Chapter 7 Terms Flashcards
Agonal gasp
Isolated or infrequent gasping in the absence of other breathing in an unconscious person; can occur after the heart has stopped breathing.
Airway
The pathway for air from the mouth and nose through the pharynx, larynx and trachea and into the lungs.
AVPU
Mnemonic describing the four levels of patient response: Alert, Verbal, Painful and Unresponsive.
Brachial artery
The main artery of the upper arm; runs from the shoulder down to the bend of the elbow.
Breathing rate
Term used to describe the number of breaths per minute.
Capillary refill
A technique for estimating how the body is reacting to injury or illness by checking the ability of capillaries to refill with blood.
Carotid artery
The major artery located on either side of the beck that supplies blood to the brain.
CPR breathing barrier
Devices that allow for artificial ventilations without direct mouth-to-mouth contact; includes resuscitation masks and bag-valve-mask resuscitators (BVMs).
Cyanotic
Showing bluish discoloration of the skin, nailbeds and mucous membranes due to insufficient levels of oxygen in the blood.
Glasgow coma scale (GCS)
A measure of level of consciousness (LOC) based on eye opening, verbal response and motor response.
Hypoxic
Having below-normal concentrations of oxygen in the organs and tissues of the body.
Level of consciousness (LOC)
A person’s state of awareness, ranging from being fully alert to unconscious; also referred to as mental status.
Minute volume
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.
Perfusion
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.
Primary (initial) assessment
A check for conditions that are an immediate threat to a patient’s life.
Pulse
The beat felt from each rhythmic contraction of the heart.
Respiratory arrest
A condition in which there is an absence of breathing.
Respiratory distress
A condition in which a person is having difficulty breathing or requires extra effort to breathe.
Signs
Term used to describe any observable evidence of injury or illness, such as bleeding or unusual skin color.
Signs of life
A term sometimes used to describe breathing and a pulse in an unresponsive patient.
Stoma
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.
Symptoms
What the patient reports experiencing, such as pain, nausea, headache or shortness of breath.
Vital signs
Important information about the patient’s condition obtained by checking respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure.
