Glossary

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  • A type of seizure with less obvious signs and symptoms.
  • Acetylsalicylic acid is also known as Aspirin or ASA. It is a medication used to treat pain, fever or inflammation.
  • The application of external heat sources to the skin (e.g., electric heating blanket).
  • An automatic external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device which can analyse the rhythm of the heart and if necessary, may deliver an electric shock to help the heart return to its normal rhythm.
  • The continued cooling of the body temperature after rewarming has started.
  • A medical term used to describe when a person is gasping or struggling to breathe. It tends to be associated with life-threatening conditions such as a heart attack or stroke.
  • Acute mountain sickness is a mild form of altitude sickness.
  • Any type of medication that provides pain relief.
  • A diagnosed condition that can be treated with medication. The person's arteries which lead to the heart narrow, limiting blood flow and causing chest pain.
  • A substance capable of preventing a product from exerting its toxic effects.
  • Substances that work to reduce body temperature.
  • The breathing stops, usually for a short time during sleep.
  • To drain a blister by puncturing it, leaving the top layer of skin in place.
  • When there is no electrical activity or movement in the heart. It is the most serious type of cardiac arrest.
  • Blood pressure is measured using two measurements. The systolic pressure is the force at which the heart pumps blood through the arteries. The diastolic pressure is the pressure of in the arteries between heartbeats when the heart rests.
  • Blunt force trauma is physical trauma to a body part, either by a violent or high-velocity impact.
  • Borg Dyspnoea Scale is used to measure the breathing difficulty reported by a person to assess the severity of their disease.
  • Glucose is put inside the mouth on the lips or cheeks where it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
  • The phenomenon that the more people who are present at an emergency, the less likely anyone is to help, due to a diffusion of responsibility.
  • The phenomenon that the more people who are present at an emergency, the less likely anyone is to help, due to a diffusion of responsibility.
  • Major blood vessels in the front of the neck that supply blood to the brain, neck, and face.
  • Cervical spinal motion restriction is the reduction or limitation of cervical spinal movement using a cervical collar, or sandbags with tape, combined with a long backboard. The definition may differ slightly according to the organisation.
  • Community efficacy is the extended sense that one's group can cope with the traumatic event and its associated tasks.
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a technique of using chest compressions, usually combined with rescue breaths, to pump blood around the body, with the aim of keeping a person's vital organs alive until defibrillation can take place.
  • Cross reality is a mixture of virtual and real-world elements. For example, playing a character in a fictional story (virtual world) but having to physically give CPR to someone in the story (real world).
  • An electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm using a defibrillator. Using a defibrillator device increases survival of people having sudden cardiac arrest due to fibrillation. Fibrillation is rapid, disordered and inefficient heart contractions. There are automated external(...)
  • Remove the top layer of skin of a blister.
  • A solution used to wash away chemicals spilt on the body and eyes.
  • A dose attenuator modifies electrical energy delivered by a defibrillator based on the person's size.
  • DR ABC is a commonly used tool in English to help learners remember how to assess a scene and person. The letters stand for Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation.
  • Duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual or company requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others.
  • Difficult or laboured breathing, a feeling of shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and the feeling of suffocation.
  • For the guidelines, the term 'emergency medical services' (EMS) signifies that the first aid provider should quickly access the next available higher level of care. In some places, EMS may mean an ambulance service and hospital, while in others it may mean contacting a local health worker or(...)
  • An infection of the brain that is usually caused by a virus.
  • A condition or disease regularly found among a group of people or a certain area.
  • Pain or discomfort right below the ribs in the upper abdomen.
  • The flap at the back of the throat which can close to stop food and drink from going down the windpipe.
  • The process of a layer of tissue forming to cover exposed internal vessels or organs as part of the healing process.
  • Epithelium is a body tissue which covers the surfaces of internal organs and body parts.
  • Increased blood flow to an area of skin due to injury or infection. the skin may become redder, purple, or darker
  • ETCO2 indicates the amount of carbon dioxide in the air exhaled when breathing. A high level of carbon dioxide in the exhaled breath is an indicator of good breathing.
  • Extremities of the body including arms, legs, fingers, and toes.
  • The percentage of time that compressions are given.
  • The proportion of resuscitation time without spontaneous circulation during which chest compressions were administered.
  • High altitude cerebral oedema is altitude sickness affecting the brain, behaviour and alertness.
  • The process of stopping bleeding. The blood thickens and clots to keep blood inside the damaged tissues.
  • HAINES stands for 'high arm in endangered spine' and the positions are adapted recovery positions which raise the arm to support the head and spine.
  • Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution is a solution composed of salts and supplemented with glucose.
  • High altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) is altitude sickness affecting the lungs and breathing.
  • Hydrocolloids are a type of dressings for wounds which maintain a moist and protected environment ideal for the healing process.
  • Hydrogel dressings are used on wounds and provide a moist environment to promote healing.
  • A high concentration of fats or lipids in the blood.
  • high sodium levels in the body.
  • When the body or area of the body receives an excessive supply of oxygen.
  • Rapid or deep breathing usually caused by anxiety or a panic attack.
  • Low sodium levels in the body.
  • The breathing is very soft and shallow, usually during sleep.
  • Hypoxic means there are low levels of oxygen in the person's blood resulting in their organs and tissues not receiving enough oxygen to work properly.
  • In vitro studies are studies done in a controlled environment such as a petri dish.
  • Ischemia is a condition in which the blood flow (and therefore oxygen) is restricted or reduced in a part of the body.
  • Often called the voice box, the larynx is in the throat and holds the vocal cords.
  • Limited evidence indicates that evidence is available and is a positive statement in support of the available science.
  • Melbourne Ambulance Stroke Screen is a scale including glucose measurementorLos Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screening (LAPSS) is a method of identifying potential stroke with glucose measurement.
  • Millibar, a metric unit of pressure.
  • An inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
  • Examining many different research studies to find common results.
  • It is how many people have a disease in a particular society or population.
  • The number of deaths within a particular society and within a particular period of time.
  • MRSA is a type of bacterial infection, which is resistant to some types of antibiotics.
  • Myocardial revascularization is a medical procedure to improve blood flow to the heart (myocardium). Examples include angioplasty, stent or surgical coronary artery bypass grafting.
  • Narrowcasting is the transmission of television programs to a localised or specialised audience.
  • Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin and surrounding muscles and organs.
  • A new-born is a baby from birth to about one month old.
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH), is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s medical research agency.
  • No-flow time is the reported time from cardiac arrest to the start of bystander CPR.
  • Cardiac arrest due to cardiac disease origin.
  • A dressing that does not seal the wound, allowing air and moisture to pass through it.
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  • An occlusive dressing seals the wound and doesn't allow air or moisture to pass through it.
  • This is all things related to the oesophagus which is the pipe that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
  • Glucose is swallowed by mouth.
  • P6 is a point on the forearm that can be stimulated using techniques taken from acupuncture.
  • A defibrillator that can analyse the heart rhythm of children. It also delivers the right level of energy in the electric shock for children.
  • Painkiller is an analgesic such as paracetamol/acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • A painkiller which also reduces fever. Acetaminophen is the common name for the same product in some countries.
  • The abnormal state or function of part of the body due to disease or injury.
  • A person's subjective perception of the risks.
  • Perineal trauma or tearing is damage to the tissues and muscles in the vagina and anal area during childbirth.
  • Peripheral pulse is a pulse at one of the peripheries of the body such as at the wrists or on the top of or just behind the feet.
  • A sticking plaster is a small adhesive dressing, widely available in pharmacies. They are used on minor cuts and grazes that do not require a bandage.
  • Pain when breathing in and out.
  • The use of gravity to drain fluids from a person's airway. A variety of positions have been used.
  • Personal protective equipment such as face mask or gloves.
  • A technique for immobilising and applying pressure to a leg or arm, to slow down the movement of the venom to vital organs.
  • The sensation of itchiness on the skin.
  • A pulse that can be felt on your wrist.
  • Involves individuals taking turns to coach each other on different knowledge or skills that they have already mastered.
  • Rhythm check timing refers to the timing of the analysis of the heart rhythm. This can be done by a first aid provider taking the pulse immediately after the defibrillator has given a shock (or not).
  • Pain in the sciatic nerve (a nerve that starts in the lower back and extends down the legs).
  • Signs of life include things such as moving, crying or coughing.
  • An injection using a short needle to inject medication just under the skin.
  • Glucose is put under the tongue where it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
  • Pain just below or behind the sternum or breastbone (the bone in the centre of the chest).
  • An open chest wound in which air enters and exits with each breathing movement.
  • Tension pneumothorax can be caused by an open chest wound. Air enters the cavity (the pleural space) between the lung and the chest wall. The air builds up, creating pressure on the lung and reducing its ability to expand, making breathing difficult.
  • Thermal burns are burns caused by heat such as fire, steam, or contact with something hot.
  • The use of medication to break down blood clots that have formed in the blood vessels.
  • Thrombolytic therapy is a treatment to breakdown blood clots to improve blood flow.
  • Transcutaneous pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method of measuring the oxygen level of the tissue below the skin.
  • Electrical activity in the chest that varies with changes in body size and composition.
  • The tympanic temperature is that taken from the ear.
  • Umbilical cord prolapse means that part of the umbilical cord passes out of the uterus before the baby. This can result in pressure being applied to the cord as the baby is born, interfering with the supply of oxygenated blood reaching the baby during birth.
  • The bit of flesh that hangs down at the back of the throat.
  • The Valsalva manoeuvre involves taking a deep breath in, closing the nose and mouth, and gently blowing out. This increases pressure in the chest resulting in reduced cardiac output and lower blood pressure.
  • Ventricular fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the heart trembles and no longer pumps blood. This means blood circulation in the body stops, so it is a life-threatening condition. This type of heart rhythm (fibrillation) is most responsive to a shock from a defibrillator.
  • Visceral pain is pain from inside the pelvis, abdomen or chest. The nerve supply is less specific than skin nerves, and the pain in these areas may be vaguer than skin pain.
  • A scale used to rate the severity of breathing difficulties during a test.
  • Vital signs that a first aid provider may be able to monitor include the person's breathing or pulse rate.
  • Warming the body using items that actively warm it such as an electric heating blanket.
  • Warming the body using items that will help the body retain heat such as a sleeping bag.
  • Washout periods are the periods between administering treatments.
  • Slightly protruding solid red pimple with no liquid that fades when the skin is pulled.

Explore the guidelines

Published: 15 February 2021

First aid

First aid

Explore the first aid recommendations for more than 50 common illnesses and injuries. You’ll also find techniques for first aid providers and educators on topics such as assessing the scene and good hand hygiene.

First aid education

First aid education

Choose from a selection of some common first aid education contexts and modalities. There are also some education strategy essentials to provide the theory behind our education approach.

About the guidelines

About the guidelines

Here you can find out about the process for developing these Guidelines, and access some tools to help you implement them locally.