E

E9-1-1

Enhanced 9-1-1.

EAP

Emergency action plan.

earache

A painful inflammation of the middle ear or ear canal usually caused by a bacterial infection.

ease in

An entry used by lifeguards and other rescuers to safely enter the water when either the water is murky and bottom conditions are unknown or the victim is close to the point of entry and apparently injured (i.e., spinal injury). To perform the ease in entry, the rescuer sits on the edge of the deck, dock, or similar entry point and carefully lowers himself or herself into the water feet first while watching the victim. If the rescuer has a rescue tube, it is placed in the water in front of the rescuer.

edema

The swelling of soft tissue as a result of excess water accumulation.

eggbeater kick

A kick for treading water, lifeguarding, synchronized swimming, and water polo, performed in deep water from a vertical position with knees bent and spread apart by rotating each ankle in alternating circles with feet flexed while pumping the knees up and down slightly. This kick is sometimes called the rotary kick.

elastic wrap

A stretchable bandage used to create localized pressure at the injury site, to reduce swelling and provide support, or to act as a temporary cast. Elastic wrap can also be used to hold cold packs in place or to apply pressure immobilization for snake bites.

elbow

The juncture of the long bones in the middle portion of the arm.

elder abuse

Physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment of an elderly person.

elderly

Of, relating to, or characteristic of older individuals or life in later years.

electrolyte

A substance that dissociates in solution to ions that can conduct electricity. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and phosphate.

elementary backstroke

A resting stroke performed on the back by

embolism

The obstruction of a blood vessel by a clot or foreign object (e.g., air bubble, a globule of fat, a clump of bacteria, chemicals, etc.).

embryo

An unborn offspring from conception to about 8 weeks. After about 8 weeks, the embryo becomes a fetus.

EMD

Emergency medical dispatcher.

emergency

A sudden, unexpected, and urgent need to provide rescue, medical care, and/or aid to one or more casualties.

emergency action plan (EAP)

Written procedures that outline important duties to be followed during an emergency. Typical duties in an aquatic facility EAP include: Emergency recognition and EAP activation, victim rescue, back-up coverage, required equipment to the scene, victim removal from water and assessment, 9-1-1 call, victim care, facility closure/crowd control/evacuation, EMS personnel to the scene, chain of command informed, equipment checked/replaced, reports completed, staff discussion of EAP.

emergency medical dispatcher (EMD)

A professional telecommunicator who receives emergency calls, gathers information about the emergency, provides basic life support instructions, and dispatches EMS resources to the scene. Also known as a public safety answering point (PSAP) dispatcher.

emergency medical responder (EMR)

A professional, often certified, out-of-hospital medical care provider equivalent to a first responder. EMRs are considered entry-level emergency medical providers under EMTs, advanced EMTs, paramedics, etc. EMRs provide first aid and basic life support and may be trained to perform certain advanced life support techniques.

emergency medical technician (EMT)

A certified, professional, out-of-hospital medical care provider with more training than a first responder/EMR and less than an advanced EMT or paramedic.

EMR

Emergency medical responder.

EMS

Emergency medical services.

EMS System

A network of community resources that provide complete medical care and rehabilitation to ill or injured patients. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, supports the development of the EMS System and provides training programs for key roles, including Emergency Medical Responder (First Responder) training.

EMT

Emergency medical technician.

encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1)

The capacity of 9-1-1 systems to automatically provide the caller's address and phone number to the dispatcher, usually when the call is connected.

entry

1. Any means of entering the water employed by swimmers and divers. 2. Any of the methods used by lifeguards or other rescuers to safely enter the water with equipment to begin a swimming rescuer.

environment

The characteristics of a person's surroundings, including temperature, climate, elevation, flora and fauna, etc.

environmental

Of or relating to potentially harmful factors originating in the conditions that surround an emergency, including altitude, heat, cold, severe weather, etc.

environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)

Smoke generated from a lit cigar, cigarette, or pipe and/or exhaled smoke (i.e., puffed out by a smoker). In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a risk assessment and concluded that widespread exposure to ETS in the United States presents a serious and substantial public health impact. The EPA further concluded that ETS is a human lung carcinogen, responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually among U.S. nonsmokers.

environmental toxicology

The study of pollutants and natural poisons in the air, dust, sediment, soil, and water.

epidemic

A sudden, severe outbreak of a disease.

epidermis

The outer layer of the skin, consisting of epithelial tissue made up of basal cells called keratinocytes. The epidermis and dermis together constitute the cutis.

epiglottis

The flap that covers the trachea during swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs.

epilepsy

A group of common neurological disorders characterized by the tendency for

epinephrine

A hormone and neurotransmitter produced by the adrenal glands as part of the body's fight-or-flight response to perceived emergency or danger. Epinephrine increases the heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates the air passages, and participates in the responses of the sympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nervous system that manages stress). Epinephrine is also known as adrenaline.

epinephrine auto-injector

A medical device used to deliver one or more measured doses of epinephrine, most often to treat acute allergic reactions that cause breathing difficulties (including anaphylactic shock). Trade names for these devices include Adrenaclick, AnaPen, EpiPen, and Twinject.

escape

Any of the techniques used by lifeguards and other rescuers to break the grip of a distressed or active drowning victim who has managed to take hold of the rescuer during the rescue.

esophagus

The tube that connects the throat with the stomach for the passage of food.

ETS

Environmental tobacco smoke (second-hand smoke).

euphoria

An elevated mood.

event

A set of one or more outcomes.

exercise-induced asthma, exercise-induced bronchospasm

An inflammation of the bronchal tubes and resulting breathing difficulty triggered by vigorous physical activity.

eye

Either of two organs of sight consisting of (but not limited to) the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, macula, and optic nerve.

eyelid

A movable fold of muscle and skin that can be closed over the eyeball and opened at will. Each eye has an upper and lower lid. Also called the pal

F

false labor

Intermittent, nonproductive muscular contractions of the uterus during pregnancy, most commonly in the last 2 months before full term. These contractions are considered nonproductive because they do not produce any flattening or dilation of the cervix.

familial

Of, or relating to, a condition that tends to occur more often in a family than expected by chance alone. A familial disease or condition may be genetic or environmental.

Fahrenheit

A thermometer scale, devised in 1724 by Gabriel Fahrenheit, in which the freezing point of water is 32°F and the boiling point of water is 212°F. The Fahrenheit scale is used primarily in the United States; most of the rest of the world uses the Celsius scale. To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, solve the following equation: C = 5/9(F - 32). To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, solve F = (9/5 x C) + 32.

fear

A distressing negative emotion induced by a perceived threat. Fear can be a barrier to learning to swim for children and adults alike. Some fears are excessive and persistent, rising to the level of a phobia. Some aquatic-related phobias follow: aquaphobia (fear of water), bathophobia (fear of depths), galeophobia (fear of sharks), and hemophobia (fear of blood).

febrile

Feverish.

febrile seizure

A convulsion that occurs due to a rapid increase in body temperature.

fecal

Of or relating to feces.

feces

Excrement discharged from the intestines.

female

An individual of the sex that bears young.

femoral

Having to do with the femur bone or thigh.

femur

The large bone of the thigh that extends from the hip to the knee.

fetus

The unborn offspring from the end of the 8th week after conception until birth.

fever

A rise in body temperature above normal.

fibula

The outer and narrower of the two bones of the human lower leg, extending from the knee to the ankle.

first aid

Initial care given to an ill or injured patient, usually at the emergency scene, before advanced medical care is available.

first aid kit

A collection of equipment and supplies, usually in a portable case or bag, used in providing emergency care.

first degree burn

A superficial burn affecting the epidermis and characterized by red skin that is hot, slightly swollen, and painful. This type of burn is often caused by overexposure to the sun.

first responder

An emergency response professional that provides a transition of care between the citizen responder and EMS personnel. The first rtesponder is also known as an emergency medical responder (EMR).

flip turn

A fast, efficient turn performed with the front or back crawl by rolling into a tuck position as you approach the wall (for the back crawl, the swimmer must rotate to a prone position one stroke before the wall), somersault so feet are planted on the wall, push off in the opposite direction, and continue swimming.

freestyle

1. A competitive swimming event that allows any stroke. 2. Another name for the front crawl, the stroke most often used in a freestyle event.

freestyle relay

A competitive swimming event in which each participant in a 4-member team, in turn, swims one quarter of the entire distance using any stroke (although the front crawl is most often used).

frequency

In an aerobics fitness plan, the number of exercise sessions per week.

frictional drag

The resistance caused by the viscosity of a fluid and the surface texture of an object passing through it.

fulcrum

A moveable wheel under a springboard that enables a diver to adjust the amount of "bounce" in the board.

full-thickness burn

A serious burn affecting both layers of the skin as well as underlying tissue.