Here you will find words that are used in the field of Pre-hospital Emergency Care. To help in your understanding, the words are defined, and they will be followed with an image, a translation in French and an example in a sentence.
ambulance
noun
Emergency vehicle that rushes people to a hospital.
Example: On the day of admission, Mr was visited at home by his GP who immediately called an ambulance.
en: ambulance
cervical collar
noun
A cervical collar, also known as a neck brace, is a medical device used to support a person's neck. It is also applied by emergency personnel to those who have had traumatic head or neck injuries, and can be used to treat chronic medical conditions.
Example: The patient may be advised to wear a neck brace or collar (for up to 8 weeks) that serves to ensure proper spinal alignment.
en: collet cervical
gauze compress
noun
A compress is a soft pad of gauze or other material applied with pressure to a part of the body to control hemorrhage or to supply heat, cold, moisture, or medication to alleviate pain or reduce infection.
Example: In order to induce IAH, a midline laparotomy (3-cm incision) was performed to expose the abdominal cavity, and 15-cm hydrophilic gauze compresses (Cremer, Blumenau, SC, Brazil) were placed in the four quadrants (one gauze/quadrant).
en: compresse de gaze
paramedic
noun
A person who is trained to assist a physician or to give first aid or other health care in the absence of a physician, often as part of a police, rescue, or firefighting squad.
Example: Ambulances, each staffed by one paramedic and one emergency medical technician, must arrive within 12 minutes under the new standards.
en: paramédic
penlight
noun
A flashlight that has the size and shape of a pen and used to see the pupils reactions.
Example: She flashes her penlight across his open eyes, but Michael doesn't react.
en: lampe-stylo
prehospital intervention report
noun
The report of the paramedic intervention.
Example: He has transmitted the prehospital intervention report to us.
en: rapport d'intervention préhospitalier
pulse oximeter
noun
A device that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood in a subject by utilizing a sensor attached typically to a finger.
Example: Is the pulse oximeter on the patient and functioning?
en: saturométrie
semi-automatic defibrillator
noun
A device capable of outputting through the thorax of a quantity of electrical energy via electrodes, in an attempt to re-synchronize the cardiac electrical activity.
Example: This paper presents a high voltage generator for the semi-automatic defibrillator.
en: moniteur défibrillateurs semi-automatique
sphygmomanometer
noun
An instrument for measuring blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure.
Example: Both sounds are recorded on the mercury gauge on the sphygmomanometer.
en: sphygmomanomètre
spinal board
noun
A spinal board, also known as a long spine board, long back board, longboard, spineboard, or backboard, is a patient handling device used primarily in pre-hospital trauma care designed to provide rigid support during movement of a patient with suspected spinal or limb injuries.
Example: As Penn State players knelt and held hands, paramedics braced Taliaferro's neck and placed him on a spinal board.
en: Planche dorsale
stethoscope
noun
A medical instrument for listening to the action of someone's heart or breathing, typically having a small disk-shaped resonator that is placed against the chest, and two tubes connected to earpieces.
Example: The physician will listen to the child's chest with a stethoscope for specific sounds that indicate lung inflammation, such as moist rales and crackling, and wheezing, that indicate airway narrowing.
en: stéthoscope
stretcher
noun
A framework of two poles with a long piece of canvas slung between them, used for carrying sick, injured, or dead people
Example: I was flat on my back on a stretcher and there were a number of people in the room, most with flashlights, all seemingly talking at the same time.
en: civière
syringe
noun
A tube with a nozzle and piston or bulb for sucking in and ejecting liquid in a thin stream, used for cleaning wounds or body cavities, or fitted with a hollow needle for injecting or withdrawing fluids.
Example: Minutes later when the nurse arrived with a syringe of medicine, Destiny was asleep again, still clutching the doll to her chest.
en: seringue
tourniquet
noun
A device for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery, typically by compressing a limb with a cord or tight bandage.
Example: If the bleeding from an arm or leg is so extreme as to be life-threatening and if it cannot be stopped by any other means, a tourniquet may be required.
en: tourniquet
tracheal intubation
noun
It is the insertion of a tube into the mouth of the patients to help them to breathe better.
Example: The induction of anesthesia is followed by tracheal intubation after the administration of a depolarizing muscle relaxant.
en: intubation trachéale
triangular bandage
noun
bandage to support an injured forearm; consisting of a wide triangular piece of cloth hanging from around the neck.
Example: Neckerchiefs were chosen as they could easily be used as a sling or triangular bandage by a Scout in need.
en: bandage triangulaire
vacuum mattress
noun
A vacuum mattress, or vacmat, is a medical device used for the immobilization of patients, especially in case of a vertebra, pelvis or limb trauma. It is also used for manual transportation of patients for short distances.
Example: The vacuum mattress is put on a stretcher or possibly on a long spine board.
