ABCDE Flashcards
A : why is it the most important ?
Can cause hypoxia (state in which oxygen is not available in sufficient amounts at the tissue level to maintain adequate homeostasis) and damage vital organs.
A : what do you look for ?
Foreign object in the mouth, audible breath sounds, movement of air through mouth and nose.
A : what happen if the patient is completely unresponsive ?
They won’t realise the airway is blocked.
A : How do you manual open the airway ?
Chin lift or jaw thrust (if there is a cervical spine problem suspected).
A : What tool can you use to open the airway ?
An oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway then a tracheal or endotracheal intubation.
Use an airway suction to remove foreign object.
A : what do you do after opening the airway ?
Provide high concentration oxygen with an hand bag mask ventilation.
B : What are the vital signs to check ?
Oxygen saturation, distress, respiratory rate
B : What do you also look for and what do the findings means ?
Central cyanosis ==> inadequate ventilation / perfusion
Asymmetrical chest ==> pneumothorax, hemothorax, tension pneumothorax
Chest breathing ==> use of accessory muscle
Deviation of the trachea ==> pneumothorax, lung fibrosis
Rib fracture
Emphysema (conditions causing shortness of breath)
B : What abnormal sound can you auscultate and what does it means ?
Bronchial breathing ==> lungs consolidation
Reduced sounds ==> pneumothorax, pleural fluids, lungs consolidation
B : What abnormal percussion can you hear ?
Hyper-resonance ==> pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax (side of the collapse lung)
Dullness ==> consolidation or pleural fluids
B : What are the solution to those respiratory problem ?
Give oxygen via bag-mask or pocket mask ventilation.
Nebulise medicine (turn them into a mist patient can breath)
B : What additional analysis can you make ?
Perform an arterial blood gas test to measure oxygen, pH and CO2 level.
C : Where do you check for bleeding ?
If there blood on the floor check 4 places more :
Thorax
Abdomen
Pelvis
Femur
C : check vital signs
Heart rate, blood pressure, CVP, urine production, capillary refill.
C : What do you look for ?
Skin color, temperature.
State of the veins : hypovolaemia, distended
Peripheral and central pulse : presence, rate, regularity.
Heart murmur
C : What does the pulse can tell you ?
If its barely palpable the cardiac output is poor
If the pulse is bounding there is sepsis.
C : What are the solutions ?
Get IV access and fluid replacement. Prepare restoration of tissue perfusion.
C : What additional test can you make ?
Make an ECG to check for further signs.
D : What are you looking for ?
Any signs of neurological complication
D : What are the score of consciousness ?
PEARL : pupils equal and reactive to light
EMV
AVUP
D : What is anisocoria ?
Unequal pupils size.
D : What do you check additionally ?
The lateralisation, the neck for cervical injury, the glucose level
E : What are you searching for ?
Skin disorder, haematomas, haemorrhage, swelling, oedema, wounds, signs of inflammation, needlestick injury
What kind of fluid do you inject by intravenous perfusion ?
Crystalloid solution : containing small dissolved molecules that can easily pass from bloodstream into tissue and cells
What are the 8 reversible cause of cardiac arrest ?
4 Hs :
- Hypoxia
- hypovolumia
- hyper/hypokalaemia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcaemia, acidosis and other metabolic causes
- hypo/hyperthermia
4Ts :
- Thrombosis
- Tamponade
- Toxins
- Tension pneumothorax
A : during CPR
If advanced airway is required only for high success rate professional.
- once airway inserted ventilate lungs at 10/min and continue CPR without interruption
Give highest feasible oxygen and give each breath 1s to achieve rising.
What drugs do you inject during CPR ?
Adrenaline 1mg IV asap for non shockable rhythm
- or after the 3rd shock for shockable rhythm
- repeat every 3-5 min while ALS continue
Amiodarone 300 mg IV after 3rd shock for VF and pVT
- give another 150mg after 5 shock
- use lidocaine 100mg if amiodarone cannot be used
Thrombolytic drugs when pulmonary embolism is suspected
Fluids only in hypovolumia
What are the life threatening features in unstable patient ? (Send me a SMS)
Shock : hypotension and reduced cerebral blood flow
Syncope : consequences of reduced cerebral blood flow
Severe heart failure : pulmonary edema, raised jugular pressure
Myocardial ischemia : chest pain or isolated findings on ECG
B : how to use a non rebreather mask ?
For deteriorating sick patient : need to give 15L non rebreather
- apply the end of the oxygen mask to the oxygen port
- fill the bag with oxygen then let the air escape to verify its working
- put the band around the face and tighten the mask
A : applying a mayo tube
Indication : unresponsive patient with absent gag reflex
- simple non invasive and easy to place method
- risk of pushing the tongue back and make obstruction worse, no protection against vomiting
Check size by putting the oropharyngeal airway next to the mouth and look at jaw angle.
Check for foreign body
Invert it and insert it in the mouth against the hard palate. Rotate it and locate it in the oropharynx.
What are peri-arrest arrhythmias ?
Arrhythmias that occur after initial resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
Can be tachycardias or bradycardias.
How do you treat peri-arrest tachycardias ?
Use electrical cardio version in life threatened patient : conscious patient require anesthesia or sedation.
- to convert atrial/ventricular tachyarrhythmia, shock must be synchronised to occur with R wave of ECG
If patient is stable and not deteriorating, pharmacological treatment may be possible
What to do if cardio version fails to restore sinus rhythm, patient unstable with tachyarrhythmia.
- give 300 mg amiodarone IV over 10-20 min then re-attempt
- can follow with infusion of 900 mg over 24h
How to treat peri-arrest bradyarrhythmias ?
Accompanied by life threatening sign :
- give atropine 500 mcg IV
- repeat every 3-5 min to total 3 mg
If ineffective consider
- isoprenaline 5 mcg
- adrenaline 2-10 mcg
If caused by inferior MI, cardiac transplant, spinal cord injury
- give aminophylline 100-200 mg slow IV
If beta blocker / calcium channel blocker are the cause
- give glucagon