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St. John's Regional Medical Center
St. John's Medical Group
St. John's WorkPartners
St. John's Maude Norton Memorial Hospital
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Emergency/Trauma Services

Understanding the Language
Terms you might hear used in your treatment and care include.

  • Monitor screen:
    A machine used to keep track of heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.
  • Pulse Oximetry:
    A piece of equipment with a small red light that tests oxygen saturation of the blood.
  • Ventilator (sometimes called a respirator):
    A machine used to assist or support breathing if a patient is unable to adequately supply his or her body with oxygen.
  • INT:
    A needle inserted into a vein and then capped off, taped, and left in place. It is used to draw blood and give medications intravenously.
  • Nasogastric tube (NG tube):
    A tube placed through the nose into the stomach that can be used to suction the stomach or place medication into the stomach.
  • Foly Catheter:
    A tube inserted into the bladder to drain it and allow for the accurate measurement of urine.