AMPDS Flashcards
What are the priority symptoms?
- Abnormal breathing
- Chest pain/discomfort
- Decreased level of consciousness
- Serious haemorrhage
What is the patient chain of survival?
- Early recognition and response activation
- Early CPR
- Rapid defibrillation
- Effective ACLS
- Post-cardiac arrest care
What is AMPDS and how should it be used?
- It is a protocol
- Questions should be used exactly as written unless the answer is obvious or the spontaneously provided by the caller.
What is De Lucas Law?
EMDs will follow all protocols per se, avoiding freelance questioning or information unless it enhances, not replaces, the written protocol questions and scripts.
What is Frenzas law?
A thing not looked for is seldom found.
Define ‘freelance questions’.
A question that is not in the protocol and does not provide an appropriate clarification or enhancement to a question in the protocol.
Define ‘freelance instruction’.
instructions that are beyond the call takers scope of practise or that are incorrect.
What is a ‘leading question?’
A question that provides a probable answer to a question that may lead callers to give the answer they think the caller wants to hear
When may the call-taker rephrase the question or instruction using language equivalent or nearly equivalent to the script?
Once the scripted protocol question or instruction has been read as written if the caller:
- The caller does not understand the scripted protocol question or instruction
- The caller answers ambiguously
- The caller doesn’t answer after a reasonable period
Can a call-taker refer to a statement previously made by the caller?
The call-taker may refer to previous statements made by the caller (including spontaneous information) to make an objective statement and gather information
How should the call-taker refer to a previous statement made by the caller?
- Best practise: refer to callers’ statement and then asks the question as written
- Acceptable: refers to callers’ statement then requires the caller to confirm by asking a complete question
- Incorrect: provides caller with an answer
If something is written in blue, what does that mean?
Blue is for you
Think it, don’t say it
Pre-question qualifiers are in blue too
Who decides how to respond to calls?
(Bonus point: what info if this based on?)
The local medical director.
(NICE guidelines & research)
What is wrong with saying this sentence: ‘is the patient awake and breathing?’
It can confuse the caller, for example, someone may be asleep and breathing
They should be asked separately.
If someone identifies as something other than their assigned gender at birth, what would you do?
Put ‘unknown’ and add a note.
What is a first party caller?
The caller is calling for themself
What is a second party caller?
The caller is with the patient now
What is a third party caller?
Passer-by, calling on behalf of someone not actually there
When can you convert the third party caller into a second party caller?
When there are no mentioned or perceived safety concerns and when instructions are possible and appropriate
Can you enhance the protocol for a third party caller?
Yes, as it may be necessary to enhance the protocol for proper interrogation, call management and customer service practises