Glossary of Medical Terms

BP stands for Blood Pressure

ED stands for Emergency Department

GSC stands for Glasgow Coma Scale, which measures the level of consciousness of a patient. There is a checklist that gives points for eye, verbal and motor response. The scale ranges from 3 -15 with 3-8 indicating a severe head injury.

ECG stands for Electrocardiogram, which detects cardiac abnormalities by measuring the electrical activity generated when the heart contracts.

CT stands for Computed tomography, which is a scanning technique that combines a series of X rays taken from different angles around the body and then a computer processes these into more detailed cross sectional images of bones, blood vessels and soft tissue.

Echo stands for Echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound test that examines the structure of the heart to check how it is functioning.

Nec fasc stands for Necrotizing fasciitis, which is a flesh-eating bacteria that has a sudden onset and spreads rapidly resulting in the death of soft tissue. Symptoms include red or purple skin, fever, vomiting and severe pain.

Cellulitis is a common but serious bacterial skin infection that usually affects the lower limbs. It usually occurs because of a break in the skin that allows the infection to enter the body. Left untreated, it can rapidly become life threatening. Symptoms include red areas of skin, swelling, fever, blisters and severe pain.

Retroperitoneum is a space at the back of the abdomen, which includes the kidneys, pancreas, parts of the rectum and parts of the stomach and colon.

TP stands for Transfusion Protocols, which refers to the rapid administration of large amounts of blood products to manage haemorrhagic shock.

FFP stands for Fresh Frozen Plasma is made up of a mixture of water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and tends to be used when a patient’s blood is not clotting.

Platelets are tiny blood cells that help the body form clots to stop bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged, a message will be sent to the platelets that then travel to the area and start to actively repair the damage.

The Aorta is the main artery that carries blood away from the heart into the rest of the body.

Noradrenaline is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It functions to mobilise the body and brain for action by increasing alertness, promoting vigilance, enhancing memory and focusing attention.

Sinus rhythm is necessary, but not sufficient, for normal electrical activity of the heart.

Cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function when blood stops pumping around the body.

Full toxicology screen is a test that determines if the patient has any drug substances (legal or illegal) in their system. If there are multiple drugs in the patient's system then further tests may be needed.

Propofol is a short acting medication that causes decreased levels of consciousness and a lack of memory of events.

Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection in young children that causes inflammation and congestion in the small airways in the lungs. Symptoms include fever, coughing, breathing difficulty and wheezing. Typically, Bronchiolitis can last for several days but may last up to a month.

CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and is an emergency procedure to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who has had a cardiac arrest.