TCCC Gunshot Wound Trauma Emergency Care Terms
Having attended a number of 1st aid classes, I realized that because I am not conversant in medical jargon; I have not been able to keep up in classes.
Following are some TCCC Gunshot Wound Trauma Emergency Care Terms that, if understood beforehand, will help make learning easier in TCCC type classes. I hope this helps!
Please contact me if you have terms that you suggest that I add, or if I could better define any of the following. shepard at shootinjh.com
Medical Terms:
- Abrasion: A cut or scrape that typically isn’t serious.
- Acidosis: A medical condition characterized by an increased acidity in the blood and body tissues
- Anaphylaxis: An acute and severe allergic reaction that occurs rapidly and can be life-threatening.
- Anterior: Nearer the front, especially situated in the front of the body or nearer to the head.
- Apnea: Suspension of breathing.
- Chronic: Signifies a recurring, persistent condition like heart disease.
- Coagulopathy: A disorder affecting the blood’s ability to clot properly, leading to either excessive bleeding or abnormal clot formation
- Contusion: A bruise.
- Defibrillator: A medical device that uses electric shocks to restore normal heartbeat.
- Dermis: The thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) that forms the true skin, containing blood capillaries, nerve endings, sweat glands, hair follicles, and other structures.
- Distal: Situated away from the center of the body or from the point of attachment.
- Dyspnea: Shortness of breath.
- Edema: Swelling caused by fluid accumulation.
- Embolism: An arterial blockage, often caused by a blood clot.
- Epidermis: The outer layer of the skin.
- Fracture: Broken bone or cartilage.
- Hemoptysis: Coughing up blood.
- Hematemesis: Vomiting blood.
- Hemorrhage: An escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel.
- Hypothermia: The condition of having an abnormally low body temperature, typically one that is dangerously low.
- Ischemia: Inadequate blood supply (circulation) to a local area due to blockage of the blood vessel to the area.
- Intravenous: Indicates medication or fluid that’s delivered by vein.
- Lateral: Situated or extending away from the midline of the body.
- M.A.R.C.H.: Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia
- Medial: Situated near the midline of the body or towards the middle.
- Pharyngeal: Relating to the pharynx, which is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, extending from the back of the nasal cavity to the esophagus.
- Pleural cavity: Potential space between the pleurae of the pleural sac that surrounds each lung.
- Posterior: Further back in position; of or nearer the rear or hind end, especially of the body or a part of it.
- Proximal: Situated nearer to the center of the body or the point of attachment.
- Shock: An acute medical condition associated with a fall in blood pressure.
- Subcutaneous: Situated or applied under the skin.
- Sutures: Stitches, which are used to join tissues together as they heal.
- Tachycardia: Rapid heart rate defined as more than 100 beats per minute.
- Tension Pneumothorax: An abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. A Decompression Needle can be used to relieve the pressure.
And, in case you want to have a better idea of how medical jargon comes about:
Medical Prefixes and Suffixes:
- A-, an-: Lack of or without.
- AVPU: An acronym that measures a patient’s level of response – Alert, Responds to Voice, Responds to Pain, Unresponsive.
- Dys-: Abnormal, difficult, or painful.
- -ectomy: Surgical removal of something.
- -itis: Signifies inflammation.
- -ology: The study of a particular concentration.
- -osis: Indicates something that is abnormal.
- -otomy: To cut into.
- -pathy: Disease or disease process.
- -plasty: Surgical repair.
- Stasis: Slowing or stopping the flow of a bodily fluid.
- Therm/o: Indicates heat.
Medical Root Words:
- Cardi/o: Related to the heart.
- Derm/a/o, dermat/o: Pertaining to the skin.
- Encephal/o: Related to the brain.
- Gastr/o: Related to the stomach.
- Hemat/o: Pertaining to blood.
- My/o: Related to muscle.
- Nasal: Relating to the nose.
- Oste/o: Related to bone.
- Pulmon/o: Refers to the lungs.
Medical Abbreviations and Acronyms:
- ALS: Advanced life support.
- BP: Blood pressure.
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a life-saving technique that’s also called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- C-spine: Cervical spine.
- DNR: Do not resuscitate, a medical order indicating providers should not perform CPR.
- HR: Heart rate, expressed as beats per minute.
- OR: Operating room where surgeries are performed.
- Pre-op: Preoperative.
- Stat: Immediately.