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