Emergency Medicine Vocabulary in English

Resuscitation refers to medical interventions used to restore and maintain vital functions — particularly heartbeat and breathing — in a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest. Basic life support (BLS) includes chest compressions and rescue breaths (CPR). Advanced life support (ALS) additionally uses defibrillation, airway management devices, and intravenous medications such as adrenaline. The ABCDE approach provides a structured framework for assessment and resuscitation in emergency settings. Early, high-quality CPR dramatically improves survival rates after cardiac arrest.

In emergency medicine, trauma refers to physical injury caused by an external force, such as a road traffic collision, fall, assault, or gunshot wound. Major trauma typically involves life-threatening injuries to multiple body systems and requires rapid assessment and intervention. Trauma centres are hospitals equipped to manage the most severe injuries. The ‘golden hour’ concept emphasises that definitive treatment for life-threatening trauma should ideally be delivered within the first hour to maximise survival.

The ABCDE approach is a structured framework for the initial assessment and management of any critically ill or injured patient. A stands for Airway, B for Breathing, C for Circulation, D for Disability (level of consciousness), and E for Exposure (fully examining the patient). The approach is systematic, ensures life-threatening problems are identified and treated in priority order, and can be repeated as the patient's condition evolves. It is used by emergency teams worldwide.

Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs rapidly after exposure to an allergen such as a food, medication, or insect sting. It causes systemic vasodilation, bronchospasm, urticaria, and potentially cardiovascular collapse. Treatment requires immediate intramuscular injection of adrenaline (epinephrine), which is the first-line intervention. Patients with known severe allergies are prescribed auto-injectors (EpiPens) to use in emergencies. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that can be fatal within minutes if untreated.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. When the body's response to infection becomes dysregulated, it can damage its own tissues and organs. Warning signs include high or low temperature, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, confusion, and signs of organ failure. The Sepsis Six bundle — including blood cultures, antibiotics, oxygen, and fluid resuscitation — should be initiated within one hour of recognition. Sepsis is a major cause of in-hospital deaths and requires early recognition and aggressive treatment.

Intubation is the procedure of inserting a tube through the patient's mouth or nose and into the trachea to establish and secure an airway. It is performed when a patient cannot maintain or protect their own airway — following cardiac arrest, severe respiratory failure, or head injury with loss of consciousness. Intubation allows mechanical ventilation. Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) uses sedative and paralysing drugs to facilitate the procedure safely and quickly in emergency situations.

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a standardised neurological assessment tool used to objectively measure a patient's level of consciousness. It scores responses in three categories: eye opening (1–4), verbal response (1–5), and motor response (1–6), giving a total score between 3 (deep unconsciousness) and 15 (fully alert). A GCS of 8 or below indicates severe brain dysfunction and is often used as a threshold for intubation to protect the airway. The GCS was developed in 1974 and is now universally used in emergency and critical care settings.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively, causing loss of consciousness, absence of pulse, and cessation of breathing. It differs from a heart attack, which is caused by a blocked artery but in which the heart often continues beating. Cardiac arrest is caused by an abnormal heart rhythm, most commonly ventricular fibrillation. It requires immediate CPR and defibrillation. Every minute without CPR reduces the chance of survival by approximately 10%, making immediate bystander response and early defibrillation critical.

Organise terms by category: assessment (triage, ABCDE, GCS, NEWS score), respiratory (airway, intubation, ventilation, oxygen saturation), cardiovascular (cardiac arrest, defibrillation, haemorrhage, shock), and specific conditions (sepsis, anaphylaxis, stroke, trauma). Watching English-language medical education videos on Medscape and Osmosis, listening to the EMRAP podcast, and reading emergency medicine guidelines from RCEM or ACEP build vocabulary in authentic clinical contexts. If you work in healthcare, practise handover communications using SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to build structured clinical English.