1. Evidence-based techniques: Techniques or practices that are supported by
scientific evidence of their safety and efficacy rather than merely by supposition
and tradition.
2. Medical direction: Oversight of the patient care aspects of an ems system
by the medical director. Direction can be either off or online
3. Medical director: a physician who assumes ultimate responsibility for the
patient-care aspects of the EMS system
4. 911 system: a system for telephone access to report emergencies. A
dispatcher takes the information and alerts EMS or the fire or police departments
as needed. Enhanced 911 has the additional capability of automatically identifying
the caller's phone number and location.
5. Off-line medical direction: Standing orders issued by the Medical Director
that allow EMTs to give certain medications or perform certain procedures without
speaking to the Medical Director or another physician.
6. Patient Outcomes: the long-term survival of patients
7. Peer Reviewed: submitted to a professional journal and reviewed by several
of the researchers peers
8. Protocols: lists of steps, such as assessments and interventions, to be taken
in different situations. Protocols are developed by the Medical Director of an
EMS system
9. Quality Improvement: a process of continual self-review with the purpose of
identifying and correcting aspects of the system that require improvement
10. Standing Orders: policies or protocols issued by a medical director that
authorize emts and others to preform particular skills in certain situations.
11. Contamination: The introduction of dangerous chemicals, disease, or
infectious materials.
12. CISM or Critical incident stress management: A comprehensive system
that includes education and resources to both prevent stress and deal with
stress appropriately when it occurs.
13. decontamination: The removal or cleansing of dangerous chemicals and
other dangerous or infectious materials.
14. hazardous material incident: the release of a harmful substance into the
enviroment
15. Multiple-casualty incident (MCI): an emergency involving multiple patients
16. pathogens: the organisms that cause infection, such as viruses and bacteria
17. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Equipment that protects the EMS
worker from infection and/or exposure to the dangers of rescue operations.
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