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Emt Training Class 29 > Chapter 21 Poisoning And Overdose Emergencies > Flashcards

Chapter 21 Poisoning And Overdose Emergencies Flashcards

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1
Q

Poison

A

Any substance that can harm the body by altering cell structures or functions

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2
Q

Toxic

A

A substance secreted by bacteria, plants, or animals - that’s poisonous to humans

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3
Q

Common poison incidents usually involve:

A

Common substances such as

  • medication
  • petroleum products
  • pesticides
  • and cosmetics
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4
Q

Common toxic substances are:

A

Mushrooms and other plants that are poisonous if eaten

  • other examples are household plants like rubber plants
  • or holiday plants like Mistletoe and holly berries
  • bacterial contaminant in food may produce toxins some of which can cause deadly diseases such as (botulism)
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5
Q

Poison can act as in 3 different ways

A
  1. Corrosive or irritant
    - destroys skin and/or body tissue
  2. Suffocating agent
    - displacing O2 in the air
  3. Systemic poison
    - causing harm to entire body or to an entire body system
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6
Q

Affects and extent of damage from poison rely on

A
  1. Nature of poison
  2. It’s concentration
  3. Sometimes how it enters the body

These vary in importance to
-patients age, weight, and general health

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7
Q

Ingested poison

A

Poisons that are swallowed
- Can include many common household and industrial chemicals, medications, and properly prepared or stored foods, plant materials, petroleum products, and agricultural products made specifically to control rodents yes, weeds, insects, and crop diseases

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8
Q

Inhaled poison

A

Poisons that are breathed in

  • take the form of gases, vapors, and sprays.
  • Such poisons include Carbon monoxide (from car exhaust, wood-burning stove’s, and furnaces),
  • Ammonia,
  • chlorine,
  • insect spray’s
  • and the gases produced from volatile liquid chemicals
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9
Q

Volatile

A

Able to change very easily from a liquid into a gas, many industrial solvents are volatile

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10
Q

Absorbed poisons

A

Poisons taken into the body through unbroken skin

  • May or may not damage skin
  • Many are corrosives or irritants that will enjoy the skin then be slowly absorbed into your body tissues and bloodstream
  • others are absorbed into the bloodstream without entering the skin
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11
Q

Injected Poison

A

Poison inserted through the skin

  • The most common injected poisons include illicit drugs injected with a needle
  • and venoms injected by snakes fangs or insects stingers
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12
Q

Patient Assessment: Ingested Poison

A
  • What substance was involved?
  • when did exposure occur?
    • very important for emergency dept. to know exact time of exposure if not earliest and latest possible time
  • How much was ingested?
    • May be just counting home much tablets left in a new med bottle, if not determine max amount that could
  • Over how long a period did the ingestion occur?
    •patient who takes meds chronically overdoses is different from a patient who overdosed but has never taken that meds before
  • What interventions has the patient, family, or well-meaning bystanders taken?
  • What is the patients estimated weight?
    • this in combination with amount ingested can help in determining appropriate treatment
  • What affects is the patient experiencing from the ingestion?
    • Nausea and vomiting or two of the most common results of poison ingestion, altered mental status, abdominal pain, diarrhea, chemical burns around miles, and unusual breath orders are other signs/symptoms
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13
Q

Food poisoning

A

Can be caused by several different bacteria that grow when exposed to the right conditions

  • raw meat poultry or fish is left at room temp or food does not reach a high enough temperature to kill bacteria
  • symptoms may occur a day or so after ingestion (result of bacteria)
  • Or May occur within hours of ingestion (result of toxins
 - Signs and symptoms vary but frequently are:
• Nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal cramps
• diarrhea and fever
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14
Q

Activated charcoal

A

A substance that adsorbs many poisons and prevents them from being absorbed by the body
- Administer via medical direction (so they can determine whether the use of activated charcoal is appropriate for type of poison)

Usual Dosage: adult 25-50g
Usual Pediatric - 12.5-25g

Adult and children: 1 g per kg of body weight

  • Activated charcoal is not an antidote, it will prevent and reduce the amount of poison Available for the body to absorb
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15
Q

Adsorption

A

The process of one substance becoming attached to the surface of another

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16
Q

Contraindications of activated charcoal

A
  • Patients who cannot swallow
  • Patient with altered mental status
  • patients who have ingested acid or alkalis should not take AC Because acid me severely damage the mouth throat and esophagus
  • patients who have accidentally swallowed while siphoning gasoline should not take activated charcoal
  • If the patient refuses to take activated charcoal, never attempt to force a patient to swallow activated charcoal, notify medical direction and continue reassessment care
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17
Q

Syrup and Ipecac

A

A traditional treatment for poisoning

  • or really administer drug causes vomiting and most people with just one does
  • Removal of less than 1/3 of the stomach contents
  • ipecac Is slow, is relatively ineffective, and has the potential to make a patient aspirate farm address, it is rarely used today
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18
Q

Dilution

A

Thinning down or weakening by mixing with something else. Ingested poison’s are sometimes diluted by drinking water or milk

  • Occasionally medical direction will give an order for dilution of a poisonous substance
  • adult: 1-2 glasses of water/milk
  • child: 1/2-1 full glass
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19
Q

Antidote

A

A substance that will neutralize the poison or it’s effects
- there are only a few Ginuwine at the door, and they can be used only with a very small number of poisons

Modern treatment of poisonings consist primarily of: prevention of absorption by activated charcoal

  • and a good supportive treatment such as airway maintenance, administration of O2 and treatment for shock
20
Q

Naloxone

A

This is a medication/antidote That directly reverses narcotics depressant effects on level of consciousness and respiratory drive

Dosage: 0.4-2.0 mg

Must obtain medical direction

21
Q

Inhaled poisons

A
  • Carbon monoxide
  • chlorine gas (Austin from swimming pool chemicals)
  • ammonia (after released from household cleaners)
  • sprayed Agricultural chemicals and pesticides
  • and carbon dioxide
22
Q

SCBA

A

Self-contained breathing apparatus

  • A type of protective clothing use in a hostile environments such as an environment with inhaled poisons
23
Q

Patient Care: Inhaled Poison

A
  • Remove the patient from danger into safe zone
  • detect and treat immediately life-threatening problems
  • perform secondary assessment
  • administer higher concentration oxygen. This is the single most important treatment for inhaled poisoning after the patient’s airway is opened
24
Q

Acetaminophen Poisoning

A

Acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of hospitalization of overdose patients

  • analgesic (A drug acting to relieve pain)
  • After someone takes too much of the drug, the liver becomes overwhelmed and unable to detoxify the substance.
    several hours later liver sustains irrepairable damage if nothing is done. If the antidoe is given within the first 12 hours after an overdose, the patient should recover with a functioning liver
  • during the first 4 to 12 hours:
    loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting
  • it is in until date two or later that the patient typically experiences right upper quadrant pain and jaundice then it’s too late for antidote
25
Q

Carbon monoxide treatment

A

Administration of hundred percent oxygen

26
Q

Detergent suicides

A

A method of suicide that became popular in Japan

  • To chemicals involved are frequently toilet cleaner and bath salts that create toxic hydrogen sulfide gas
  • Takes the place of oxygen but also bonds with iron in cells, preventing oxygen from binding to those cells and getting to where it is needed
27
Q

Absorbed poison: signs, symptoms and care

A

Common signs and symptoms include a liquid or powder on the patient’s skin, burns, itching, irritation, and redness

Treatment
• Powders - brush powder off of the patient; then continue as for other absorbed poisons
• Liquids - Irrigate with clean water for at least 20 minutes and continue en route if possible
• Eyes - Irrigate with clean water for at least 20 minutes and continue en route if possible

  • remove contaminated clothes
28
Q

Alcohol abuse: facts

A

Can have potent effects on a persons central nervous system.
- treat as a professional
• chronic drinkers often have derangement in
- blood sugar
- poor nutrition
- potential for GI bleeding

  • Do Not Hesitate for police assistance
29
Q

Delirium tremens

A

A severe reaction that can be part of alcohol withdrawal, characterized by sweating, trembling, anxiety, and hallucinations. Severe alcohol withdrawal with the DTs can lead to death if untreated

30
Q

Signs of alcohol withdrawal include:

A
  • Confusion and restlessness
  • Unusual behavior, to the point do demonstrating “insane” behavior
  • Hallucinations
  • Gross tremor ( obvious shaking) of the hand
  • profuse sweating
  • seizures (common and often very serious)
  • hypertension
  • tachycardia
  • all patients with seizures or DTs must be transported to a medical facility as soon as possible
31
Q

Subdural hematoma

A

Caused by trauma to the head

  • a collection of blood outside the brain
  • common in alcoholics
32
Q

Substance abuse

A

A term that indicates a chemical substance is being take for other than therapeutic (medical) reasons.

33
Q

Uppers (drugs)

A 
Stimulants that affect the nervous system and excite the user 
Examples: 
 - caffeine
 - amphetamines
 - cocaine
34
Q

Downers

A

Depressant effect on the central nervous system, such as barbiturates, which are often used to bring on a more relaxed state of mind
Ex:
- Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) - also known as roofies - “date rape drug
- GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) also known as Georgia Home Boy

Downer also produces a sense of euphoria and sometimes hallucinations
- also respiratory depression

35
Q

Narcotics

A 
Drugs capable of producing stupor or sleep 
• often used to alleviate pain. 
• examples of some drugs would be 
 - codeine 
 - oxycodone (OxyContin)
Illegal drugs would be 
 - heroin - often injected thru vein
36
Q

Narcotic overdoses are generally characterized by three signs:

A
  1. Coma (or depressed level of consciousness
  2. Pinpoint pupils
  3. Respiratory depression (slow, shallow respiration)
    - referred as the “opiate triad”
37
Q

Hallucinogens

A

Mind affecting or mind altering drugs that act on the central nervous system to produce and intense state of excitement and distortion of perceptions

Examples: LSD, PCP, certain types of mushrooms, ecstasy (known as XTC, X, or MDMA) or methylenedioxymethamphetamine

38
Q

Volatile chemicals abuse

A

Vaporizing compounds, such as cleaning fluid, that are breathed in by the abuser to produce a “high”
- causing an initial “rush”

Examples of commonly abused volatile chemicals: cleaning fluid, glue, model cement, and correction fluids used to correct ink based errors

39
Q

Designer drugs

A

Substances that resemble traditional drugs but have a slight difference in molecular formula or compositions
- produce similar or greater effects then the drug there based on

40
Q

Signs and symptoms: Uppers

A
  • excitement
  • increased pulse
  • increases breathing rate
  • rapid speech
  • dry mouth,
  • Dilated pupils
  • sweating
  • And the complaint of having gone without sleep for long periods of time

Repeated higher doses can produce a “speed run”
Patient will be restless, hyperactive, and usually very apprehensive and uncooperative

41
Q

Signs and symptoms: Downers

A

•sluggish
•sleepy
•lacking typical coordination of boys and speech
•pulse and breathing rates are low
- often to the point of a true emergency

42
Q

Signs and symptoms: Narcotics

A 
•reduced rate of pulse 
•reduces depth and rate of breathing 
•lower skin temp 
•pupils Pinpoint 
•muscled Relaxed 
•sweating is profuse
•very sleepy and in overdoses coma is common 
 - respiratory arrests/failure may rapidly develop
43
Q

Signs and symptoms: Hallucinogens

A
  • fast HR
  • dilated pupils
  • flushed face
  • patient often sees or hears things
  • little concept of reality
  • not aware of true environment
  • makes no sense
  • May become aggressive or be very timid
44
Q

Signs and symptoms: Volatile chemicals

A
  • appear dazed or show temporary loss of contact with reality
  • may develop a coma
  • linings is the nose and mouth may show swollen membranes
  • complain of funny numb feeling or tingling inside head
  • changes in heart rhythm
  • can lead to DEATH
45
Q

Drug withdrawal

A
  • shaking
  • anxiety
  • nausea
  • confusion and irritability
  • hallucinations, visual or auditory
  • profuse sweating
  • increased pulse and breathing rates

Emt Training Class 29 (23 decks)

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