I

ibuprofen

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NAID) for the treatment of mild to moderate pain and inflammation. Brand names for ibupofen include Advin and Motrin.

ice cream headache

A stabbing, aching pain of the middle of the forehead caused by ingesting cold food, including ice cream. This condition is also called brain freeze.

illness

A condition of poor health caused by the presence of disease-causing pathogens or a mental or physical disorder within the body.

immobilization

The process of restricting the movement of a bone or joint through the use of a splint, a cast, or a brace. When a bone is broken, the joints above and below the injury must be immobilized. When a joint is injured, the bones above and below the joint must be immobilized.

immune response

The body's reaction to an antigen that occurs when lymphocytes identify the antigenic molecule as foreign and induce the formation of antibodies and other lymphocytes capable of rendering the antigen harmless. Also known as the immune reaction, this response can be divided into innate immunity (the nonspecific defense system that humans are born with), acquired immunity (specific immunity developed by the body after being exposed to a specific antigen), and passive immunity (immunity passed from mother to infant or created in another body and injected as an antiserum).

immunization

A vaccination containing a very small, very safe amount of a weakened or killed virus or bacteria that is injected into the body so that defenses are manufactured that give the body specific immunity if exposed to the same virus or bacteria in the future.

incapacity

The legal and/or clinical inability to make decisions or exercise rights concerning one's health care or the health care for one's children. Sometimes known as incompetence.

incident

An occurrence that interrupts normal activities or precipitates an emergency.

incident report

A standardized written account of an occurrence that disrupts normal activities or constitutes an emergency requiring lifeguard/EMS system response.

incision

A straight cut, especially a cut made by a surgeon using a scalpel or similar tool.

incompetence

Legal or clinical incapacity.

indicate

To be advisable as a treatment or care step because of a particular condition or circumstance.

individual medley

A swimming event in which each competitive stroke is performed for one quarter of the total distance of the event in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

industrial health

A branch of public health concerned with the health and well-being of workers.

infant

For CPR and first aid, a child under 1 year of age.

infarction

The formation of an area of tissue death due to local lack of oxygen.

infected wound

A break in the skin that has been invaded by bacteria from the skin, the environment, and/or the bite of an animal or insect. An infected wound is read, swollen, and painful; it is slow to heal, and it may have pus or a bloody discharge that smells bad. As the infection progresses, the patient may high or low body temperature, rapid heart rate, swollen red areas past the wound, and red streaks on the skin. Infected wounds require a doctor's care.

infection

The invasion and replication of pathogens in body tissue, especially when this results in cellular damage due to competitive metabolisms, toxins, intracellular reproduction, and/or immune response.

inferior

In anatomy, below or toward the feet. The opposite of superior.

influenza

An infection of the respiratory tract. Also called the flu.

inhaled poison

Toxic gas or fumes that are breathed in by the victim. Typical inhaled poisons include carbon monoxide, chlorine gas, etc.

injury

Trauma to the body usually caused by an external force.

in-line stabilization

Any of the various techniques used to minimize movement of a victim's head, neck, and back while performing a swimming rescue and providing care.

innate immunity

Nonspecific immune defenses against foreign antigens, including the cough reflex, the skin, enzymes in skin oils and tears, mucus, and stomach acid.

insect

Any of a class of arthropods (Insecta) with a well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen; three pairs of legs; and typically one or two sets of wings.

insect bite/sting

A wound inflicted when an insect punctures the skin with its jaws or stinger and injects venom, causing skin irritation, an allergic reaction, and/or the transmission of disease. Some insects bite to ingest the blood of a human or an animal; others bite or sting for defense.

insecticide

A chemical used specifically to kill or control the growth of insects.

insulin

A protein pancreatic hormone essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the bloodstream.

intensity

The degree of energy and effort applied to an aerobic exercise session, measured by checking the pulse (see target heart rate), estimating the rate of exertion (see rate of perceived exertion), or other similar method.

internal bleeding

Loss of blood due to blood vessel damage under the skin that allows blood to escape and collect inside the body.

interval

A segment of a workout or similar activity, measured by distance and/or time. A group of swim intervals is called a set.

intraarticular fracture

The crack or break of one or more bones at or near the point where they form a joint.

intrinsic

An essential part of something.

intrusion

The assigning of a secondary duty to a lifeguard engaged in a primary responsibility like providing patron surveillance.

intubation

The process of inserting a tube in the airway or other hollow organ or passageway.

involuntary

Of or relating to the autonomic nervous system and the muscles and organs controlled other than by the conscious will of the individual.

ipecac

A naturally occurring substance (derived from the dried roots of the Uragoga Ipecacuanha bush native to Brazil) used to induce vomiting.

irrigate

To wash out with water, as in cleaning an open wound.

isometric exercise

Exercise involving muscular contraction without moving the body parts involved.

isotonic exercise

Exercise when contracting muscles shorten against a constant load, as when lifting weights.

itch

An uneasy, irritating sensation in the skin that makes a person want to scratch. The medical name for itching is pruritus.

J

jagged cut

A laceration that features irregular edges.

JAMA

Journal of the American Medical Association.

jammed finger

An injury to the joints of a finger, including tendon/ligament damage and fracture or dislocation of finger bones.

jaundice

Yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eye due to high levels of the bile pigment bilirubin in the bloodstream.

JCCA

Jewish Community Center Association.

jelly, sea

Free-swimming member of the phylla Cnidaria and Ctenophora found in every ocean of the world (and in the case of hydrozoan jellies, in fresh water as well). Jellies have bodies resembling a bell or umbrella with tentacle-like structures containing millions of nematocysts (stinging cells) used to capture prey and ward off predators. Contact with a jelly's tentacles triggers millions of the nematocysts to pierce the skin and inject venom. Many sea jelly stings are merely painful; a few can be life-threatening (e.g., the box jelly and the irukandji jelly). Even beached or dead sea jellies can sting. Also known as sea jelly.

jellyfish

A common name for a sea jelly (also called a jelly).

jetty

A structure built from shore into the water of a river or ocean to extend a channel or to reduce wave and current effects.

Jewish Community Center Association (JCCA)

The continental umbrella organization for the Jewish Community Center Movement, which consists of more than 350 JCCs, Young Men and Young Women Hebrew Associations, and camp; sites in the United States and Canada (many of which with swimming pools and other access to recreational aquatics).

  

joint

The place of union, more or less movable, between two or more rigid skeletal components.

joint capsule

The sac enclosing the articulating ends of the points participating in a synovial joint.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

An international, peer-reviewed general medical journal published 48 times a year continuously since 1883 and circulated around the world.

jump

A feet-first entry into the water.