▪ I. paramedic1 orig. U.S.
(pærəˈmɛdɪk)
Also para-medic.
[f. para-3 + medic a. and n.]
A person trained to be dropped by parachute to give medical aid.
| 1951 Sunday Mirror (N.Y.) 8 Apr. 3 Para-medics from air-sea rescue squadrons..were in the search planes. 1957 Time 2 Sept. 35/2 A C-47 with a paramedic aboard started to track his flight. 1961 Daily Tel. 27 Feb. 18/2 The group's nucleus consists of six ‘paramedics’. These are practised parachutists with a medical background. 1964 J. Masters Trial at Monomoy vii. 225 Why didn't they send a plane down with skis, paramedics, radios, food? 1974 Spartanburg (S. Carolina) Herald 25 Apr. A2/5 He hopes the state pilot, advanced course for para⁓medics will be available to local EMS technicians by August or September. 1974 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 17 Sept. 11/4 (caption) Dummy United States Air Force para-medic, dressed in full gear, at the jump position of a door of a U.S.A.F. Hercules rescue aircraft. |
▪ II. paramedic2
(pærəˈmɛdɪk)
[f. paramedical a.1 and n. (cf. medic a. and n.).]
A paramedical worker; = paramedical n. Also attrib. or as adj.
| 1970 Time 9 Nov. 38 More than 40 training programs for doctors assistants are under way across the country. The graduates..are tagged with clumsy names—para⁓medic, clinical associate, health practitioner. Ibid., Para⁓medic studies are wide-ranging—from community health to bacteriology and psychosomatic medicine, plus techniques such as regulating intravenous infusions and operating respirators. 1974 Telegraph (Brisbane) 27 Feb. 32/2 Paramedics tried artificial respiration, but to no avail. 1974 Aiken (S. Carolina) Standard 22 Apr. 4-A/1 Paramedic Services and the city police will provide first aid and protection during the walk. 1975 Daily Tel. 29 Sept. 3/1 The Lancet report gives details of 600 such operations, 366 performed by medical auxiliaries or ‘para⁓medics’ as they are described. The rest were carried out by qualified doctors. 1976 Amer. Speech 1973 XLVIII. 195 Also of invaluable help to the nurse are the paramedic personnel, frequently shortened to paramedics. In their ranks we find those employees trained to read slides in the laboratory or to assist the doctor and nurse with other medical tasks. 1976 Sci. Amer. Sept. 72/3 (Advt.), Heart pacemakers, paramedic telecare units and ultrasonic cardioscopes—all are outgrowths of space technology. 1977 It May 21/2 They also have a fully-equipped ambulance, manned by State-certified paramedics and emergency medical technicians. |