First Aid Terminology

Here's a list of first aid terminology. It will give you a good background to the most commonly used words in first aid.

This is not a complete first aid glossary but it's a good start. We will be adding to it as time goes along.



ANSI: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI). It's mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity.

Acute: Having a short and relatively severe course. A temporary condition that might be severe in nature.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): A life saving procedure that includes the timed external compression of the anterior chest wall (to stimulate blood flow) by pumping the heart, and alternating with mouth to mouth breathing to provide oxygen. Usually administered by one rescuer as 15 chest compressions to every 2 mouth-to-mouth breaths. In the case of an early heart attack, death can often be avoided if a bystander starts CPR promptly (within 5 minutes of the onset of ventricular fibrillation). When paramedics arrive, medications and/or electrical shock (cardioversion) to the heart can be administered to convert ventricular fibrillation to a normal heart rhythm. Therefore, prompt CPR and rapid paramedic respronse can improve the survival chances from a heart attack.

Cardiovascular System: The heart and the blood vessels by which blood is pumped and circulated through the body.

Chronic: Persisting over a long period of time.

Circulatory System: The circulatory system is a composed of the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. It serves to transport blood low in oxygen from the body to the lungs and heart (veins) and oxygenated blood from the lungs and heart throughout the body (arteries). (see heart, blood).

Compression: Increasing physical pressure on a (vital) structure. To compress or squeeze together.

Cuts: Severed skin. Washing a cut or scrape with soap and water and keeping it clean and dry is all that is required to care for most wounds. Putting alcohol hydrogen peroxide, and iodine into a wound can delay healing and should be avoided. Seek medical care early if you think that you might need stitches. Any delay can increase the rate of wound infection. Any puncture wound through tennis shoes has a high risk of infection and should be seen by your healthcare professional. Any redness, swelling, increased pain, or pus draining from the wound may indicate an infection that requires professional care.

Dehydration: The condition that results from excessive loss of body water.

Dislocation: The displacement of any part, more especially of a bone.

Edema: The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body, usually applied to demonstrable accumulation of excessive fluid in the subcutaneous tissues. In other words, when excess fluids collect between cells and tissues.

Fracture: A break or rupture in the cortex of bone. The act of breaking a bone.

Heatstroke: A severe and often fatal illness produced by exposure to excessively high temperatures, especially when accompanied by marked exertion. It can manifest by elevated body temperature, lack of sweating, hot dry skin, and neurologic symptoms; unconsciousness, paralysis, headache, vertigo, confusion. In severe cases very high fever, vascular collapse, and coma develop.

Hematoma: A localised collection of blood, usually clotted, in an organ, space or tissue, due to a break in the wall of a blood vessel.

Immobilize: To make immovable; in surgery, to make immovable (a naturally mobile part, as a joint) by the use of splints, or stiffened bandages.

Inflammation: A localised protective response elicited by injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute or wall off (sequester) both the injurious agent and the injured tissue. In other words, Redness, heat and swelling that can occur around an injury.

Inversion: To turn inward.

Laterial: To turn to the side.

Latex: A viscous fluid exuded from the cut surfaces of the leaves and stems of certain plants, such as the dandelion or the rubber tree. A rubber made from such plant sap.

Ligament: A band of fibrous tissue that connects bones or cartilages, serving to support and strengthen joints.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): A document that contains information and procedures for working with a particular substance. An MSDS will contain informtation on toxity, safety reports, statment of the hazardness of the substance, physical properties, etc.

OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labour, responsible for establishing and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace.

Orthopedics: Literally, the practice of child straightening, orthopedics is the branch of surgery broadly concerned with the skeletal system (bones).

Pediatrics: Paediatrics is concerned with the health of infants, children and adolescents, their growth and development, and their opportunity to achieve full potential as adults. (r.e. Behrman in nelson's textbook of paediatrics)

Rotation: To turn on an axis.

RSS: Repetitive Stress Syndrome. An injury that arises from a repetitive movement.

Rupture: Forcible tearing or disruption of tissue. A hernia.

Sodium acetate: The trihydrate sodium salt of acetic acid, which is used as a source of sodium ions in solutions for haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. It has also been used as a systemic and urinary alkaliser, diuretic, and expectorant. The stuff found in hot packs.

Soft Tissue: All the tissues of the body that are not bone.

Splint: A rigid device of plastic, wood or plaster that serves to immobilize an injury. Generally placed along the posterior aspect of an injured limb.

Sprain: A tearing injury to ligaments. Sprains can be minor, with only a slight stress to the ligament or may be severe with total separation of a ligament that supports a joint.

Strain: A tearing injury to muscle. Usually causes some degree of bleeding within the muscle tissue (haematoma).

Sunstroke: Any affection produced by the action of the sun on some part of the body; especially, a sudden prostration of the physical powers, with symptoms resembling those of apoplexy, occasioned by exposure to excessive heat, and often terminating fatally; coup de soleil.

Syrup of Ipecac: A syrup that induces vomiting.

Tendon: A fibrous, strong, connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. The laceration of a tendon can result in the inability to flex or extend at a joint.

Tendonitis: Inflammation of a tendon.

Trauma: An injury.

Vertebrae: One of 23 bones (excluding the sacrum) in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions that comprise the spine. There are 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae. The bottom of the spine is fused and forms the sacrum.


If you can't get enough first aid terminology or need more first aid definitions check out Online Medical Dictionary. The site currently contains over 46,000 entries. That should keep you busy for awhile.

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