COPR EMR key terms

Ending care of a patient without ensuring that someone with equal or greater training continues to provide it, which exposes the responder to legal liability.

A portable device that analyzes a heart rhythm and delivers a shock to stop ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, guiding the responder with voice prompts.

A simple device such as an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal tube that holds the upper airway open when the tongue or soft tissues obstruct breathing.

Complete absence of breathing, identified when the responder sees no chest rise and feels no air movement for at least ten seconds.

A handheld self-inflating bag with a mask and one-way valve used to deliver positive pressure breaths to a patient who is not breathing adequately.

A microorganism carried in blood or body fluids that can cause disease when it enters the responder's body, such as hepatitis B or HIV.

A state of physical and emotional exhaustion from prolonged job stress, marked by detachment and reduced sense of accomplishment, which can impair responder judgment.

The linked steps that improve survival from cardiac arrest: early recognition and call for help, early CPR, early defibrillation, advanced care, and post-arrest care.

A patient's voluntary agreement to examination and treatment after being told what will be done and why, given by the patient or a lawful substitute.

Rhythmic chest compressions, with or without rescue breaths, that circulate oxygenated blood when the heart has stopped beating effectively.

The speed of chest compressions, which for adults and children should be 100 to 120 per minute to maintain adequate forward blood flow.

How far the chest is pushed during CPR, about five centimetres in an adult and about one third of chest thickness in a child or infant.

A strong emotional reaction to an unusually disturbing event that can affect sleep, concentration, and performance, and that often improves with support and time.

Delivery of an electrical shock through the chest to stop a chaotic heart rhythm and allow the heart's normal pacemaker to resume control.

Assignment of a specific task to another team member who has the training and authority to perform it, with the assigner remaining accountable for the outcome.

The legal obligation of a responder who has begun care, or who is on duty, to provide treatment within their training without abandoning the patient.

A manual manoeuvre that lifts the tongue away from the back of the throat by extending the head and raising the chin, opening the airway in an unresponsive patient without suspected spinal injury.

Permission given after the responder explains the proposed care, its risks and benefits, and the alternatives, including the option to refuse.

An airway manoeuvre that moves the lower jaw forward without extending the neck, used when a spinal injury is suspected.

Physician oversight of clinical practice through written protocols and, where available, direct online advice, which authorizes the responder's treatments.

Failure to provide the care a reasonably prudent responder with similar training would give, resulting in harm to the patient.

A curved plastic device inserted into the mouth to hold the tongue forward, used only in patients who are unresponsive and have no gag reflex.

Assistance from trained colleagues who listen, offer practical help, and guide a responder toward professional resources after a stressful event.

Barrier items such as gloves, eye protection, masks, and gowns worn to prevent contact with blood, body fluids, and airborne particles.

A rapid, systematic first survey of the airway, breathing, circulation, and level of consciousness that identifies and corrects immediate threats to life.

A patient's decision to decline recommended treatment, which is valid only when the patient is competent and informed and the responder documents the discussion.

Cessation of effective breathing that leaves oxygen levels falling, requiring immediate rescue breathing or ventilatory support.

The range of skills and treatments a responder is trained and legally permitted to perform at their certification level.

A focused history and head-to-toe or focused physical examination performed after immediate threats are addressed, to gather details that guide care and transport decisions.

Techniques that limit movement of the head and spine during handling and transport when injury is suspected, using manual stabilization, collars, and a rigid surface as indicated.

Routine infection-control practices that treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, including hand hygiene and barrier protection for every patient contact.

Sorting patients by the urgency of their condition so that limited resources are directed first to those who will benefit most.

A chaotic, disorganized electrical rhythm of the ventricles that produces no effective pulse and is treated with immediate CPR and defibrillation.

Measured indicators of body function, typically level of consciousness, pulse, breathing rate and quality, skin colour and temperature, and blood pressure.