Chapter 7 Terms

Question 1

Agonal gasp

Answer 1

Isolated or infrequent gasping in the absence of other breathing in an unconscious person; can occur after the heart has stopped breathing.

Question 2

Airway

Answer 2

The pathway for air from the mouth and nose through the pharynx, larynx and trachea and into the lungs.

Question 3

AVPU

Answer 3

Mnemonic describing the four levels of patient response: Alert, Verbal, Painful and Unresponsive.

Question 4

Brachial artery

Answer 4

The main artery of the upper arm; runs from the shoulder down to the bend of the elbow.

Question 5

Breathing rate

Answer 5

Term used to describe the number of breaths per minute.

Question 6

Capillary refill

Answer 6

A technique for estimating how the body is reacting to injury or illness by checking the ability of capillaries to refill with blood.

Question 7

Carotid artery

Answer 7

The major artery located on either side of the beck that supplies blood to the brain.

Question 8

CPR breathing barrier

Answer 8

Devices that allow for artificial ventilations without direct mouth-to-mouth contact; includes resuscitation masks and bag-valve-mask resuscitators (BVMs).

Question 9

Cyanotic

Answer 9

Showing bluish discoloration of the skin, nailbeds and mucous membranes due to insufficient levels of oxygen in the blood.

Question 10

Glasgow coma scale (GCS)

Answer 10

A measure of level of consciousness (LOC) based on eye opening, verbal response and motor response.

Question 11

Hypoxic

Answer 11

Having below-normal concentrations of oxygen in the organs and tissues of the body.

Question 12

Level of consciousness (LOC)

Answer 12

A person’s state of awareness, ranging from being fully alert to unconscious; also referred to as mental status.

Question 13

Minute volume

Answer 13

The amount of air breathed in a minute; calculated by multiplying the volume of air inhaled at each breath (in mL) by the number of breaths per minute.

Question 14

Perfusion

Answer 14

The circulation of blood through the body or through a particular body part for the purpose of exchanging oxygen and nutrients with carbon dioxide and other wastes.

Question 15

Primary (initial) assessment

Answer 15

A check for conditions that are an immediate threat to a patient’s life.

Question 16

Pulse

Answer 16

The beat felt from each rhythmic contraction of the heart.

Question 17

Respiratory arrest

Answer 17

A condition in which there is an absence of breathing.

Question 18

Respiratory distress

Answer 18

A condition in which a person is having difficulty breathing or requires extra effort to breathe.

Question 19

Signs

Answer 19

Term used to describe any observable evidence of injury or illness, such as bleeding or unusual skin color.

Question 20

Signs of life

Answer 20

A term sometimes used to describe breathing and a pulse in an unresponsive patient.

Question 21

Stoma

Answer 21

A surgical opening in the body; a stoma may be created in the neck following surgery on the trachea to allow the patient to breathe.

Question 22

Symptoms

Answer 22

What the patient reports experiencing, such as pain, nausea, headache or shortness of breath.

Question 23

Vital signs

Answer 23

Important information about the patient’s condition obtained by checking respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure.