Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), pronounced /ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi mɛdɪkəl tɛkˈnɪʃən/, is a medical professional trained to respond quickly to emergency situations regarding medical issues, traumatic injuries and accident scenes. The term "Emergency Medical Technician" is derived from the English language, with "emergency" meaning a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action, "medical" pertaining to the science of medicine, and "technician" referring to a person employed to look after technical equipment or do practical work in a laboratory.
Training and Responsibilities
Emergency Medical Technicians are trained to provide basic emergency medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. They have the emergency skills to assess a patient's condition and manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies.
Levels of EMT
There are several levels of EMTs, which include EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and Paramedic. Each level has different training requirements and scope of practice.
Related Terms
- Paramedic: A healthcare professional who provides emergency treatment, including advanced life support, to patients in emergency situations.
- EMT-Basic: The first level of EMT, trained to provide basic emergency medical care.
- EMT-Intermediate: The second level of EMT, trained to provide advanced emergency medical care.
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A system that provides emergency medical care to people who are injured or ill, outside of a hospital.
See Also
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