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Ever wonder what those ER docs are talking about? Get up to speed with our handy guide to ER terms.

  • Angioplasty: A surgical procedure in which a small catheter with a balloon tip is threaded into the coronary artery.
  • Arrhythmia: occurs when the beat of the heart is no longer originating from the sinus node, and the rhythm is abnormal
  • Atropine: A drug used to speed up the heart rate
  • AZT: an antiviral drug prescribed for the treatment of AIDS
  • Bagging: a procedure in which a bag is attached outside the mouth so that breathing can be done mechanically for the patient
  • BP: abbreviation for blood pressure
  • CBC: abbreviation for Complete Blood Count
  • CHF: abbreviation for Congestive Heart Failure
  • C-section: shorthand for cesarean section, which is the surgical delivery of a baby through the abdominal wall
  • Code brown: term used when a patient doesn't make it to the bathroom in time
  • Cystic fibrosis: a lung disease that causes the production of thick mucus in the lungs, hampering breathing
  • DOA: abbreviation for dead on arrival
  • Down: Slang expression for Cardiac arrest. "The patient's down!"
  • DNR: abbreviation for Do not resuscitate; often requested or ordered for terminally ill patients
  • Edema: excessive accumulation of fluid
  • EKG (ECG): abbreviation for electrocardiogram; measures heart activity
  • EMT: abbreviation for Emergency Medical Technician
  • Endotracheal tube: an instrument inserted into the trachea through the mouth to facilitate breathing
  • Hemorrhage: a dramatic and sudden loss of blood
  • Hypertension: High blood pressure
  • Hypotension: Low blood pressure
  • Intubation: the procedure of inserting a tube into the trachea of a patient who is not breathing.
  • Laryngoscope: an instrument for opening the larynx
  • MI: abbreviation for Myocardial infraction (heart attack)
  • MVA: abbreviation for Motor Vehicle Accident
  • Platelets: The factors in the blood that cause clotting
  • Preemie: A slang expression for a premature infant
  • Pronounce: an expression for pronouncing a patient's death
  • Pulmonary edema: fluid in the lungs
  • Pulse Oximetry ("pulse ox"): a non-invasive and painless way to measure the oxygen saturation of arterial blood. Also an indicator of how well someone's breathing; healthy range is between about 96 and 100.
  • Rape kit: a package containing envelopes for the collection of hair, sperm, and blood samples of a rape victims, as well as the official reporting forms
  • Saline solution: a blood volume substitute made of salt and water, a temporary substitute for lost blood
  • Stat: Slang expression for hurry up
  • STD: abbreviation for sexually transmitted disease
  • Tox Screen: Blood test to determine what drugs are in a patient's system
  • Triage: the system of prioritizing patients in an emergency situation in which there are a great number of injured or ill
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