EBEEM key terms

A brief structured assessment that ranks patients by urgency so that limited staff and resources treat the sickest first, usually recorded as a colour or numeric acuity category on arrival.

A fixed sequence for assessing and treating a critically ill patient: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure, with each problem corrected before moving to the next step.

The first rapid pass through a patient to identify and immediately treat life threats, typically following the ABCDE sequence before any history taking or definitive diagnosis.

A head-to-toe examination with full history taken after the primary survey and initial stabilisation, intended to find injuries or conditions not immediately life-threatening.

The set of manoeuvres and devices used to keep or restore a patent airway, from head tilt and adjuncts through supraglottic devices to tracheal intubation and surgical airway.

Administration of a potent induction agent immediately followed by a neuromuscular blocker to intubate a patient at risk of aspiration, without interposed bag-mask ventilation in the classic form.

A declared emergency in which tracheal intubation has failed and oxygenation cannot be maintained by any supraglottic or mask technique, mandating immediate front-of-neck access.

A state of inadequate tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery relative to demand, recognised by hypotension, tachycardia, altered mentation, oliguria and raised lactate, classified as hypovolaemic, cardiogenic, distributive or obstructive.

Rapid controlled administration of intravenous crystalloid or blood products to restore circulating volume in hypovolaemia or sepsis, with frequent reassessment to avoid overload and guide further boluses.

Deliberately accepting a lower-than-normal blood pressure during resuscitation, typically in uncontrolled haemorrhage, to avoid dislodging clots until definitive bleeding control is achieved.

A strategy for major haemorrhage combining early balanced blood component transfusion, permissive hypotension, avoidance of large crystalloid volumes, and rapid correction of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy.

A pre-agreed hospital pathway that delivers balanced red cells, plasma and platelets rapidly in suspected major haemorrhage, with defined activation triggers, laboratory support and stopping rules.

Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, operationalised as suspected infection plus a rise in the SOFA score of at least two points.

Sepsis with persisting hypotension requiring vasopressors to maintain mean arterial pressure and a raised lactate despite adequate fluid resuscitation, carrying high mortality.

A metabolite measured in venous or arterial blood that rises with tissue hypoperfusion, used to identify occult shock, stratify severity and track response to resuscitation.

A composite score derived from routine vital signs that flags clinical deterioration, used to trigger escalation of care and review by senior or critical care teams.

Bedside ultrasonography performed and interpreted by the treating clinician to answer focused questions rapidly, such as free abdominal fluid, cardiac contractility, lung sliding or aortic diameter.

A rapid four-window ultrasound examination of pericardium, perihepatic and perisplenic spaces and pelvis to detect free fluid in a haemodynamically unstable trauma patient.

A limited bedside cardiac ultrasound assessing pericardial effusion, ventricular size and contractility, and gross valvular or right heart findings to guide resuscitation decisions.

An event producing more casualties than available resources can manage conventionally, requiring declaration, scene command, casualty triage and redistribution of patients across receiving hospitals.

The ability of a hospital or system to expand staff, beds, equipment and supplies beyond normal limits to absorb a sudden increase in patient numbers or acuity.

The reappearance of a palpable pulse or organised rhythm with signs of life after cardiac arrest, marking the transition from resuscitation to post-resuscitation care.

The sequence of linked actions that improve outcome after cardiac arrest: recognition and call, early CPR, early defibrillation, advanced life support, and post-resuscitation care.

Delivery of an unsynchronised high-energy electric shock across the chest to terminate ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia and allow a coordinated rhythm to resume.

Controlled cooling, or active prevention of fever, in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest for a defined period to limit secondary hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury.

The combination of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, myocardial dysfunction, systemic ischaemia-reperfusion response and the precipitating cause that follows resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

Transient loss of consciousness due to global cerebral hypoperfusion, characterised by rapid onset, short duration and complete spontaneous recovery without neurological deficit.

A tear in the aortic intima allowing blood to track within the media, causing sudden severe tearing chest or back pain, pulse deficits and risk of tamponade or malperfusion.

Occlusion of pulmonary arteries by thrombus, usually from deep veins, producing dyspnoea, pleuritic pain, hypoxia and right heart strain, ranging from incidental to obstructive shock.

A spectrum of myocardial ischaemia from unstable angina through non-ST-elevation to ST-elevation myocardial infarction, diagnosed by symptoms, serial troponin and electrocardiography.

Acute coronary occlusion producing characteristic ST-segment elevation on electrocardiography, requiring urgent reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention or thrombolysis.

A cardiac muscle protein released into blood after myocyte injury, measured with high-sensitivity assays and interpreted with serial sampling and clinical context to diagnose or exclude myocardial infarction.

Sudden focal neurological deficit caused by infarction or haemorrhage in the brain, requiring urgent imaging and time-critical reperfusion or neurosurgical decisions.

Administration of a fibrinolytic drug to dissolve an occluding thrombus, used in ischaemic stroke, ST-elevation myocardial infarction and selected pulmonary embolism after excluding contraindications.

Bleeding within brain parenchyma, often from hypertension or anticoagulation, presenting with headache, vomiting, focal deficit or reduced consciousness and confirmed by urgent CT.

Urgent administration of specific antidotes, prothrombin complex concentrate or plasma to restore clotting in a bleeding patient taking vitamin K antagonists, direct oral anticoagulants or heparin.

Continuous seizure activity, or repeated seizures without recovery of consciousness, lasting beyond a defined time threshold and requiring immediate staged anticonvulsant treatment.

A severe rapidly developing systemic hypersensitivity reaction with airway, breathing or circulatory compromise, treated immediately with intramuscular adrenaline and supportive measures.

A short-stay area within or beside the emergency department where selected patients undergo protocolised observation, testing and reassessment to avoid unnecessary admission.

A structured transfer of clinical responsibility and information between teams or clinicians, using a standard format to ensure key findings, actions and outstanding tasks are communicated safely.