NREMT AEMT key terms

The amount of air moved into or out of the lungs during one normal breath. In a typical adult it is about 500 mL; delivering much larger volumes by bag can force air into the stomach.

The volume of air breathed in one minute, found by multiplying tidal volume by respiratory rate. It reflects how well breathing moves air, because both rate and depth affect it.

Pressure kept in the airway at the end of exhalation, usually provided by a CPAP unit or a PEEP valve on a bag-valve-mask. It holds small air sacs open so oxygen can enter the blood.

A device that pushes oxygen-enriched air under steady pressure into a spontaneously breathing patient through a tight-fitting mask. It is often used for pulmonary edema, asthma, and other causes of severe breathing difficulty.

A rigid curved plastic device slipped through the mouth to hold the tongue off the back of the throat in an unresponsive patient without a gag reflex. It keeps the upper airway open but does not seal it for ventilation.

A soft rubber or plastic tube, lubricated and passed into a nostril, that keeps the upper airway open when a patient is unresponsive but still has a gag reflex or a clenched jaw.

A hand-held self-inflating bag with a one-way valve and a face mask, used to give positive-pressure breaths to a patient who is not breathing adequately. Two rescuers and a two-handed mask seal work best.

A noninvasive monitor that estimates how much of the hemoglobin in arterial blood is carrying oxygen, using light shone through a fingertip or earlobe. Readings are unreliable with poor circulation, carbon monoxide, or bright light.

Continuous measurement and display of carbon dioxide in exhaled breath. It confirms advanced airway placement, shows whether ventilations are effective, and can signal return of circulation during resuscitation.

An abnormally low level of oxygen in arterial blood. Signs include restlessness, confusion, and cyanosis; treatment is to open the airway, improve ventilation, and add supplemental oxygen.

A harsh, high-pitched sound heard mostly on inspiration that signals partial blockage of the upper airway from swelling, a foreign body, or trauma. It is an emergency that may progress to complete obstruction.

A portable device that analyzes the heart rhythm and advises or delivers a shock when a shockable rhythm is present. Early use combined with high-quality CPR greatly improves survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

A chaotic, disorganized electrical rhythm of the ventricles that produces no effective pumping and therefore no pulse. It is shockable and is treated with CPR and prompt defibrillation.

An organized rhythm seen on the monitor that is not producing a palpable pulse. Care focuses on CPR, epinephrine, and finding and correcting a reversible cause such as hypoxia or blood loss.

A flat-line rhythm with no electrical activity in the heart and no pulse. It is not shockable; treatment is continuous CPR, epinephrine, and a search for reversible causes.

The return of a palpable pulse and other signs of circulation after resuscitation efforts. Post-arrest care then focuses on airway support, oxygenation, blood pressure, and transport to a hospital.

The linked steps that give a cardiac arrest patient the best chance of survival: recognition and activation, early CPR, rapid defibrillation, advanced care, and integrated post-arrest care.

A shock delivered at the moment of the QRS complex, used for an unstable patient who has a fast rhythm and still has a pulse. Synchronizing avoids shocking during the vulnerable part of the heartbeat.

An upward shift of the ECG section between the QRS complex and the T wave that suggests acute injury to heart muscle. It marks patients who need rapid transport to a facility able to open blocked arteries.

Poor perfusion caused by the heart's inability to pump enough blood, often after a heart attack. Signs include low blood pressure, altered mental status, cool clammy skin, and crackles from fluid in the lungs.

A constricting band placed around a limb above a wound that is bleeding so severely that direct pressure has failed. Once tightened enough to stop bleeding, it is not loosened in the field.

Air trapped in the pleural space that builds pressure, collapses a lung, and pushes on the heart and great vessels. Signs include severe shortness of breath, absent breath sounds on one side, and falling blood pressure.

Techniques and devices that limit movement of the head, neck, and spine when injury is suspected. Current practice stresses keeping the spine aligned and avoiding unnecessary long backboards.

A method of estimating how much body surface area is burned by dividing the body into sections that are multiples of nine. The estimate guides fluid needs and helps gauge burn severity.

Inadequate tissue perfusion caused by loss of blood or other body fluids. Early signs include anxiety, a rapid pulse, and pale skin; care centers on stopping the loss and replacing volume.

A pattern of rising blood pressure with a widening gap between systolic and diastolic pressures plus a slowing pulse, suggesting rising pressure inside the skull. It is a late, dangerous sign of head injury.

A severe, fast-moving allergic reaction that can cause airway swelling, wheezing, low blood pressure, and hives. Epinephrine given early is the first-line treatment, along with oxygen, fluids, and transport.

A medication that narrows blood vessels, opens bronchial passages, and stimulates the heart. In the field it is given by auto-injector for severe allergic reactions and by injection during cardiac arrest.

A medication that reverses opioid effects by displacing opioids from their receptors. It can restore breathing in an overdose but may cause sudden withdrawal, so the patient still needs monitoring and transport.

A vasodilator given under the tongue to ease chest pain from angina or a suspected heart attack. It is withheld when blood pressure is too low or the patient recently used an erectile dysfunction drug.

An inhaled bronchodilator that relaxes the muscle around the airways to relieve wheezing and breathlessness. It is used for asthma and similar conditions but does not reduce the underlying airway swelling.

A condition in which a medication or procedure should not be used because it is likely to cause harm. It differs from a precaution, which means proceed with extra caution and monitoring.

A concentrated sugar gel given to a patient with low blood sugar who is awake enough to swallow and protect the airway. It raises blood glucose, but the patient still needs reassessment and usually transport.

Abnormally low blood glucose that can cause sweating, confusion, tremor, seizures, and unconsciousness. Treatment depends on whether the patient can swallow; patients who cannot may need dextrose by injection.

Routine infection-control practices used with every patient, including hand hygiene, gloves, eye protection, and careful handling of sharps. They assume any patient's blood or body fluids may carry infection.

Direct contact with a physician or the physician's designee, usually by radio or telephone, to get advice or permission for an intervention. It works alongside written protocols and standing orders.

The process of sorting patients by how urgent their condition is so that limited resources go first to those who need them most. It is used at scenes with many casualties and during disasters.

A standardized management structure that assigns clear roles for command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance at an emergency scene. It lets multiple agencies work together under one leader.