Arab Board Emergency & Disaster Nursing Part 1 key terms

A brief structured assessment that sorts patients by urgency so that those with immediately life-threatening conditions receive care before others with less time-sensitive needs.

A five-level emergency department triage scale that assigns acuity from resuscitation to nonurgent, using predicted resource needs and danger-zone vital signs to guide prioritization.

The first rapid assessment of airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure, designed to identify and correct immediate threats before detailed history taking.

Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment: a mass-casualty tool that assigns immediate, delayed, minor, or deceased categories using respirations, perfusion, and mental status assessed in under a minute per patient.

A pediatric mass-casualty triage adaptation of START that adds breathing and pulse checks suited to children and uses a different immediate category for altered mental status.

An event producing more casualties than available staff, supplies, or space can manage routinely, requiring declared emergency operations, resource mobilization, and altered standards of care.

The ability of a health system to expand staffed beds, equipment, and personnel quickly to meet a sudden rise in patient volume, including contingency and crisis expansion.

A standardized command structure that organizes roles, communication, and resource management across agencies responding to an incident, from single casualty to regional disaster.

The removal of hazardous chemical, biological, or radiological material from people and equipment to prevent secondary exposure, usually by disrobing, washing, and containment of runoff.

Barrier equipment such as gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eye protection worn to prevent contact with infectious agents or hazardous materials; correct doffing prevents self-contamination.

A 3-to-15 score combining eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to quantify level of consciousness and detect neurological deterioration over time.

Inadequate tissue perfusion caused by loss of blood or plasma volume, producing tachycardia, hypotension, cool skin, and reduced urine output until volume is restored.

A band tightened proximally on a limb to stop life-threatening arterial bleeding when direct pressure fails; note application time and reassess for ongoing hemorrhage.

Classification of thermal injury as superficial, partial-thickness, or full-thickness based on appearance, blanching, sensation, and healing potential, guiding fluid and wound care decisions.

A rapid method estimating burn surface area by assigning fixed percentages to body regions; used with weight to calculate resuscitation fluids in adults and modified for children.

Damage to the airway or lungs from heat, smoke, or chemicals, suggested by facial burns, soot, hoarseness, or stridor and requiring early airway evaluation.

Pressure within a closed muscle compartment rises enough to impair perfusion, causing severe pain, tense swelling, paresthesia, and possible permanent nerve and muscle damage.

Systemic effects of prolonged muscle compression, including rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalemia, acute kidney injury, and shock, requiring aggressive fluids and electrolyte monitoring after extrication.

A spectrum of myocardial ischemia including unstable angina and myocardial infarction, typically presenting with chest pressure, dyspnea, diaphoresis, and requiring urgent ECG and reperfusion assessment.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction, diagnosed when ECG shows ST elevation in contiguous leads; a time-critical emergency requiring prompt reperfusion by percutaneous intervention or thrombolysis.

Acute inflammatory lung injury producing bilateral opacities and severe hypoxemia not fully explained by cardiac failure; managed with lung-protective ventilation and treatment of the underlying cause.

A severe asthma attack that does not respond to repeated bronchodilators and corticosteroids, risking respiratory failure, silent chest, and need for ventilatory support.

The coordinated administration of a sedative and neuromuscular blocker to facilitate emergency endotracheal intubation while minimizing aspiration risk and maintaining hemodynamic stability.

Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection; recognition and early antibiotics, fluids, and lactate measurement improve outcomes.

A severe systemic hypersensitivity reaction with rapid airway swelling, bronchospasm, and hypotension; intramuscular epinephrine is first-line treatment and must not be delayed.

Continuous seizure activity or repeated seizures without recovery lasting five minutes or more, requiring immediate benzodiazepine therapy and search for reversible causes.

An abrupt decline in kidney function reflected by rising creatinine or falling urine output, often from hypoperfusion, nephrotoxins, or obstruction, and classified by stage.

A metabolic emergency of insulin deficiency causing hyperglycemia, ketosis, and metabolic acidosis, managed with fluids, insulin infusion, potassium replacement, and precipitant treatment.

Low blood glucose, usually below 70 mg/dL, causing sweating, tremor, confusion, seizures, or coma; immediate glucose administration is required and the cause investigated.

Excessive bleeding after childbirth, commonly defined as more than 500 mL after vaginal birth or 1000 mL after cesarean, requiring uterine massage, uterotonics, and volume resuscitation.

New-onset seizures in a pregnant or postpartum patient with preeclampsia, managed with magnesium sulfate, blood pressure control, and urgent delivery planning.

A quick pediatric triage tool assessing appearance, work of breathing, and circulation to skin, identifying sick children before vital signs and history are obtained.

A structured inquiry into suicidal thoughts, plans, intent, means access, prior attempts, and protective factors, guiding safety planning and level of observation.

Verbal and environmental techniques that reduce agitation and prevent violence by respecting personal space, using calm communication, and offering choices before restrictive interventions.

Core temperature above 40°C with central nervous system dysfunction after heat exposure; rapid cooling and supportive care are essential to prevent organ failure and death.

Cholinesterase inhibition from pesticides or nerve agents causing salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea, bronchospasm, bradycardia, and miosis; treated with atropine, pralidoxime, and decontamination.

Inhalation of carbon monoxide, which binds hemoglobin and impairs oxygen delivery, causing headache, confusion, syncope, and possible myocardial injury; treated with high-flow oxygen.

Post-exposure management after contact with blood or body fluids, including washing, reporting, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, and hepatitis B vaccination or immunoglobulin as indicated.

An unexpected occurrence involving death, serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof, requiring immediate investigation, root-cause analysis, and system improvements.

A leadership approach that distinguishes human error from at-risk or reckless behavior, encouraging error reporting while holding individuals accountable for unsafe choices.