Syrups Medicines mixed with sugar and water.
System architecture The arrangement of radio components. Currently, two radio architectures exist in EMS: traditional land mobile radio (LMR) architecture and cellular system architecture.
Systemic Pertaining to more than one internal organ system.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) Localized infection leading to systemic infection leading to sepsis, then on to septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
Systemic pathology Illnesses and ailments of humans related to specific organs.
Systems review A head-to-toe approach to history gathering in which the healthcare provider starts at the head, questioning about issues/concerns that may be present at the nervous system level (stroke, seizures), and moving downward to cover the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, abdomen, genitourinary system, extremities, and behavioral disorders.
System status management (SSM) A dynamic alternative to fixed-post staffing in which ambulances are "on the road" and moving to new locations to improve response times.
Systole Ventricular contraction.
Systolic blood pressure The maximum blood pressure measured during systole when the heart contracts.
Tablet A dry medicinal powder that is compressed into a pill shape.
Tachycardia A heart rate that is over 100 beats per minute for an adult or above the upper limit of normal for a child.
Tachypnea Rapid breathing.
Tactical EMS (TEMS) EMS providers working with police SWAT teams trained on how to provide care to the wounded while in hostile surroundings as well as maintain the health of the SWAT team members during prolonged operations.
Tactile fremitus Vibrations palpated on the chest wall that occur with speech.
Tamponade Compression performed to control bleeding.
Tardive dyskinesia A neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements of the extremities often caused by long-term use of certain drugs (antipsychotic or neuroleptic).
Teachable moment The time when the patient has a heightened awareness of a problem and is receptive to information.
Telemetry The process of transmitting measurements and recordings to another location, where they are interpreted; a monitoring device connected to a patient by two or three wires that collects data and sends it via radio waves to an antenna.
Teleological A model of ethics that simply states the end justifies the means. This approach implies that, even though some harm may occur, in the end if the outcome is good then the behavior is ethical.
10-codes A system from the 1920s in which police departments that only had one radio frequency used abbreviated messages designed to minimize airtime. Plain speech is preferred over 10-codes to avoid confusion and improve interoperability.
Tenderness A soft or yielding texture; physically weak.
Tentative field diagnosis A determination of what’s causing the patient’s problems performed upon initial evaluation.
Teratogen Toxic substance or agent such as an illegal drug or an infection such as rubella (measles) or toxoplasmosis that could lead to fetal malformation.
Teratogenic effect Exposure to ionizing radiation that can cause birth defects and cancer in subsequent generations as a result of changes in the structure of DNA.
Tertiary care Highly specialized care provided in areas such as trauma centers and cardiac centers.
Therapeutic index The ratio of the difference between a drug’s median effective dose (the ED50) and the median lethal dose (the LD50).
Therapeutic level (t) The point when the drug levels attain the targeted value, as manifested by observation of the therapeutic effect.
Therapeutic touch Intentional touching that mimics earlier comfort experiences (such as a mother stroking an infant’s cheek) and telegraphs reassurance, understanding, and caring to the patient as a means to heal.
Third spacing A process that occurs when colloidal osmotic pressure is low, in which fluid leaks from the intravascular space and into the interstitial space.
3-3-2 rule A simple method for rapidly evaluating a patient’s anatomy, in which a Paramedic should be able to place three fingers between the tip of the chin and the hyoid bone, place three fingers between the upper and lower teeth at the maximal mouth opening, and place two fingers between the thyroid notch and the floor of the mouth.
Thrill Vibration of the chest associated with heart contraction.
Thrombin A protease in blood that facilitates blood clotting by converting fibrinogen to fibrin.
Thrombocytes Platelets; blood cells that aid in clotting.
Thrombophlebitis An inflammation of a vein that may develop at an IV insertion site.
Thrombus A mature clot made of platelets cross-linked with fibrin and other blood cells in a firm meshwork; a blood clot.
Thyroid gland A highly vascular, "H" shaped structure that lies along the sides of the larynx and upper trachea.
Tidal volume The volume of a normal breath, approximately 5 to 7 cc/kg of ideal body weight.
Tincture Medicinal substance that is dissolved in alcohol.
Tincture of benzoin Medication often applied to skin before applying tape or another adhesive bandage, used to both prevent allergic reactions on the skin from the bandage and to help the tape or bandage adhere longer.
To keep open (TKO) The minimal infusion rate needed to keep veins from becoming occluded by a clot.
Tolerance Resistance to a drug over time, which prompts the patient to take larger doses of the drug to acquire the same effect.
Tonic A series of whole body contractions that often precede a seizure.
Tonicity A solution’s ability to exert an osmotic pressure upon the membrane.
Topical Medications meant to be applied to the skin.
Tort A civil or private wrongful act, other than a breach of contract, resulting in some type of injury or harm (not necessarily physical injury).
Total body clearance The sum of all drug excretion from the kidneys, skin, lungs, and liver.
Toxicology The study of poisonous substances.
Toxin Any substance capable of causing cell injury and death, including poisons.
Trace A horizontal left-to-right movement on an ECG monitor.
Trachea A conduit for respiratory gasses to pass to and from the lungs.
Tracheobronchial suctioning Direct suctioning of the secretions in the bronchial tree.
Trade name Drug name manufacturers give a patented drug to distinguish it from other similar drugs.
Transdermal Pertaining to topical medication absorption, in which medicines are applied to the skin and absorbed into the body.
Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) Situation that occurs when the patient receives more volume of blood products than can be handled by the circulatory system.
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) A new acute lung injury that occurs within six hours of a transfusion and is directly related to the transfusion.
Translaryngeal illumination Using a lighted stylet during endotracheal intubation to take advantage of the larynx’s proximity to the anterior surface of the neck.
Translocations Gross breaks in some chromosomes with subsequent rejoinings at new locations.
Transmission The process of conveying a message, which can be either a true and accurate representation of the sender’s thoughts or may be conveyed in such a way that the meaning is misconstrued by the receiver.
Transmural ischemia The stage of myocardial ischemia when the ischemia affects the entire thickness of the myocardium, from the endocardium to the epicardium.
Transtracheal jet ventilation (TTJV) Ventilation of the lungs using special high-pressure devices through a large bore catheter placed through the cricothyroid membrane, which is a commonly taught and performed emergent oxygenation technique.
Trauma Mechanical injury due to abrupt and sudden physical forces acting upon the body, such as friction, blunt force, or penetrating force.
Trauma line Intravenous access inserted into the vascular space so that intravascular volume can be replaced quickly.
Treatment pathway The continuum of patient care which starts with the primary assessment and is continued in the emergency department, critical care units, rehabilitation floors, and homecare services.
Triage tag A form of documentation tag used in mass casualty incidents to quickly prioritize patients based on how quickly they need assistance (i.e., immediate treatment vs minor injury).
Trigeminy Situation in which ectopic complexes occur every third complex.
Tripod position A position patients may assume when in respiratory distress to help with breathing, in which they place their hands on their knees or legs and lean forward in a sitting position, creating a tripod. This position allows the overworked accessory muscles to work better, although most patients begin to tire when they are in such severe respiratory distress.
Troches Lozenges that dissolve and are absorbed in the mouth through the oral mucosa.
Trunking A technique whereby, using computers, multiple users can communicate over fewer frequencies, with the computer selecting the frequency to be used based on availability.
Turgor A distended state of tension in living cells.
Turned over to A process of transferring a patient to another care provider with equal or greater skill.
Tympanic membrane Sometimes called the eardrum, a thin membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear.
Type and crossed Donor blood that is successfully matched to recipient blood.
Type I error A common error made in an experiment in which the researcher rejects the null hypothesis and accepts the alternative hypothesis when in fact it is not supported.
Type II error A common error made in an experiment in which the researcher incorrectly fails to reject the null hypothesis; a failure to observe the change created by the treatment when one did occur.
Umbilical cord A connection between the mother’s placenta and unborn child (at the navel) used to transfer nutrition, respiratory gasses, and wastes in the months prior to the child’s birth.
Unilateral Relating to only one side.
Unipolar lead The use of a single positive electrode, using Wilson’s central terminal, to record differences in electrical potential.
United States Pharmacopeia (USP) A drug reference created by an independent nongovernmental science-based public health organization called the United States Pharmacopeia. The United States Pharmacopeia is made up of over 1,000 scientists, practitioners, and representatives from various colleges of medicine and pharmacy who set the standards for medication manufacturing in the United States.
Universal donor Name given to Type O blood, since it can be given to any of the A-B-O blood types without adverse reactions. Type O blood does not have surface proteins that incite the immune response, which ends in hemolysis.
Universal law A situation that demands action by any person in that situation, as a matter of duty.
Universal recipients Name given to individuals with Type AB blood, since they can receive blood from any donor. This is because people with Type AB blood do not have antibodies against A or B proteins present in the plasma.
Upregulation An increase in the number of cell receptors in a body cell due to changes in chemical levels.
Urgent An assessment classification in which the patient’s condition is not emergent, suggesting further assessment and evaluation is needed before treatment is initiated.
Use- (rate) dependent Drugs which act upon the ionic channels during the open/active state and preferentially will be attracted to rapidly depolarizing ectopic pacemakers.
Uvula A fleshy lobe that typically hangs in the midline of the pharynx.
Vagus nerve The major parasympathetic nerve which originates in the medulla, exits the skull at the base of the brain, travels down the neck (proximal to the larynx), branches into the heart and lungs, innervates the stomach, passes through the digestive tract, and ends in the anus.
Valecula The space formed between the anterior-superior surface of the epiglottis and the posterior base of the tongue.
Valid Logically correct and accurate.
Value judgment A Paramedic’s decision as to which course of action is the correct course of action in terms of right or wrong.
Vasopressor A chemical that causes vasoconstriction, particularly on the arterioles.
Vastus lateralis (VL) An intramuscular injection site on the anterior thigh. The Paramedic mentally divides the vastus lateralis muscle into three equal portions. Choosing the middle section of the VL, the Paramedic prepares the intended injection site with an alcohol-soaked pad.
Vector The sum of electrical events which makes up the common direction of the electrical wave front.
Vecuronium A non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent commonly used by Paramedics in the prehospital setting.
Venous cannulation The process of threading a catheter into a vein.
Ventilation A measure of how well a patient is moving air in and out of the lungs during inhalation and exhalation.
Ventricular diastole Condition after a contraction when the ventricles of the heart are in a relaxed state.
Ventricular rhythms A heartbeat originating from the ventricle, indicated by a wide QRS. This is usually, but not always, dangerous because the origin of the beat is in the last pacemaker in the ventricles.
Ventricular systole Condition in which, with the pressure elevated in the ventricles, the ventricular muscle fibers contract forcefully and generate sufficient pressure to force open the aortic and pulmonary valves to eject blood out of the heart.
Ventricular tachycardia A rhythm experienced when the ectopic focus is ventricular and the ventricular pacemaker becomes dominant. With ventricular tachycardia, the rhythm is regular, the rate is fast, and every beat is wide.
Ventrogluteal (VG) An intramuscular injection site located on the lateral thigh proximal to the hip.
Venturi masks Special masks with a restricted intake that permits an exact percentage of oxygen. These can be used to deliver oxygen, although their use in the prehospital environment is generally limited to specialty care services.
Veracity An adherence to truthfulness. When a Paramedic practices being truthful with all of her patients, then that Paramedic can be said to have veracity.
Verbal consent A spoken request for permission to perform a procedure, accompanied by a simple explanation, which can improve patient compliance and decrease the risk of misunderstanding.
Vertical equity Injury prevention programs where the people most affected receive the major emphasis. For example, if statistics demonstrate a higher number of accidental shootings among children in low-income households, then public health programs could be justifiably organized to emphasize prevention within that population.
Vesicular sounds Lung sounds auscultated over the peripheral, smaller airways that sound like leaves rustling in the wind.
Vicarious liability Based on the legal principle respondeat superior ("let the master answer"), the basis that a person is accountable for the actions of others.
Virtue ethics A somewhat middle ground approach to ethics that does not depend on consequence-driven decisions or duty-driven decision making, but upon virtues. The virtue ethics approach suggests that a "right-thinking" person will make the best decision for the patient based upon a predetermined set of virtues.
Visceral pain Poorly localized pain that arises from the internal organs and is usually described as pressure-like, dull, or aching.
Vital signs Objectively measured characteristics of basic body functions, such as temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. Vital signs provide the Paramedic with an indication as to how well the patient’s body is functioning or compensating for an injury or illness.
Volume overload A potentially devastating complication of intravenous infusions that occurs when a positional IV access is inadvertently adjusted and the infusion flow is unrestricted.
V/Q mismatch A mismatch between the amount of the lungs that are filled (alveolar ventilation) and the capillary circulation (pulmonary perfusion).
Walked on Suppression of a radio signal.
Wellness A state of physiologic equilibrium free of disease. More than an absence of illness, it is an active process of becoming aware of, and making choices toward, a more successful existence.
Wide open (WO) A rapid infusion of intravenous fluid.
Wilderness EMT (WEMT) An EMS provider in rural and woodland areas with special training that fosters critical thinking as well as creativity when working in an environment where supplies may be limited and patient transport to definitive care prolonged.
Witness A person who can confirm testimony or evidence presented in a case, or authenticate information provided.
Working diagnosis A presumptive conclusion the Paramedic makes based on the available signs and symptoms.
World Health Organization (WHO) The most prominent and influential international public health agency.
Z-track An injection technique in which the Paramedic holds the drug-filled syringe in the dominant hand, bevel up, and pulls gentle traction on the injection site with the nondominant hand as a means to prevent leakage.
Zygote A fertilized ovum.
