Terms 13,15

Question 1

accessory muscles of respiration

Answer 1

various muscles of the neck, chest, and abdomen that may become active when depth of respiration must be significantly increased.

Question 1

acute myocardial infarction (AMI)

Answer 1

the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing death of heart muscle. Also known as a heart attack.

Question 2

advanced life support (ALS)

Answer 2

a level of EMS care for which providers are trained and authorized to insert advanced airway devices, initiate intravenous lines, and give medications.

Question 3

airway patency

Answer 3

a condition in which an airway is open and unobstructed.

Question 4

alveoli

Answer 4

tiny air sacs within the lungs; the sites at which oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between inhaled air and the bloodstream.

Question 5

angina pectoris

Answer 5

sudden chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle; also called angina.

Question 6

anoxia

Answer 6

a condition characterized by the lack of an oxygen supply.

Question 7

aorta

Answer 7

the large muscular artery that originates at the heart and serves as the main trunk of the arterial system.

Question 8

aortic aneurysm

Answer 8

an abnormal dilation, bulging, or ballooning of the aorta.

Question 9

arrhythmia

Answer 9

abnormal heart rhythm.

Question 10

asystole

Answer 10

absence of a heartbeat due to lack of cardiac electrical activity.

Question 11

atherosclerosis

Answer 11

a form of arteriosclerosis in which cholesterol and lipid plaques form within the walls of arteries.

Question 12

automated external defibrillator (AED)

Answer 12

a medical device used to deliver an electrical shock to a patient in an effort to restore an effective heart rhythm.

Question 13

automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD)

Answer 13

an implantable defibrillator that recognizes common lethal heart rhythms and then delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore an effective heart rhythm.

Question 14

basic life support (BLS)

Answer 14

a basic level of EMS care for which providers are trained and authorized to provide basic interventions, including noninvasive airway devices, application of oxygen, CPR, and basic first aid.

Question 15

bradypnea

Answer 15

a decreased respiration rate; in adults, less than 10 rpm.

Question 16

breath sounds

Answer 16

the noises produced by the pulmonary structures during respiration.

Question 17

bronchospasm

Answer 17

the involuntary contraction of the bronchioles.

Question 18

cardiac arrest

Answer 18

cessation of a functional heartbeat.

Question 19

cardiogenic shock

Answer 19

a condition whereby body tissues are oxygen deprived due to the heart’s inability to adequately pump blood; may follow a large acute myocardial infarction.

Question 20

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Answer 20

a procedure to revive a patient who is pulseless and not breathing.

Question 21

cardioversion

Answer 21

the restoration of a normal rhythm of the heart by electrical shock.

Question 22

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Answer 22

a condition in which the airways and alveoli become damaged, typically by long-term smoke exposure; its two most important forms are chronic bronchitis and chronic emphysema.

Question 23

congestive heart failure

Answer 23

failure of the heart to efficiently pump blood to body tissues.

Question 24

coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

Answer 24

an operation that uses grafts of healthy blood vessels to bypass diseased arteries that supply the heart tissue.

Question 25

coronary artery disease (CAD)

Answer 25

narrowing of the coronary arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle.

Question 26

crepitus

Answer 26

a "crackling" feel of the skin of the chest that is detected by palpation; is caused by the presence of air trapped beneath the skin.

Question 27

dyspnea

Answer 27

difficult or labored breathing accompanied by feeling short of breath.

Question 28

edema

Answer 28

abnormal buildup of fluid in body tissues.

Question 29

embolus

Answer 29

a blood clot, fat, or other solid material in the venous system that breaks loose and is carried in the bloodstream, lodging in another site in the body.

Question 30

hypertension

Answer 30

hypertension abnormally high blood pressure.

Question 31

infarction

Answer 31

formation of an area of dead tissue due to inadequate blood flow.

Question 32

ischemia

Answer 32

a deficiency in blood supply (and thus a deficiency of nutrients) to a tissue; if prolonged, may result in infarction.

Question 33

myocardium

Answer 33

heart muscle tissue.

Question 34

pacemaker

Answer 34

a device that substitutes for the pace-making tissue of the heart; can be surgically implanted.

Question 35

perfusion

Answer 35

the delivery of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to tissues.

Question 36

pericarditis

Answer 36

inflammation of the pericardium or sac surrounding the heart, causing chest pain.

Question 37

pleura

Answer 37

the thin transparent membrane covering the outside of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall.

Question 38

pleural space

Answer 38

the potential space that lies within the pleura covering the outside of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall.

Question 39

pneumothorax

Answer 39

an abnormal collection of air within the pleural space.

Question 40

pulmonary embolism

Answer 40

a condition in which a clot or other obstruction (an embolus) partially or completely blocks a pulmonary artery.

Question 41

thrombus

Answer 41

a clot in the blood.

Question 42

ventilation

Answer 42

the process by which air moves into and out of the lungs, so that oxygen can be exchanged for carbon dioxide in the alveoli.

Question 43

ventricular fibrillation

Answer 43

chaotic and ineffective contraction of the ventricles that leads to cardiac arrest.

Question 44

ventricular tachycardia

Answer 44

rapid contraction of the ventricles that can lead to ineffective blood flow to body tissues and eventually cardiac arrest.

Question 45

wheezing

Answer 45

a high-pitched respiratory sound caused by a narrowing of the tubular airways.