Chapter 7: Field Assessment Flashcards
What statement best describes proper history-taking technique in the assessment of a major trauma patient?
complete a rapid history by using the SAMPLE acronym
What is the sequence of steps when assessing a major trauma patient?
primary, reconsider MOI, secondary, vitals, history
evaluation of the pelvis in the rapid trauma assessment includes pressing on the symphysis pubis in which direction?
posteriorly
special emphasis should be placed on what during your rapid secondary assessment?
areas suggested by the chief complaint
what best describes why a focused history is important in responsive medical patients?
it helps to formulate a field diagnosis
what may indicate either a cardiac tamponade or a tension pneumothorax?
distended neck veins
the careful, thorough process of eliciting a patient’s history and conducting a physical exam is known as the:
secondary assessment
reassessment should include:
assess effects of interventions, check vitals, assess skin condition, check airway patency
a patient is complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. What will provide you most immediately with useful information?
asking about the presence of coffee-grounds emesis
one of the best ways to minimize patient anxiety during a physical exam is to:
use a calm, professional approach
trending vital signs is best accomplished by:
taking multiple sets of vitals
Your patient remains unresponsive after a painful stimulus is applied. The family reports that the patient was found unconscious in bed after complaining of a terrible headache. What is the correct sequence of actions for you to take?
primary, rapid secondary, brief history from the family, vital signs
after the primary assessment of an unresponsive medical patient with stable vitals, what position should they be placed in?
lateral recumbent
rebound tenderness in the abdomen is a sign of potential:
peritoneal irritation
After considering the information you have collected, you determine the most likely cause of your patient’s condition. This step in the critical decision-making process is called:
interpreting the data
the first step in critical thinking is to:
form a concept
using knowledge and experience to diagnose patients and plan their treatment is called clinical:
judgment
critical thinking is a thought process used to:
analyze and evaluate
paramedics treat patients with the same techniques as other clinicians, except that they:
perform these procedures in uncontrollable and unpredictable environments
what characteristic is most similar between the prehospital setting and other medical care environments?
the need to establish an airway early in patient care
with your field diagnosis in mind, you develop a treatment plan for your patient. This is part of the critical decision-making process called:
applying principles
what is the correct sequence of steps in critical decision-making?
forming a concept, interpreting the data, applying the principles, evaluating results, reflecting on the incident
