life-support
Keeps patients alive
Life-support refers to medical equipment or treatment that keeps someone alive when their body cannot function on its own—ventilators, feeding tubes, dialysis machines.
The term appears in discussions of terminal illness and end-of-life decisions: The family decided to take him off life-support.
Extended to mean anything essential for survival: Coffee is my life-support in the morning.
Acute care ward
- intensive-careAcute medical monitoring unit
- intubationPlacing airway tube
- resuscitationRestoring vital functions
- CPREmergency revival technique
cardiopulmonary · oxygenation · sedation · stabilize · monitoring · anesthesia · tracheostomy · NICU
Mechanical breathing apparatus
- respiratorBreathing protection device
- defibrillatorHeart-shocking medical device
- pacemakerDevice regulating heartbeat
- incubatorControlled warming enclosure
State of needing support
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- sustenanceMeans of living
- maintainKeep in condition
- preserveProtect from loss
prolong · keep-alive · nourish · critical · essential · backup · fail-safe · redundancy
Prehospital emergency caregiver
- ambulanceEmergency medical transport
- 911Crisis response number
- triageSeverity-based prioritization
- traumaLasting psychological wound
ER · medevac · stretcher · casualty · shock · bleeding · airway · defibrillation
At the endpoint
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- DNREnd-of-life medical directive
- proxyAuthorized substitute
- consentVoluntary agreement given
euthanasia · palliative · hospice · dignity
Orbiting multinational research facility
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
- astronautSpacecraft crew member
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- closed-loopSystem with feedback control
ICU
Acute care ward
- intensive-careAcute medical monitoring unit
- intubationPlacing airway tube
- resuscitationRestoring vital functions
CPR · cardiopulmonary · oxygenation · sedation · stabilize · monitoring · anesthesia · tracheostomy · NICU · PICU
ventilator
Mechanical breathing apparatus
- respiratorBreathing protection device
- defibrillatorHeart-shocking medical device
- pacemakerDevice regulating heartbeat
dependency
State of needing support
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- sustenanceMeans of living
- maintainKeep in condition
preserve · prolong · keep-alive · nourish · critical · essential · backup · fail-safe · redundancy · continuous
paramedic
Prehospital emergency caregiver
trauma · ER · medevac · stretcher · casualty · shock · bleeding · airway · defibrillation · stabilization
terminal
At the endpoint
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- DNREnd-of-life medical directive
- proxyAuthorized substitute
consent · euthanasia · palliative · hospice · dignity
ISS
Orbiting multinational research facility
life-supportwithdrawal of care
Ceasing medical treatment intentionally
pulling the plug · disconnection · do not resuscitate · DNR · letting go
life-supportpalliative care
Relief-focused medicine for illness
hospice care · comfort care · end-of-life care · hospice · death with dignity
life, support, supporter, lifeless, lifetime, supported, supporting, supportive, lifelong