be inhaled in addition to the normal tidal volume.

An abnormal scar commonly found in people with darkly pigmented skin. It extends over the wound margins.

A drug with sedative, analgesic, and hypnotic properties; created in the laboratory from phencyclidine (PCP).

The energy associated with bodies in motion, expressed mathematically as half the mass times the square of the velocity.

Sounds related to blood pressure that are heard by stethoscope.

Outward curve of the thoracic spine.

Severe constriction of the larynx in response to allergy, noxious stimuli, or illness.

Inward ccurve of the lumbar spine just above the buttocks An exaggerated form of lordosis results in the condition know as swayback.

A detailed version of the rule of nines chart that takes into consideration the changes in body surface area brought on by growth.

cells that developed from the monocytes that provide the body's first line of defense in the inflammatory process.

The energy that results from motion (kinetic energy) or that is stored in an object (potential energy).

The way in which traumatic injuries occur; the forces that act on the body to cause damage.

Uncertainty regarding the specific cause of the patient's condition.

The pigment that gives skin its color.

Dark, tarry, very odorous stools caused by upper gastrointestinal bleeds.

the amount of air that moves in and out of the respiratory tract per minute.

A condition of abnormal skin circulation, caused by vasoconstriction or inadequate circulation.

Method by which simultaneous transmission of voice and ECG signals can be achieved over a single radio frequency.

A protein found in muscle that is released into the circulation after crush injury or other muscle damage and whose presence in the circulation may produce kidney damage.

The general type of illness a patient is experiencing.

A device for producing a fine spray or mist that is used to deliver inhaled medications.

Insertion of a 14- to 16-gauge over-the-needle IV catheter (angio-cath) through the cricothyroid membrane and into the trachea.

Drawing of air into the lungs; airflow from a region of higher pressure (outside the body) to a region of lower pressure (the lungs); occurs during normal (unassisted breathing).

The principle that a body at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an outside force.

The principle that the force that an object can exert is the product of its mass times acceleration.

Shock that occurs when there is ablock to blood flow in the heart or great vessels, causing an insufficient blood supply to the body's tissues.

The part of the assessment process in which problems are reevaluated and responses to treatment are assessed.

A synthetic narcotic not derived from opium; potent analgesics with sedative properties, including drugs such as fentanyl (Sublimaze) and alfentanil (Alfenta).

A drop in systolic blood pressure when moving from a sitting to a standing position.

A nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent; used to maintain paralysis following succinylcholine-facilitated intubation; also called Pavulon.

Tingling or sensory change.

A formula that recommends giving 4 mL of normal saline for each kilogram of body weight, multiplied by the percentage of body surface area burned; sometimes used to calculate fluid needs during lengthy transport times.

Information obtained during the patient history, such as the patient's general state of health, childhood and adult diseases, surgeries and hospitalizations, psychiatric and mental illness, or traumatic injuries, which may relate to the patient's current problem.

A fracture that occurs in an area of abnormally weakened bone.

Information about the patient's chief complaint, present symptoms, and previous illness.

Nerves that innervate the diaphragm.

The process by which quantifiable, objective information is obtained from a patient about his or her overall state of health.

Additional dead space created by intrapulmonary obstructions or atelectasis.

A fracture that occurs when abnormal forces are applied to normal bone structures.

Area of the brain stem that has an inhibitory influence on inspiration.

Method for assisting ventilation (bag-mask or intubated) with high-flow air or oxygen.

• The amount of energy stored in an object, the product of mass, gravity,
• and height, that is converted into knetic energy and resulting in
• injury, such as from a fall.

A drop in the systolic BP of 10 mmHg or more; commonly seen in patients with pericardial tamponade or severe asthma.

Old terminology for abnormal breath sounds that have a fine, crackling quality, now called crackles.

A unique and specialized assessment performed between the initial assessment and the focused physical exam of a trauma patient, usually on patients with a significant mechanism of injury, assessing specific parts of the entire body.

Miniature transmitter that picks up a radio signal and rebroadcasts it, extending the range of a radio communications system.

A system that assigns percentages to sections of the body, allowing calculation of the amount of skin surface involved in the burn area.

A system that estimates total body surface area burned by comparing the affecting area with the size of the patient's palm, which is rougly equal to 1% of the patient's total body surface area.

A term that implies that it is unsafe to continue using and oxygen cylinder with a pressure of less than 200 psi.

A surgical procedure to improve the appearance of a scar, reestablish function, or correct disfigurement from soft-tissue damage, surgical incision, or lesion.

A quick assessment of the scene and its surroundings made to provide information about scene safety and the mechanism of injury or nature of illness, before you enter and begin patient care.

Sideways curvature of the spine.

An applied force or pressure exerted against the surface and layers of the skin as tissues slide in opposite but parallel planes.

Indications of illness or injury that the examiner can see, hear, feel, smell, and so on.

Method of radio communication using a single frequency that enables transmission or reception of voice or an ECG signal but is incapable of simultaneous transmission and reception.

Narrowing.

The volume of blood pumped forward with each ventricular contraction.

Beneath the skin.

Located above the glottic opening, as in the upper airway structures.

A liquid protein substance that coats the alveoli in the lungs, decreases alveolar surface tension, and keeps the alveoli expanded; a low level in a premature baby contributes to respiratory distress syndrome.

The pain, discomfort, or other abnormality that the patient feels.

The pattern of tautness of the skin, which is arranged over body structures and affects how well wounds heal.

Attaches to the stem of the oxygen cylinder, and reduces the high pressure of gas to a safe range (about 50 psi).

The process by which the body maintains temperature through a combination of heat gain by metabolic processes and muscular movement and heat loss through respiration, evaporation, conduction, convection, and perspiration.

Clenched teeth caused by spasms of the jaw muscles; occurs during seizures and head injuries.

Sharing of radio frequencies by multiple agencies or systems.

Loss of the elasticity in the skin.

An anatomic space, or "pocket," located between the base of the tongue and the epiglottis; an important anatomic landmark for endotracheal intubation.

The ability or inability to see, and how well one can see.

Deformity of the hand, fingers, and wrist resulting from damage to forearm muscles; develops from muscle ischemia and is associated with compartment syndrome.

A pattern of automobile-pedestrian injuries with children and people of short stature in which (1) the bumper hits pelvis and femur, (2) the chest and abdomen hit the grille or low hood, and (3) the head strikes the ground.

The distance in a propagating wave from one point to the corresponding point on the next wave.

An injury to the cervical vertebrae or their supporting ligaments and muscles, usually resulting from sudden acceleration or deceleration.

Soft plastic, nonrigid catheters, also called French catheters.

The reddened area surrounding the leathery and sometimes charred tissue that has sustained a full-thickness burn.

In a thermal burn, the area that is least affected by the burn.

The peripheral area surrounding the zone of coagulation that has decreased blood flow and inflammation. This area can undergo necrosis within 24 to 48 hours after the injury, particularly if perfusion is compromised due to burn shock.