Glossary

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:  The deterioration of the immune system caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): Advanced medical protocols for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest and other medical emergencies. ACLS is significant in improving the chance of survival from cardiac arrest.

Allergic Reaction:  A reaction of one’s body to a foreign substance that causes that body to swell, itch, cause a rash.

American Heart Association (AHA):  An association that creates CPR and first aid guidelines.

American Red Cross:  An association that creates first aid and CPR guidelines.

Analyzing:  A prompt from the AED that alerts the rescuers that the device is checking the victim for a sustainable rhythm.

Arterial Bleeding:  The most serious type of external bleeding resulting from a damaged artery.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED):  An electrical device that delivers doses of energy to engage the heart muscle back into a sustainable rhythm.

AVPU:  Alertness, Verbally responsive, Pain responsive or Unresponsive.

Axillary Region:  The area between the upper limbs and thorax - armpit area.

Bag Valve Mask (BVM):  A ventilation device that utilizes a bag and a 1-way valve to provide better ventilation assistance to a victim.

Basic Life Supports (BLS):  A level of medical care used for victims of life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care. BLS can be provided by trained medical personnel or laypersons who have received BLS training.

Barrier Device:  A thin plastic device used during mouth-to-mouth ventilations that provides limited exposure protection.

Beats Per Minute (BPM):  A term used to define the amount of heart contractions per minute.

Blind Finger Sweep:  Blindly attempting to sweep a foreign body from a victims airway.

Bloodborne Pathogen:  An infectious microorganism that can be potentially dangerous if an individual comes into contact with it.

Body Substance Isolation** (BSI):**  The process of protecting oneself against harmful microorganisms.

Brachial Artery:  A large artery that is used to obtain a child’s pulse, located in the inner, middle portion of the upper arm.

Capillary Bleeding:  Surface bleeding that is easily controlled.

Capillary Refill** Time (CRT):**  The time is takes color to return to an external capillary bed.

Cardiac Arrest:  The failure of the heart to beat.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR):  The active engagement of compressions and ventilations for a victim suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest. Chest compressions are crucial for restoring blood flow and preserving brain function in a person who is in cardiac arrest. To perform CPR on adults, children, and infants in various situations, such as cardiac arrest and choking, follow specific guidelines and techniques. The main purpose of CPR is to restore spontaneous blood circulation to delay tissue death and extend the opportunity for successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage.

Carotid Artery:  A large artery that is used to obtain an adult’s pulse, located between the trachea and the sternocleidomastoid.

Chest Compressions: The act of pushing on the chest to restore blood flow during cardiac arrest. It is important to start CPR with hard and fast chest compressions.

Chest Recoil:  The re-expansion of the chest, allowing blood flow to the heart.

Child:  A person ages 1 through puberty.

Clear:  A prompt from the AED that alerts the rescuers to clear the victim for the administration of a shock.

Compressions:  The act of pushing on the chest to resuscitate a victim.

Compressions-Airway-Breathing (C-A-B):  A sequence of events to conduct CPR.

Contaminated Sharps:  Contaminated needles and objects that represent a penetration hazard.

CPR:  Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique of providing compressions and ventilations to a victim of cardiac arrest.

Defibrillation:  An electrical impulse used to eliminate abnormal, rapid heartbeats and re-establish a normal heart rhythm.

Dehydration:  A harmful reduction in the amount of water in the body.

E-C Clamp:  A technique used to secure a pocket mask or BVM where the thumb and index fingers form the C shape and the remaining three fingers form an E shape.

Electrical Shock: The shock delivered by an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC):  A term used to define immediate recognition and care concerning a cardiovascular emergency.

Encircling Hands:  A technique used in multiple rescuer CPR for infants involving wrapping hands around an infants body and compressing with the thumbs.

Epinephrine (Epi):  A drug most commonly used to stop an allergic reaction.

Epi Pen:  An auto-injection device most commonly used to address a severe allergic reaction.

Epistaxis:  A nose bleed.

Femoral Artery:  A large artery that is used for obtaining a child’s pulse, located in the upper, inner thigh.

Foreign Body:  An unknown obstruction to the airway.

Hands Only CPR: A CPR technique involving continuous, rapid chest compressions without rescue breaths. Hands-only CPR is effective in maintaining circulation and oxygenation during cardiac arrest.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV):  A microorganism that attacks the immune system causing Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Hepatitis B:  A virus that attacks the liver and causes severe pain.

Hepatitis C:  A virus that attacks the liver and commonly shows little to no signs.

Infant:  A person who is less than 1 year old.

Intact Brain Function: The goal of CPR is to manually preserve brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing.

Injury Prevention:  A system of checks and balances to ensure a workplace is in the safest possible order.

Medical Emergency: A sudden cardiac arrest, which is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate attention.

Mucous Membrane:  A membrane tissue that often lines body cavities and secretes mucous.

Multiple Rescuer:  A team of at least 2 members that are conducting rescue efforts for a victim.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):  A government organization that monitors traffic safety on highways.

No Shock Advised:  A prompt from the AED to alert the rescuers that the device does not detect a shockable rhythm.

Occupational Health & Safety Association (OSHA):  The governing body that oversees the workplace for safety and health standards.

Oxygen Rich Blood Flowing: The importance of CPR in maintaining the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other organs.

Perform CPR: Providing CPR to children, infants, and adults. It is important to seek emergency help and take a CPR training course.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):  The equipment used to protect yourself against harmful microorganisms, such as gloves, gowns, caps, boots and masks.

Pocket Mask:  A mask device that can be used during mouth-to-mouth ventilations providing better exposure protection by use of a 1-way valve.

Rescuer:  The individual engaging in rescue procedures for a victim.

Respiratory Arrest:  The failure to breathe.

Responsiveness:  The active involvement of a victim as classified by Alertness, Verbally responsive, Pain responsive or Unresponsive (AVPU).

RICE:  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Risk Management:  An index of suspicion of potential risk and mitigation of those risks to prevent accidents.

Seizure:  An uncontrolled disturbance in the brain, most commonly identified as convulsion-type movements.

Shock:  A potentially fatal decrease in blood flow that causes the body to become pale with low blood pressure and a weak pulse.

Shock Advised:  A prompt from the AED that alerts the rescuers that the device does detect a shockable rhythm.

Single Rescuer:  A single individual conducting rescue efforts for a victim.

Sniffing Position:  A head position with a slight tilt, as if lifting the head slightly to sniff.

Source Individual:  An individual with a known harmful microorganism, such as HIV, Hep B, Hep C, AIDS, etc.

Stroke:  A condition caused by a clot or bleed within the brain that decreases the blood flow to the brain, potentially causing possible function paralysis.

Sternocleidomastoid:  A large muscle on the side of the neck which can be used to determine the position of the carotid artery.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA):  An incident that occurs when the heart stops beating abruptly and without warning.

Trachea:  An airway referred to as the ‘windpipe’ which can be used to determine the position of the carotid artery.

Tourniquet:  A device used to help control bleeding when direct pressure is not effective.

Universal Precautions:  Refers to standard procedures used to avoid contact with blood and other bodily fluids.

Venous Bleeding:  A serious type of external bleeding resulting from a damaged vein.

Ventilations:  The act of assisting a victim with breathing.

Ventricular Fibrillation: A dangerously abnormal heart rhythm that causes the heart's lower chambers to quiver rapidly and irregularly, leading to the cessation of pumping function.

Victim:  The individual suffering from an emergency incident.

Vital Organs: Organs that are essential for life. Sudden cardiac arrest and shock disrupt blood flow and compromise the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to vital organs.

Xiphoid Process:  A small cartilaginous process that projects from the lower end of the sternum.