Drowning Glossary of Terms

1. The Grief and Mourning Quiz

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also re...

Automated external defibrillator: A device that automatically analyzes the heart rhythm an...

Autopsy: A postmortem examination. Also known as necropsy.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiology: The study and treatment of heart disorders.

Cardiopulmonary: Having to do with both the heart and lungs.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A life-saving emergency procedure that involves breathing f...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Child abuse: A complex set of behaviors that include child neglect and the physical, emoti...

Circulation: In medicine, the movement of fluid through the body in a regular or circuitou...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Cry for help: An expression of suicidal intent in the hope of receiving help and being res...

Decompression: 1. In general, the removal of pressure.
2. In surgery, ...

Defibrillator: A device that corrects an abnormal heart rhythm by delivering electrical sh...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diving injury: An injury incurred from diving into water that is too shallow or has hidden...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart muscle: A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart mus...

Heimlich maneuver: An emergency treatment for obstruction of the airway in adults. It may ...

Hyperbaric: Pertaining to gas pressures greater than 1 atmosphere* of pressure. Also perta...

Hypothermia: Abnormally low body temperature. Someone who falls asleep in a cold temperatu...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laryngeal: Having to do with the larynx (voice box).

Larynx: A tube-shaped organ in the neck that contains the vocal cords. The larynx is about...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Metabolism: The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. ...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Panic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is...

Reflex: An involuntary reaction. For example, the corneal reflex is the blink that occurs ...

Residual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Resuscitation: The procedure of restoring to life, as in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CP...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Supportive care: Treatment given to prevent, control, or relieve complications and side ef...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Unconscious: 1. Interruption of awareness of oneself and one's surroundings, lack ...

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

World Health Organization: The subagency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with...