Chapter 9 Patient Assessment Flashcards
Symptom
Subjective findings that the patient feels but that can be identified only by the patient
Sign
Objective findings that can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, or measured
Scene size up
A step within the patient assessment process that involves a quick assessment of the scene and the surroundings to provide information about scene safety and the mechanism of injury or nature of illness before you enter and begin patient care.
Situational awareness
Knowledge and understanding of your surroundings and situation and the risk they potentially pose to your safety or the safety of the EMS team
Mechanism of injury (MOI)
The forces, or energy transmission, applies to the body that causes injury
Nature of illness (NOI)
The general type of illness a patient is experiencing
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Protective equipment that blocks exposure to a pathogen or a hazardous material
Standard precautions
Protective measures that have traditionally been developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use in dealing with objects, blood, body fluids, and other potential exposure risks of communicable disease.
Incident command system
A system implemented to manage disasters and mass- and multiple casualty incidents in which section chiefs, includ ing finance, logistics, operations, and planning report to the incident commander. Also referred to as the incident management system.
Triage
The process of establishing treatment and transportation priorities according to severity of injury and medical need
Primary assessment
A step within the patient assessment process that identifies and initiated treatment of immediate and potential life threats
Vital signs
The key signs that are used to evaluate the patients overall condition, including respirations, pulse, blood pressure, level of consciousness, and skin characteristics
General impression
The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based in the patients surroundings, the mechanism of injury, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint
Perfusion
The flow of blood through body tissues and vessels
AVPU scale
A method of assessing the level of consciousness by determining whether the patient is awake and alert, responsive to verbal stimuli or pain, or unresponsive; used principally early in the assessment process
Responsiveness
The way in which a patient responds to external stimuli, including verbal stimuli (sound), tactile stimuli (touch), and painful stimuli
Orientation
The mental status of a patient as measured by memory of person (name), place (current location), time (current year, month, and approximate date), and event (what happened)
Altered mental status
Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patients normal baseline mental status
Priapism
A painful, tender, persistent erection of the penis; can result from spinal cord injury, erectile dysfunction drugs, or sickle cell disease
Distracting injury
Any injury that prevents the patient from noticing other injuries he or she may have, even severe injuries; for example, a painful femur or tibia fracture that prevents the patient from noticing back pain associated with a spinal fracture
Spontaneous respirations
Breathing that occurs without assistance
Shallow respirations
Respirations characterized by little movement of the chest wall (reduced tidal volume) or poor chest excursion
Retractions
Movements in which the skin pulls in around the ribs during inspiration
Accessory muscles
The secondary muscles of respiration. They include the neck muscles (sternocleidomastoids), the chest pectoralis major muscles, and the abdominal muscles
Nasal flaring
Widening of the nostrils, indicating that there is an airway obstruction
Two to three word dyspnea
Tripod position
An upright position in which the patient leans forward onto two arms stretched forward and thrusts the head and chin forward
Sniffing position
An upright position in which the patients head and chin are thrust slightly forward to keep the airway open