Chapter 14 Flashcards
… emergencies: injuries resulting from physical forces applied to the body
… emergencies: illnesses or conditions caused by disease
trauma; medical
… emergencies: patients have trouble breathing or the amount of oxygen supplied to the tissues is inadequate
respiratory
… emergencies: caused by conditions affecting the circulatory system
cardiovascular
.. emergencies: involve the brain
neurologic
… conditions: appendicitis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis, and many others
gastrointestinal
… emergencies: most commonly caused by complications of diabetes mellitus
endocrine
a … emergency can involve kidney …
urologic; stones
.. emergencies: may be the result of sickle cell disease or blood-clotting disorders such as hemophilia
hematologic
… emergencies: involve the body’s response to foreign substances and can range from fairly minor to life-threatening
immunologic
… emergencies: include poisoning and substance abuse, result in other types of medical emergencies
toxicologic
… emergencies: involve female reproductive organs
gynecologic
some medical emergencies are caused by … or … problems–> patients may not present with typical signs and symptoms
psychological; behavioral
patient assessment--> assessment of the medical patient is similar to assessment of the trauma patient, but with a different ... focused on: ... ... ...
focus
nature of illness (NOI)
symptoms
chief complaint
patient assessment:
establish an accurate …: use dispatch info to guide your initial response, but do not get locked into a … idea of the patient’s condition–> injuries may distract from the underlying condition: … occurs when you become focused on one aspect of the patient’s condition and exclude all others, which may cause you to miss an important injury or illness
medical history; preconceived; tunnel vision
assessment may be difficult with uncooperative/hostile patients. maintain a professional, calm, nonjudgmental demeanor. Refrain from … patients and displaying personal biases. A frequent caller may have a different complaint this time
labeling
Scene size-up:
scene safety–> ensure the scene is safe, use standard precautions and determine the number of patients and when you need additional help.
Determine NOI: the … is your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying and unseen injuries or illness.
Initiate spinal immobilization if indicated
index of suspicion
primary assessment:
develop a general impression–> perform a … of the patient to identify life threats. Quickly determine the patient’s LOC using the AVPU scale
rapid examination
primary assess cont:
airway and breathing
in conscious patients, ensure the airway is open and they are breathing adequately.
Check the .., …, and …
consider applying oxygen if breathing has been affected.
for unconscious patients, make sure to open the airway using the proper technique for their condition, and take several seconds to evaluate their breathing
respiratory rate, depth, and quality
primary assess cont: apply oxygen to patients if necessary; unconscious patients may need … and … assistance with a BVM
airway adjuncts; ventilatory
primary assess cont:
circulation:
assess in a conscious patient by checkng the … and observing the patient’s skin color, temperature, and condition
for unconscious patients, assess at the …
radial pulse; carotid artery
primary assess cont: transport decision–>
patients who are in need of rapid transport:
patients who are … or who have an …
patients with … or … problems
patients with obvious … problems such as … or signs of …
if the patient does not meet the criteria for rapid transport, continue your assessment on scene and prepare for transport when you have completed the assessment and treatment
unconscious; altered mental status; airway; breathing; circulation; severe bleeding; shock;
History taking:
determine what the problem is or what may be causing the problem
gather a thorough history
investigate the NOI by inquiring about the …
for an unconscious patient, survey the scene for … or …
chief complaint; medical containers; medical devices
History taking cont:
obtain a … history and use the .. mnemonic
record any .., … and …
some patients take numerous medications; take the medications with you to the hospital or list them in your report
the mnemonic … can be helpful in identifying conditions that may be complicating a patient’s chief complaint or affecting medications
SAMPLE; OPQRST; allergies; medical conditions; medications; TACOS
Secondary assessment:
may occur on scene or en route to the ED. in some cases you may not have time.
Physical exam:
all conscious patients should undergo a limited/detailed physical exam. for … patients, always perform a secondary assessment of the … or head-to-toe. A full body assessment should help you obtain clues and it should be performed quickly so it does not … transport
unconscious; entire body; delay
