Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- ABCDE
- A step-by-step way of checking a very unwell person - Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and Exposure - dealing with the most dangerous problem first.
- Accident and emergency department (A&E)
- The hospital department that treats people with serious or life-threatening injuries and illnesses.
- Adrenaline (epinephrine)
- The emergency medicine injected into a muscle to treat a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- A portable device that checks the heart's rhythm and, if needed, gives a controlled electric shock to restart it.
- AVPU
- A quick scale for how awake someone is - Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, or Unresponsive.
- Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM)
- A hand-squeezed device with a mask used to push air into the lungs of someone who is not breathing properly.
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- The first-aid keeping someone's airway open and their breathing and circulation going, including CPR, without specialist equipment.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine injected to relax muscles, commonly used in aesthetic treatments to soften lines.
- Cardiac arrest
- When the heart suddenly stops pumping blood, so the person collapses and stops breathing normally.
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Chest compressions, usually combined with rescue breaths, given to keep blood and oxygen moving when the heart has stopped.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009
- The rules that set out which serious incidents, such as a death or major injury, a provider must formally report to the regulator.
- Contemporaneous
- Written down at the time, or as soon as possible after, the event being recorded.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law, alongside the UK GDPR, that governs how organisations handle people's personal information.
- Dermal filler
- A gel, usually based on hyaluronic acid, injected under the skin to smooth lines or add volume.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides everyday medical care in the community.
- Guedel (oropharyngeal) airway
- A curved plastic tube placed in the mouth by trained staff to help keep an unconscious person's airway open.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main UK law requiring employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- The national body responsible for workplace health and safety, to which certain serious incidents must be reported.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the standards a care provider must meet to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
- Hyaluronidase
- An emergency medicine that dissolves hyaluronic-acid dermal filler, used when filler blocks a blood vessel.
- Hypoglycaemia
- An abnormally low blood-sugar level, which can cause confusion, sweating, drowsiness and collapse.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection given directly into a muscle.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Recovery position
- Lying an unconscious but breathing person on their side so the airway stays clear and any fluid can drain.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Resuscitation Council UK
- The professional body that sets the UK guidelines for CPR and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
- SBAR
- A structured way to hand over information clearly - Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.
- Seizure
- A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, often causing collapse and uncontrolled movements.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out exactly how staff must carry out a particular task.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Vascular occlusion
- A blockage of a blood vessel - in aesthetics, usually caused by dermal filler - which is an emergency because it can cut off the blood supply to skin or tissue.
- Vasovagal (faint)
- A common, usually brief faint caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure.