Emergency Rescuer Occupational Qualification flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Good Samaritan law

Legal protection for a rescuer who acts in good faith, without compensation, within their training, and without gross negligence; it does not protect reckless or unauthorized acts.

Implied consent

Legal assumption that an unresponsive patient or a minor without a guardian would consent to life-saving treatment when delay would risk death or serious harm.

Scope of practice

The set of skills and procedures a rescuer is legally authorized and trained to perform; exceeding it removes legal protection and may constitute negligence.

Negligence four elements

Duty owed to the patient, breach of that duty, causation linking the breach to harm, and actual damages; all four are required for a liability finding.

Collapse zone

Area around a structure kept clear of personnel, typically extending at least one and a half times the wall height, to protect from falling walls and debris.

Hazard control hierarchy

Preferred order of risk reduction: eliminate the hazard, substitute, engineer controls, apply administrative controls, and use personal protective equipment last.

Upwind approach

Staging and approaching from the side the wind blows from, and from higher ground, to avoid smoke, gas, and chemical plumes at a hazardous release.

AVPU scale

Rapid consciousness assessment: Alert, responds to Verbal stimuli, responds to Painful stimuli, or Unresponsive; used in the primary assessment before detailed neurologic testing.

SAMPLE history

Structured history covering Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, and Events leading to the current problem.

START triage

Mass-casualty sorting using respirations, perfusion, and mental status to assign Green, Yellow, Red, or Black categories, with walking wounded tagged Green first.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Neurologic score summing eye (1-4), verbal (1-5), and motor (1-6) responses; total ranges 3 to 15, and 8 or less indicates severe injury.

High-quality CPR

Compressions at 100-120 per minute, 5-6 cm deep, with full recoil, minimal interruptions under 10 seconds, and avoidance of excessive ventilation.

AED application

Apply pads to the bare chest as soon as available, follow prompts, clear everyone before each shock, and resume compressions immediately afterward to limit pauses.

Tourniquet placement

Applied 5-7 cm proximal to a severe extremity wound, tightened until bleeding stops, never loosened in the field, with application time recorded and reported.

Anaphylaxis first-line drug

Intramuscular epinephrine injected into the anterolateral thigh; antihistamines and steroids are adjuncts and must not delay or replace epinephrine administration.

Spinal motion restriction

Limiting spine movement using manual stabilization, a properly sized collar, and a backboard or vacuum mattress for patients with a concerning mechanism or neurologic findings.

Traction splint contraindications

Do not use for suspected pelvic fracture, knee or lower-leg injury, or partial amputation; it is intended for isolated midshaft femur fractures with intact distal neurovascular status.

Pelvic binder placement

Applied at the level of the greater trochanters and tightened to reduce pelvic volume, limit internal bleeding, and stabilize suspected pelvic fractures during transport.

Amputated part care

Wrap the part in moist sterile gauze, seal it in a plastic bag, and place the bag in ice water; never place tissue directly on ice or allow it to freeze.

Figure-eight on a bight

A secure loop tied in the middle of a rope without access to the ends; used for anchoring and attaching rescuers in life-safety rope systems.

Rescue priority order

Rescuer self-rescue first, then team rescue, then rescue of the public; rescuers must not become additional victims during any operation.

Vehicle stabilization

Blocking and cribbing the vehicle, shutting off the ignition, disconnecting the battery, and managing glass before extrication cutting begins.

Fire tetrahedron

The four components sustaining combustion: fuel, oxygen, heat, and the chemical chain reaction; extinguishing agents remove one or more of these components.

PASS technique

Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep side to side; only for small incipient fires with a clear escape route.

Hazmat hot zone

The contaminated area where only trained personnel in appropriate chemical protective equipment may operate; entry requires control, decontamination, and a defined exit corridor.

Inverse square law

Radiation dose rate decreases with the square of distance; doubling the distance from a point source reduces the dose rate to one-quarter.

Span of control

The number of subordinates one supervisor can effectively manage, typically three to seven in the Incident Command System; exceeding it requires adding another supervisory level.

Closed-loop communication

The sender transmits an order, the receiver repeats it back, and the sender confirms; this prevents errors in medication, movement, and rescue instructions.

SBAR handoff

A structured report covering Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, used when transferring patient care between rescuers or to a receiving facility.

Mayday declaration

A radio call made early when a responder is lost, trapped, out of air, or disoriented, stating unit, location, and the nature of the problem.

N95 fit testing

Annual quantitative or qualitative testing that confirms a filtering facepiece seals to the wearer's face; a user seal check is also performed before each use.

Compressor rotation

Rotating the rescuer performing chest compressions about every two minutes, ideally during rhythm analysis, to maintain compression depth and rate as fatigue develops.