acute: characterised by rapid onset or short-term duration
adaptic gauze: non-adhering dressing
agonal breathing: an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by gasping and labored breathing and accompanied by strange vocalizations and involuntary muscle twitching
ambient: surrounding on all sides
arrhythmia: a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat
aspiration: inhalation of fluid or a foreign body into the bronchi and lungs, often after vomiting
asymptomatic: without symptoms
blood-borne pathogens: infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): an emergency procedure that is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest
defibrillation: a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator, which depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, terminates the arrhythmia and allows normal sinus rhythm to be reestablished by the body’s natural pacemaker
distal: away from the center of the body
hyperoxia: excess oxygen or higher than normal partial pressure of oxygen
hypovolemic: a state of decreased blood volume
hypoxia: inadequate oxygen content
oronasal: pertaining to the mouth and nose
peripheral: related to or located in the outer boundary of the body
proximal: nearer to the center of the body
regurgitation: expulsion of material from the mouth, pharynx or esophagus, usually characterized by the presence of undigested food or blood; vomiting
resuscitation: revival from apparent death or from unconsciousness
sublingual: under the tongue
symptomatic: showing symptoms
ventricular fibrillation (VF): a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly