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Acceleration
The rate of change in velocity
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Accessory Muscles
Muslces not normally used during normal breathing. Includes the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck
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Acetylcholine
Chemical nuerotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system
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Acute Radiation Syndrome
The clinical course that usually egins within hours of exposure to a raditional source. Symptoms include neausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache. Long term symptoms are dose relatedand are hymatopoietic and gastrointestinal
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Adipose
The connective tissue containing large amounts of lipids. Also refered to as fat tissue
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Adventitious
A type of breath sound that occurs in addition to the normal breath sounds; examples are crackles and wheeezes
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Aerobic metabolism
Metabolism that can proceed only in the presence of oxygen
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Afterload
The pressure in teh aorta against which the left ventricle must pump blood
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Alert and Oriented
A determination made when asessing mental status by looking at whether the patient is oriented to four elements: person, time, place, event. Each element provideds infomration about the different aspects of the patient's memory
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Alveoli
Sac-like units at the end of the bronchioles where gas exchange takes place
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Anaerobic Metabolism
The metabolism that takes place in the absence of oxygen; the principal product is lactic acid
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Anaphylaxis
An extreme systemic form of an allergic reaction involving two or more body systems
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Angle of Impact
The angle at which an object hits another; this characterizes the force vectors involved and has a bearing on patterns of energy dissipation
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Aphasia
The impairment of language that affects teh production or understanding of speech and the ability to read and write
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Arterial Air Embolism
Air bubbles in the arterial blood vessels
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Ascites
Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity
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Aspiration
Entry of fluids or solids into the trachea bronchi and lungs
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AVPU
A method of assessing mental status by determining if a patient is awake and alert, responsive to verbal stimuli or pain, or unresponsive, used primarily in the inital assessment
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Base Station
Assemby of radio equipment consisting of at least a transmitter, receiver, and antenna connection at a fixed location
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Becks Triad
The combination of a narrowed pulse pressure, muffled heart tones, and JVD associated with cardiac tamponade; usually resulting from penetrating chest trauma
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Biot respirations
Characterized by an irregular rate, patternm and volume of breathing with intermitent periods of apnea; results from increased intracranial pressure; also called ataxic respirations
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Biotelemetry
Transmission of physiologic data; such as EKG, from a patient to a distant point of reception
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Brisance
The shattering effect of a shock wave and its ability to cuase disruption of a tissue and structures
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Bruit
An abnormal 'whoosh' like sound of turbulent blood flow moving through a narrowed artery
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Burn Shock
The shock or hypoperfusion caused by a burn injury and the tremendous loss of fluids
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Cardiac Output
The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate per minute
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Carina
Point at which the trachea bifurcates into right and left mainstem bronchi
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Cavitation
Cavity formation; shock waves that push tissues in front of an dlateral to the projectile and may not necessarly increase the wound size or cuase permanent injury but can result in cavitation
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Cellular telephones
Low-power portable radios that communicate through an interconnected series of repeater stations called cells
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Chemoreceptors
Monitor the levels of o2, co2, ph of the csf and then provide feedback to the respiratory centers to monitor the rate and depth of breahting based on the bodies needs at a given time.
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Chemotactic factors
The factors that cause cells to mitigate into an area
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Chief Complaint
The problem for which the patient is seeking help
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Compartment Syndrome
A condition that develops when edema and swelling result in increases pressure within soft tissues causing circulation to be compromised, possibly resulting in tissue necrosis
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Compensated Shock
The early stage of shock where the body can stil compensate for blood loss
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Concept formation
Pattern of understanding based on initially obtained information
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Cookbook Medicine
Treatment based on a protocol or algorithm without adequate knowledge of the patient being treated
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Crush Syndrome
Significant metabolic derangement that can lead to renal failure and death. It developes when crushed extremities or other body parts remain trapped for prolonged periods
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Current Health Status
A composite picture of a number of factors in a patient's life, such as dietary habits, current medications, allergies, excercise, alcohol, or tobacco use, recreational drugs, sleep patterns and disorders, and immunizations
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Cushing's reflex
The combination of a slowing pulse, rising blood pressure, and erratic respiratory patterns; a grave sign for patient's with head trauma
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Cyanosis
A bluish gray skin color that is caused by reduced oxygen levels in the blood
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Data interpretation
The process of formulating a conclusion based on comparing the patient's condition with information from your training, education, and past experiences
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Decompensated Shock
The late stage of shock, when blood pressure is falling
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Desquamation
The continuous shedding of the dead cells on the surface of the skin
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Detailed Physical Exam
The part of the assessment process in which detailed area by area exam is perfomred on patients whose problems cannot be readilty identified or when more specific information is needed about problems identified in teh focused history and physical exam.
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Distributive shock
A condition that occurs when there is widespread dilation of the resistance vessels, the capacitance vessels, or both
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Duplex
Radio system using more than one frequency to permint simultaneous transmission and reception
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Ecchymosis
Localized bruising or blood collection within or under the skin
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Ejection Fraction
The portion of the blood ejected rom teh ventricle during systole
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Elastin
The protein that gives the skin its elasticity
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Electrical Energy
The energy delivered in the form of high voltage
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Emergency Medical Dispatch
First Aid instructions given by specially trained dispatchers to callers over the telephone while the ambulance is enroute to the call
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Encoded
A message is put into a code before it is transmitted
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Enhanced 911 system
An emergency call-in system in which additional infomraiotn such as the phone number and location of the caller is recorded automatically through sophisticated telephone technology and hte dispatcher need only confrim the information on the screen
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Escharotomy
A surgical cut through the eschar or leathery covering of a burn injury to allow for swelling and minimize the potential for development of compartment syndrome in a circumfrencially burned limb or the thorax
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Expiration
Passive movement of airs out of the lungs
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Expiratory Reserve Volume
The amount of air you can exhale following a normal exhalation; average volume is about 1200ml
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Federal Communications Commission
The federal agency that has jurisdiction over insterstate and international telephoen and telegraph services and satellite communications
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Field Diagnosis
A determination of what a paramedic thinks is hte patient's current problem, usually based on the patient history an the chief complaint
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Frequency
In radio communications, the number of cycles per second of a signal inversely related to the wavelength
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Gangreene
The infection commonly caused by C perfringens. The result is tissue destruction and gas production that may lead to death
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