EMS Exam 2 vocab

The passages from the openings of the mouth and nose to the air sacs in the lungs through which air enters and leaves the lungs.

Partial (mild) or complete (severe) obstruction of the respiratory passages resulting from blockage by food, small objects, or vomitus.

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that occurs in the alveoli.

The air sacs of the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.

A suction device.

A patient ventilation device that consists of a bag, one-way valves, and a face mask.

The two main branches of the windpipe that lead into the right and left lungs. Within the lungs, they branch into smaller airways.

The smallest blood vessels that connect small arteries and small veins. Capillary walls serve as the membrane to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The artificial circulation of the blood and movement of air into and out of the lungs in a pulseless, nonbreathing patient.

Posterior pressure applied to the cricoid cartilage to minimize gastric distention in a nonbreathing patient who is receiving positive pressure rescue breathing with a bag-mask device. This technique minimizes gastric distention and reduces the risk of vomiting.

The tube through which food passes. It starts at the throat and ends at the stomach.

A means of applying artificial circulation by applying rhythmic pressure and relaxation on the lower half of the sternum.

A clear plastic mask used for oxygen administration that covers the mouth and nose.

A device on oxygen cylinders used to control and measure the flow of oxygen.

A strong involuntary effort to vomit caused by something being placed or caught in the throat.

Opening the airway by tilting the patient's head backward and lifting the chin forward, bringing the entire lower jaw with it.

A series of manual thrusts to the abdomen to relieve an upper airway obstruction.

Opening the airway by bringing the patient's jaw forward without extending the neck.

The organs that supply the body with oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide from the blood.

The lower jaw.

Hand-powered devices used for clearing the upper airway of mucus, blood, or vomitus.

A battery-powered pump or an oxygen-powered aspirator device used for clearing the upper airway of mucus, blood, or vomitus.

The amount of air pulled into the lungs and removed from the lungs in one minute.

A piece of equipment that consists of a mask, a one-way valve, and a mouthpiece. Rescue breathing is performed by breathing into the mouthpiece after placing the mask over the patient’s mouth and nose.

Rescue breathing for patients who, because of surgical removal of the larynx, have a stoma.

An airway adjunct that is inserted into the nostril of a patient who is not able to maintain a natural airway.

A clear plastic tube, used to deliver oxygen, that fits onto the patient’s nose.

The posterior part of the nose.

An airway adjunct that is inserted into the mouth to keep the tongue from blocking the upper airway.

The posterior part of the mouth.

A colorless, odorless gas that is essential for life.

A mechanical breathing device used to administer mouth-to-mask rescue breathing.

A machine that consists of a monitor and a sensor probe that measures the oxygen saturation in the capillary beds.

An assessment tool that measures oxygen saturation in the capillary beds.

Artificial means of breathing for a patient.

Sudden stoppage of breathing.

Posterior pressure applied to the cricoid cartilage to minimize gastric distention in a nonbreathing patient who is receiving positive pressure rescue breathing with a bag-mask device. This technique minimizes gastric distention and reduces the risk of vomiting.

A surgical opening in the neck that connects the windpipe (trachea) to the skin.

The windpipe.

Portable battery-powered devices that recognize ventricular fibrillation and advise when a countershock is indicated. Delivers an electric shock to patients with ventricular fibrillation.

The pulse on the inside of the upper arm.

Cessation of breathing and a heartbeat.

The pulse taken on either side of the neck.

Manual chest-pressing method that mimics the squeezing and relaxation cycles a normal heart goes through; administered to a person in cardiac arrest.

Anyone between 1 year of age and the onset of puberty (12 to 14 years of age).

The heart and blood vessels, which together are responsible for the continuous flow of blood throughout the body.

The pulse taken at the groin.

Inflation of the stomach caused when excessive pressures are used during artificial ventilation and air is directed into the stomach rather than the lungs.

Any patient younger than 1 year.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by one rescuer.

The fluid part of the blood that carries blood cells, transports nutrients, and removes cellular waste materials.

Microscopic disc-shaped elements in the blood that are essential to the process of blood clot formation, the mechanism that stops bleeding.

The wave of pressure created by the heart as it contracts and forces blood out into the major arteries.

The pulse taken at the thumb side of the wrist.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by two rescuers.

The movement of air in and out of the lungs.

An uncoordinated muscular quivering of the heart; the most common abnormal rhythm causing cardiac arrest.

The body cavity between the thorax and the pelvis that contains the major organs of digestion and excretion.

Part of the upper extremity that extends from the shoulder to the elbow.

Breathing in foreign matter such as food, drink, or vomitus into the airway or lungs.

A system of patient evaluation in which the chief complaint of the patient and other signs and symptoms are gathered. The care given is based on this information rather than on a formal diagnosis.

Listening to sounds with a stethoscope.

A scale to measure a patient's level of consciousness. The letters stand for Alert, Verbal, Pain, and Unresponsive.

A straight board used for splinting, extricating, and transporting patients with suspected spinal injuries.

A strong pulse (similar to the pulse that follows physical exertion like running or lifting heavy objects).

Pulse located on the arm between the elbow and shoulder; used for checking the pulse in infants.

The ability of the circulatory system to restore blood to the capillary blood vessels after it has been squeezed out by the examiner.

The principal arteries of the neck. They supply blood to the face, head, and brain.

A pulse that can be felt on each side of the neck where the carotid artery is close to the skin.

The patient's response to questions such as "What happened?" or "What's wrong?"

The collarbone.

Bluish coloration of the skin resulting from poor oxygenation of the circulating blood.

The measurement of pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries while the left ventricle of the heart is at rest.

Breathing out.

A condition that occurs when three or more ribs are each broken in two places and the chest wall lying between the fractures becomes a free-floating segment.

Breaks in a bone.

High blood pressure.

Low blood pressure.

Breathing in.

The lower extremity; specifically, the lower portion, from the knee to the ankle.

Consists of the thigh, leg, ankle, and foot.

To examine by touch.

Ankle pulse.

The first actions taken to form an impression of the patient's condition; to determine the patient's responsiveness and introduce yourself to the patient; to check the patient's airway, breathing, and circulation; and to acknowledge the patient's chief complaint. Is sometimes called the initial patient assessment.

The wave of pressure that is created by the heart as it contracts and forces blood out of the heart and into the major arteries.

The circular openings in the middle of the eye.

Pulse located on the inside of the wrist on the thumb side.

The speed at which a person is breathing (measured in breaths/min)

A patient's medical history. The letters stand for Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Pertinent past history, Last oral intake, Events associated with the illness or injury.

The step in the patient assessment sequence in which you carefully examine the patient from head to toe, and measure vital signs.

A condition that you observe in a patient, such as bleeding or the temperature of a patient's skin.

A condition the patient tells you, such as "I feel dizzy."

The measurement of blood pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries during contraction of the heart.

A weak pulse.

A wound or injury.

Consists of the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand.

Signs of life, such as pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and skin condition.