NREMT key terms

An airway that is open and unobstructed so air can move between the environment and the lungs; assessed by looking, listening for air movement, and feeling for exhaled breath.

A curved plastic device inserted through the mouth to hold the tongue away from the posterior pharynx in a patient without a gag reflex; improper sizing can push the tongue back and obstruct the airway.

A soft tube passed through the nostril into the nasopharynx to bypass tongue obstruction, usable in patients with a gag reflex; avoided when facial or basilar skull fracture is suspected.

Head and neck alignment in which the head is slightly extended and the face points forward, opening the airway and aligning the mouth, pharynx, and larynx for ventilation and intubation.

Delivery of positive pressure breaths by squeezing a self-inflating bag attached to a mask sealed over the face; requires an airway adjunct and a two-person technique for reliable tidal volumes.

The volume of air moved into or out of the lungs in a single breath; in adult resuscitation, just enough volume to produce visible chest rise, roughly 500 to 600 mL.

The total volume of air moved per minute, calculated as tidal volume multiplied by respiratory rate; the key measure of how effectively breathing is sustained over time.

Noninvasive estimation of arterial oxygen saturation using light absorption through a translucent site; unreliable with poor perfusion, nail polish, carbon monoxide, or abnormal hemoglobin.

Continuous measurement of exhaled carbon dioxide, displayed as a waveform and a numeric value; confirms tube placement, reflects ventilation quality, and can indicate return of circulation.

Placement of a cuffed tube through the vocal cords into the trachea to secure a definitive airway; confirmed by waveform capnography plus clinical signs such as chest rise and equal breath sounds.

A device such as a laryngeal mask or King tube that sits above the glottis and channels air into the trachea without entering it; used as a rescue or alternative when intubation fails.

Irregular, gasping, ineffective breaths often seen in the first minutes after cardiac arrest; they do not provide adequate oxygenation and should be treated as absent breathing.

Absence of effective heart function, marked by unresponsiveness, no normal breathing, and no palpable pulse; requires immediate chest compressions and rapid defibrillation when the rhythm is shockable.

Delivery of an unsynchronized electrical shock to terminate a shockable rhythm such as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia; delay reduces survival with each passing minute.

A portable device that analyzes the cardiac rhythm and advises or delivers a shock for shockable rhythms; compressions resume immediately after each shock or when no shock is advised.

Chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, at least 2 inches deep in an adult, with full recoil, minimal interruptions, and avoidance of excessive ventilation.

Restoration of a palpable pulse and effective circulation after resuscitation; a sudden rise in exhaled carbon dioxide or a palpable pulse during compressions suggests it.

A spectrum of conditions caused by reduced coronary blood flow, including unstable angina and myocardial infarction; presents with chest pressure, shortness of breath, and sometimes atypical symptoms.

Death of heart muscle from prolonged loss of blood supply, usually from a blocked coronary artery; treated with aspirin, nitroglycerin when appropriate, and rapid transport to a reperfusion center.

A recording of electrical activity from twelve viewpoints of the heart; identifies ST-elevation and other patterns that guide destination choice and prehospital treatment decisions.

Inadequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, producing altered mental status, pale or mottled skin, rapid weak pulse, and falling blood pressure as compensation fails.

An early shock state in which the body maintains blood pressure through increased heart rate and vasoconstriction; blood pressure may still be normal while perfusion is already failing.

The stage of shock in which compensatory mechanisms fail, producing hypotension, worsening mental status, and weak or absent peripheral pulses; requires urgent fluid and hemorrhage control.

Stopping blood loss through direct pressure, wound packing, tourniquets, or pelvic binding; uncontrolled bleeding is a leading preventable cause of death in trauma.

A constricting band applied high and tight or above a bleeding extremity wound to stop life-threatening hemorrhage; once applied, it is not loosened in the field.

Air trapped in the pleural space that progressively collapses a lung and shifts mediastinal structures, causing severe respiratory distress, absent breath sounds on one side, and shock.

Fracture of several adjacent ribs in more than one place, creating a free-floating segment that moves opposite to the rest of the chest wall and usually signals underlying lung injury.

Sudden loss of neurologic function from interrupted blood flow or bleeding in the brain; recognition uses facial droop, arm weakness, and speech changes, with transport to a stroke center.

Abnormally low blood glucose that can mimic stroke or intoxication with confusion, sweating, tremor, and altered consciousness; confirmed by glucometry and treated with glucose when the airway is protected.

A severe, rapidly progressing allergic reaction with airway swelling, bronchospasm, and shock; first-line treatment is intramuscular epinephrine followed by airway and circulatory support.

Any change from a patient's normal level of awareness or cognition; a broad finding that requires systematic evaluation for hypoxia, hypoglycemia, trauma, toxins, and other causes.

A scored assessment of eye opening, verbal response, and motor response, totaling 3 to 15; a score of 8 or less generally indicates the need for airway protection.

Implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterus, most often in a fallopian tube; can rupture and cause internal bleeding, presenting with abdominal pain, missed period, and shock.

Low blood pressure in a late-pregnancy patient lying flat, caused by the uterus compressing the inferior vena cava; relieved by tilting the patient to the left side.

Pregnancy-related hypertension with protein in the urine or organ dysfunction, often after 20 weeks; may progress to seizures, and delivery is the definitive treatment.

The rapid, systematic first pass covering airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure; life threats found here are treated before any detailed history or secondary survey.

A focused history and head-to-toe or focused physical examination performed after immediate life threats are addressed, using tools such as OPQRST and SAMPLE.

A structured history covering signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past medical history, last oral intake, and events leading to the current problem.

A pain assessment mnemonic covering onset, provocation and palliation, quality, region and radiation, severity, and time; helps characterize chest pain and other complaints.

Sorting patients by severity so limited resources go first to those who will benefit most; uses a recognized system and can shift from routine to mass-casualty priorities.

A standardized management structure that assigns clear roles for command, operations, logistics, and planning at an incident; keeps responders accountable and communication predictable.

Physician oversight of EMS care, delivered offline through written protocols and online through direct consultation; it authorizes procedures and guides clinical decisions in the field.

The set of skills, medications, and decisions a provider is legally permitted to perform at a given certification level, defined by state law and local medical direction.

Insufficient oxygen reaching body tissues, causing restlessness, confusion, tachycardia, and eventually unconsciousness; treated by opening the airway and providing supplemental oxygen or ventilation.

Cessation of adequate spontaneous breathing that quickly leads to cardiac arrest if untreated; managed with assisted ventilation and a patent airway.