EMT Info Flashcards
What are emergency medical dispatchers?
Within the EMS system, trained to give medical instructions to callers
What are recent drawbacks for 911 calls?
Most 911 systems enhanced, dispatcher automatically identifies number and location. Cell phone 911 calls and less use of landlines makes it hard to confirm locations.
What are the 4 levels of training in order?
Emergency medical responder (EMR), Emergency medical technician (EMT), Advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT),
Paramedic
What is the most common destination facility?
EMTs transport patients to local medical emergency department (ED) based on chief complaint or patient request
What situations may patients be transported to a special facility?
Stroke, Cardiac, Trauma, Behavioral, Pediatric, Obstetric and Poison center.
What are EMT roles and responsibilities?
Equipment preparedness, emergency vehicle operations, establish and maintain scene safety, patient assessment and treatment, lifting and movement, strong verbal and written communication skills, patient advocacy, professional development, quality improvement, illness and injury prevention, maintain certification/licensure.
What patient-high risk activities do EMTs participate in
Transfer of patient care, lifting and moving patients, transporting the patient in an ambulance, spinal precautions, administration of meds.
What are most common errors by EMS providers that cause patient injury
Failure to perform skills adequately, lack of knowledge leading to poor decision making, failure to follow establish protocols.
What ways can you prevent potential EMS error?
Understand protocols, provide best environment to asses and manage patients, if further assistance is needed, contact partner, advanced life support (ALS), or medical direction.
What are EMT professional attributes?
Professional attributes, competent knowledge and skills, physical capability, leadership skills, ethical standards, emotional stability, adaptive thinking skills, good listener, team skills
What is the role of a medical director?
Physician responsible for providing medical oversight. Online: phone, radio, offline- guidelines or protocols, oversees quality improvement
What is Continuous quality improvement (CQI)
continuous audit and review of all aspects of EMS system to identify areas of improvment
What are examples of how EMS participates in public health?
Immunization clinics, prevention education, safety and wellness events, and public CPR training.
What is the EMTs first priority?
Own scene safety, then partners, patients and bystanander.
How do you maintain scene safety?
scene-specific hazards, appropriate infection control, safe-lifting and moving techniques
What does physical well-being of EMT contain?
maintain physical conditioning, get sleep, and healthy diet.
What are types of stress an EMT may face?
Acute stress- instant, fight or flight triggered
Delayed stress- develops after event
Cumulative stress- stress over prolonged period time
What are causes of stress?
Long hours, low pay, little sleep, danger, challenging interactions, working on events
How can an EMT manage stress?
recognize stress/ burnout, address risk factors for heart disease and stroke, find down time, balance,
What is CISM in relation to stress?
Critical incident stress management- process to help emergency workers deal w/ stress. Defusing session 4 hours after incident, debriefing 24-72 hours after incident, CISM teams have counselors, can share info (confidential), CISM facilitates dealing with critical incident stress
What are emotional demands of EMS profession?
Routine exposure to death and dying, encounters with patients in varying stages of grief, interacting with patient family during death, routine exposure to high stress situations (children, violence, need more)
What are the varying stages of grief?
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
What should an EMS do when facing family members of a dead patient?
Show respect and empathy, serve as patient advocate, be supportive and keep patient and family informed, do not offer false hope, allow family to be with patient, family may need you after
What are infectious diseases?
Caused by invading pathogens. bacterial (strep) respond to antibiotics. Viral (flu) resistant to antibiotics. Can be passed through direct or indirect contact
What is OSHA?
Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) oversees regulations concerning workplace safety, including precautions against infectious diseases. Employers provide necessary equipment and implement policies, provide training on infection control, exposure reporting and blood-borne pathogens. Employees expected to complete mandatory training.
What standard precautions are to be implemented for all patient contacts and based on assumption that all body fluids pose risk of infection? (Aka BSI precautions)
immediately report exposers to infection control, hand-washing, PPE (personal protective equipment)
What does PPE include?
Equipment and supplies necessary to implement standard precautions for specific patient encounter. PPE can differs for each patient. Min PPE- gloves and eye protection should be used during any patient contact situation. Expanded PPE- use disposable gown and mask for significant contact with body fluid (childbirth), use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) mask or N-95 respirator for airborne disease exposure.
What are some additional safety precautions?
Place contaminated medical waste in biohazard bags, disposable supplies are single use, reusable equipment should be cleaned well, Sharps should be placed in puncture-proof containers.
What are recommended immunizations and vaccines?
TB testing, Hep B vaccination, tetanus shot, Flu vaccine, MMR, varicella vaccine
What should EMT do upon encountering hazardous material (hazmat incident)?
Maintain safe distance and attempt to keep others out, call for hazmat responders, look for placards and utilize ERG (emergency response guidebook) to determine evacuation distance, do not enter scene until cleared, don’t start emergency care until patients decontaminated or cleared.
What should EMS do when encountering crime scene?
Not enter unless law enforcement has determined it’s safe, ‘staging for pd’ respond to call but maintain safe distance until cleared
What should EMS do when working on accident scenes?
Extrication situations- law requires EMTs wear traffic safety vest
What situations require specially trained responders?
Downed power lines or fire stations, terrorism incidents, high angle rescue, swift water rescue, confined space rescue
Is lifting and moving high risk for patients or EMS providers?
Both
What are safe lifting techniques?
Power lift (object close, use legs not back, use power grip with palms), position stretcher to reduce height of lift, preplan lift to reduce distance and avoid problems, get enough help
What are emergency moves and what are some types?
Used when scene is dangerous and patient must be moved before able to provide care. E.g. include armpit-forearm drag, shirt drag and blanket drag
What is an urgent move?
Used when patient has potentially life-threatening injuries and must be moved quick. Rapid extrication- urgent move used for patients in motor vehicle. Requires many rescuers and long backboard. Patient rotated onto backboard with manual cervical spine precautions and removed from vehicle.
Non-urgent moves?
no hazards and no life-threatening conditions. Direct ground lift, extremity lift, direct carry method, draw sheet.
What is the log roll technique?
Used to place a patient on backboard or assess the posterior. Can be done while maintaining C spine. need 3 personnel, person controlling C spin directs the log roll.
What are some equipment needed for patient movement?
Wheeled stretcher- secures in ambulance for transport & safest
Portable stretcher- lightweight and compact stretcher
Stair Chair- staircases, elevators, doesn’t allow for C spine hold, CPR or ventilation
Backboard- used mainly for C spine immobilization, light, allows for CPR and ventilation, needs 4 people
Scoop stretcher- good for reducing patient discomfort
Neonatal isolette- keeps neonatal patients warm
How do you pack a patient for air medical transport?
If hazard materials, decontaminate patient before loading. Notify air medical crew of special circumstances. secure loose equipment. Don’t approach without authorization. Don’t approach from rear.
Transporting bariatric (obese) patients?
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