Exam 4 Flashcards
What is ESI?
emergency severity index
assigns 5 levels based on life-threatening to least urgent
How are emergency assessments triaged by color? Which are stable and unstable?
Red: life-threatening, unstable
orange: potentially life-threatening, unstable
yellow: stable but needs emergency care
green: stable but needs medical treatment within a reasonable time
blue: may be taken care of with another care level
stable: yellow, green, blue
unstable: orange, red
What is the ABCDE of asessment?
airway
breathing
circulation
disability
exposure
How is breathing thoroughly assessed?
- Auscultate breath sounds bilaterally
- Observation of chest expansion and respiratory effort (work of breathing)
- Rate and depth of respirations
Identification of chest trauma - Assess tracheal position (midline or deviated?)
- Assess for JVD
- Manual ventilation with bag valve mask if not breathing
- Set up for endotracheal intubation if not ventilating or oxygenating
What is a thorough primary survey of circulation?
- HR, BP, peripheral pulses, skin color
- CPR
- external or internal bleeding
- control hemorrhage
- reverse anitcoag therapies if possible
- IV access
*stabilize with fluids and blood
what constitutes a primary survey of disability?
determine LOC
AVPU: alert, verbal stimuli, painful stimuli, unresponsive
Glasgow coma scale
frequent neurological assessments
What can cause hypothermia in an emergency situation? What is the threshold for a hypthermic temp? What can result?
exposure
cold IV fluids
unwarmed O2
wet clothing
35 degrees
com, hypoxemia, acidosis
What is included in the secondary survey?
health history
head to toe
diagnostic and lab testing
monitoring devices, ECG, arterial lines, catheters
splinting fractures
wound care
interventions based on the condition
if instability occurs go back to ABCDEs
What are potential chest injuries (10)? What are interventions (6)?
Rib fractures
flail chest (2 fracture sites of at least 2 ribs)
Sternal fractures
Pulmonary contusion
Pneumothorax
Hemothorax
Cardiac contusion
cardiac tamponade
cardiac dysrhythmias
Aortic rupture
- Needle chest decompression if a tension pneumothorax
- Chest tube insertion for pneumothorax or hemothorax
- Cardiac monitor for dysrhythmias
- Pericardiocentesis if cardiac tamponade is occurring
- IV analgesia for pain control
- Frequent monitoring of breathing, including RR,O2 sats,and work of breathing
What is a wound cleaned with? What should not be used?
NS
betadine
What is assessed with crush injuries?
Hypovolemic shock
Spinal cord injury
Erythema and blistering
Fractures; usually extremity
Acute kidney injury
What are cooling methods?
Cool sheets, towels, or sponging with cool water
Ice to neck, groin, chest, and axillae
Cooling blankets
Immersion in cold water bath
What are the degrees measuring the severity of frostbite?
1st degree superficial
Only layers of exposed skin are affected with hyperemia and edema. Numb central white area without blistering.
2nd degree partial thickness
Blisters cover the exposed skin areas causing necrotic tissue death and swelling.
3rd degree full thickness
Extensive edema and hemorrhagic vesicles andblisters. No blanching. Need debridement.
4th degree full thickness
Full thickness freezing with necrosis. Complete lack of blood flow. Potential for gangrene.
What are clinical manifestations of frostbite? Immediate treatment? What can treatment cause? What is administered? What should not be done? What are nursing actions after rewarming?
progress from distal to proximal
Hard, cold, and insensitive to touch
Skin may appear white or mottled
Skin may turn red and become painful when re-warmed
Immediate treatment: cover affected areas and rewarming
Controlled but rapid rewarming with warm bath (104 to 108 °F)
Can cause severe pain
Administer tetanus toxoid if > 5 years
Administer analgesics forpain during rewarming
Do not massage, rub or handle; if feet are involved, do not allow client towalk
Once re-warmed, elevate affected extremity
Assess for compartment syndrome
Swelling
Increase in pain
Needs immediate treatment!
What are rewarming methods for hypothermia? What is the risk of cold blood returning from the extremities?
Active core re-warming: Cardiopulmonary bypass, warm fluid administration, warm humidified oxygen, and warm peritoneal lavage, warm bladder irrigation
Passive external re-warming:
Warm blankets and over-the-bed heaters (Bear-Huggers)
cardiac dysrhythmias and electrolyte imbalances because of the high levels of lactic acid in the cold blood
What are intervention methods with ingested poisons? What should not be induced with corrosive (acids/alkaline) agents?
N/G tube suction
gastric lavage
activated charcoal
specific antidote
diuresis, dialysis, hemoperfusion
most poisons just need supportive care
induce vomiting, corrosive agents cause destruction to tissue
what is the patho of carbon monoxide inhalation? Manifestations? What are unreliable signs?
Inhaled carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin as carboxyhemoglobin, which prevents the transport oxygen
Hemoglobin binds carbon monoxide 200 times more readily than oxygen
Manifestations
CNS symptoms predominate, HA, Dizziness
Skin color is not a reliable sign and pulse oximetry is not valid
Color ranges from pink to cherry-red to cyanotic and pale
What are common bacteria that cause food borne illness?
salmonella
shigella
E coli
campylobacter
Why should antidiarrheals be avoided with food borne illness?
prevents flushing out of the bacteria through the diarrhea
What food poisoning sources can result in respiratory paralysis and death?
botulism (honey)
certain fish poisonings
What are IV drug users at high risk for?
HIV infection
Hep B and C
tetanus
What can acute alcohol poisoning result in? Primary actions? What other causes can present like alcohol intoxication? What is indicted for withdrawal syndrome? What is CIWA?
death (respiratory depression)
Maintain airway and observe for CNS depression and hypotension
head injury,stroke,illness
Withdrawal syndrome will require high doses of benzodiazepines to control symptoms (lorazepam or diazepam)
CIWA (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol)score is used to assess and manage the withdrawal stage of alcohol
What is the treatment for snakebites? What is contraindicated and for how long? What is the timeframe for antivenom administration? How often should the nurse assess for edema?
Lie down
Remove constrictive items (rings)
Provide warmth
Cleanse the wound
Cover with dressing
Immobilize injured body part below the level of the heart
No ice, tourniquets, heparin, and corticosteroids in the first 6 to 8 hours after the bite
4 to 12 hours
Assess for edema every 15-30 minutes
What antipsychotics are used for hallucinations? Agitation?
haloperidol,olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone are used for hallucinations, delusions
benzodiazapines such as diazapam or lorazapam