Glossary

of First Aid Terms

Glossary
of First Aid Terms

A
Acute: A condition Airway: The tubes
which happens suddenly. from the nose and mouth
to the lungs.

Coronary Artery Wall Cholesterol Plaque

Reduce blood flow

Amputation: Cutting Anaphylaxis: A life Angina: Pain or tight-

off a finger, toe or limb. threatening emergency ness in the heart caused
because of an acute by a reduced blood
allergic reaction. supply to the coronary
arteries.

Right Atrium Left Atrium

Artery: A blood vessel Asthma: A condition Atrium: Upper

that carries oxygenated where the airways chamber of the heart
blood from the heart become tight and
around the body. produce mucus making it
very difficult to breathe
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

B-C
Baby: For the purpose Breathing: The
of First Aid a baby is a passage of air in and out
child under 1 year. of the lungs.

Vein Artery

Capillary

Bruise: An injury Capillary:

l The Cardiac: To do with
causing bleeding under smallest blood vessels. the heart.
the skin.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Cardiovascular

A life saving procedure that includes the timed external System: The heart and
compression (pushing) on the casualty’s chest (to the blood vessels that
stimulate blood flow) by pumping the heart, and circulate blood around
alternating with mouth to mouth breathing to provide the body.
oxygen. Usually administered as 30 chest compressions
to every 2 breaths.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms Cerebro-Spinal
Fluid

C-
Casualty: The person Cerebro-Spinal
who is ill or injured. Fluid: Fluid that
surrounds the brain and
spinal cord to protect it.

Cervical: To do with Child: For First Aid a Chronic: continuing

the neck child is between 1 year over a long period of
old and puberty. time.

Circulation: The Circulatory System: The circulatory system is a

movement of blood composed of the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. It
throughout the body by transports blood low in oxygen from the body to the
the heart. lungs and heart (via veins) and oxygenated blood from
the lungs and heart throughout the body (via arteries).
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

C- Compression

Compression: Increasing physical pressure on a

(vital) structure. To compress or squash. (Compression
with head injuries is the pressure caused when the brain
swells following an injury).

Clammy: Cold and Concussion: Conscious: To be

Shaking of the brain or awake and respond to
wet skin – particularly the
temporary damage to the speech. Semi-conscious –
palms of hands. to respond to touch.
brain following a head
Unconscious/unresponsive
injury. – no response to pain

Coronary
Artery

Contract: to get Convulsion: A fit or Coronary Artery:

smaller/narrower – seizure The blood vessels
particularly used when supplying the heart.
talking about pupils in
the eyes and blood
vessels.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms
C-F
Defibrillation:
Delivering a dose of
electrical energy to the
affected heart with a device
called a defibrillator to stop
the heart shaking.
Dilate: to get bigger –
particularly used when
talking about pupils in the
eyes and blood vessels.
Cyanosed: blue grey Dehydration:
colour of the skin Insufficient (not enough)
showing lack of oxygen. fluid in the body because
of loss of body water or
not drinking enough.
Deoxygenated: Diabetes: a disease
Does not contain much affecting the ability to
oxygen. regulate the level of
sugar (glucose) in the
blood.
Dislocation: When a Febrile: Relates to a
bone or a joint is no fever or high body
longer in the right place. temperaturet.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

F-L
Fracture: A broken Fit: Seizure or
bone. convulsion

Graze: Usually a minor Hyper: High Hypoxia: Low levels

injury removing the top Hypo: Low of Oxygen in the blood.
layer of skin.

Pancreas

Bones

Ligaments
Cartilage

Inflammation: Insulin: A hormone Ligament: A band of

Redness, heat and secreted by the pancreas fibrous tissue that
swelling around an injury. that allows us to use and connects bones or
store sugar – it is this cartilage to support and
hormone that struggles in strengthen joints.
Diabetes.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

N-R
Nausea: Paediatrics: To do
Feeling sick. with babies and children.

Pulmonary: to do Rescue Breaths: Blowing air into an unconscious

with the lungs. casualty through the nose or mouth to get the chest to
rise and get air into their lungs to re-oxygenate them.

Respiration: Re-oxygenate: To Rotation:

Breathing give more oxygen to To turn.
someone or something.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

S-
Scald: A burn from a Seizure: A fit or
hot liquid. convulsion.

Shock: A serious condition when there is not Semi Conscious:

enough oxygen in the tissues and brain which results Only responds slightly to
in a drop in blood pressure and leads to the body pain, should be put into the
shutting down and if untreated can be fatal. Often due recovery position if on
to a major bleed. their back.

Signs: In a medical Soiled dressings: Soft Tissue: The

sense – what you observe Dressings with blood or tissues of the body that
when looking at the other body fluids. are not bone –
casualty. Pale, cold and particularly to do with
clammy. joints.
Glossary Spinal cord

of First Aid Terms

S-
Spinal cord: The Spinal injury: An
nerve fibres within the injury to the backbone
backbone (spine) which which can lead to spinal
allow nerves to connect cord damage which can
between the brain and cause paralysis (inability to
muscles. move).

Torn Ligament
Stretched
Muscle

Sprain: An injury Strain: An injury Stroke: A bleed or

to ligaments. to a muscle. blocking of a blood
vessel of the brain.

Superficial: Symptom: What a Syncope: A medical

Not very serious. casualty experiences and word to faint.
feels – eg ‘it hurts’
‘I feel sick’.
.
Glossary Tendoms
of First Aid Terms

T-V
To stem the Tendon: A fibrous,
bleeding: strong, connective tissue
To stop blood coming that connects muscle to
out. bone.

Thoracic: The area in Trauma: An injury. Unconscious: Does

the rib cage containing not respond to pain
the lungs.

Unresponsive: Vein:
Another word for A blood vessel that carries
unconscious – does not deoxygenated blood back to the
respond to pain. lungs to be re-oxygenated.
Glossary
of First Aid Terms

V-W
Ventricle: Lower Vertebrae/ Spine:
chamber of the heart. the backbone.

Ventricular Fibrillation (VF): Wound: The injury

Uncontrolled quivering / shaking of the ventricles of the
heart that mean it cannot pump effectively. VF is a
shockable rhythm which means that if a defibrillator
recognises that someone is in this rhythm it will try and
shock them out of it.