Final Exam Review Flashcards
Emergency action steps
Check, Call, Care
What to check in an emergency
-safety of scene
-obtain consent
-are the responsive
-life threatening emergency?
-LOOK, LISTEN, FEEL
How to care for a patient in emergency
Give care consistent with your knowledge and training
Help person rest in comfortable position
Keep them from getting chilled or overheated
Continue to watch for changes in person’s condition
Legal Issues
-Getting consent
-Confidentiality
-Good Samaritan Laws
-Abandonment
When is consent implied?
if the patient is unresponsive and/or parent/guardian is not present
Who can you get consent from?
Adults (18+) who are sober and clear minded
Legal guardian of a minor
Unaccompanied minor
If you are not medical professional, you are considered to be acting in good faith and are therefore protected from being found liable
Good Samaritan Laws
Who can you share confidentiality with?
People directly involved in the person’s care such as family members and EMS people
When you turn over care to someone who cannot manage the patient
Abandonment
Reasons to hesitate
-Bystander effect
-trauma/freeze
-fear
-getting sued
-lack of confidence
-fear of infection
when you see something, but you assume someone else with more training will take care of the situation
Bystander effect
Ways to protect yourself from infection
-breathing barrier
-wear gloves
-wash your hands with soap and water
Airway emergencies
-Choking
-Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction)
-Demographic infants and children
-Demographic elderly people
Causes of airway emergencies
eating too fast, not chewing food well, talking/laughing while eating
Signs and Symptoms of airway emergencies
hands around the throat, unable to speak
any kind of skin color change
coughing or gasping for air
confused or anxious expression
Treatment for airway emergencies
Give five back blows and five abdominal thrusts; if unresponsive, start CPR
Circulation Emergencies
heart attack
major bleeding
blood clots
Signs and Symptoms of heart attack
chest pain
pain that radiates in one or both arms
pain in lower back
heavy chest
pain radiates to the neck or jaw
presents upper stomach pain or indigestion
shortness of breath
inconsistent fatigue
skin color
Heart is no longer beating
Unable to respond
Brain tissue damage starts in 4-5 minutes
Cardiac Arrest
One CPR cycle
32 chest compressions and two rescue breaths
Patient needs to be on a firm flat surface
Unresponsive, check to see if they are breathing
High quality CPR
Depth of 2 inches
Open the airway using head tilt/chin lift
Firm flat surface
Responders kneel next to patient
Check scene safety
Chest compressions on the center of the chest
Minimize interruptions
What if you have two trained CPR responders present?
Switch every 5 cycles (about 2 minutes)
What if you give a breath and don’t see the chest rise?
Retilt the head
Check your seal
Give your second breath
Check airway to see if foreign object is stuck
What do you do if patient vomits during CPR?
Put them in the recovery position
When do you stop performing CPR?
When there is a sign of life
EMS arrives
If scene becomes unsafe
If you are too exhausted to continue
Located in high traffic/highly visible areas OR places where they are most likely to be needed
AEDs (Automated External Defibrillator)
If a patient is in the water and you need to use an AED?
Get them out of the water and dry them off so the pad will stick
When can it get tricky to assist someone who has an emergency?
-Under the influence
-Have certain religious beliefs
-Are not of sound mind
-Speak a different language
SAM interview parts
Signs and Symptoms
Allergies
Medications and medical conditions
What do you do for an initial check?
Protect their dignity and give them privacy (as much as possible)
Get their name and age
Conduct SAM interview
Ask what happened to get to the point of emergency
Normal heart rate
60-100 BPM rhythm (regular), quality (strong)
Responsive rate (RR)
12-20 breaths per minute, assess depth (deep) and effort (unlabored)
How to take heart rate
Count for 15 seconds, multiply the number you get by 4
How to take responsive rate
Count it for a full minute, as it is a lower number
Scale used to test level of responsiveness
AVPU
What does the A stand for the AVPU scale?
eyes are open, they are awake
What does the V stand for the AVPU scale?
if they respond to your voice
What does the P stand for the AVPU scale?
If they respond to pain
What does the U stand for the AVPU scale?
they are not responding
What does SCTM stand for when doing a skin test?
skin, color, temperature, moisture
Life threatening condition where the circulatory system fails to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to tissues and organs
shock
life threatening blood loss, severe allergy reaction (anaphylaxis), severe infection, dehydration, heart issues, any serious illness or injury
causes for shock
shock signs and symptoms
Elevated heart rate
Elevated respiratory rate
Skin is pale, cool, and clammy
Altered mental status (anxious, restless, irritable)
treatment for shock
Call 911
Treat the cause
Get them to a position of comfort
Regulate their body temperature
Keep monitoring until EMS arrives
Low blood sugar, affects brain function, is sudden; below 80
hypoglycemic
high blood sugar, gradual onset, not immediate life threat
hyperglycemic
hyperglycemia symptoms
Fruity and sweet smell to their breath
Excessive urination
Excessive thirst
Shock symptoms and signs
Shaky/weak/fatigued/feeling faint
Altered mental status
Shock
Elevated heart rate and respiratory rate
Appears generally ill
If someone is responsive and has low blood sugar, what do you do?
give them 15-20 grams of sugar; even if they don’t know, give them sugar
Mild allergic reaction symptoms
Localized hives, rash, redness, swelling
Stuffy nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Sore throat
Abdominal pain and cramping
Severe allergic reaction symptoms
Systemic redness, swelling, hives, rash all over the body
Blocked airway
Swelling to face, lips, tongue, neck
Severe abdominal pain and cramping
Signs and symptoms of shock
mild allergy treatment
remove source of allergen, monitor for facial swelling and airway compromise
severe allergy treatment
Call 911, EPI pen (inject in outside thigh muscle, hold for 10 seconds, the rub the area), monitor until EMS arrives
How is life threatening bleeding assessed?
volume (half a soda can) and flow (spurting, running, gushing, etc.)
Is for life threatening bleeding only
Place 2-3 inches above the wound OR between the wound and the heart
DO NOT place it directly on the wound OR over a joint
Note the time of use for EMS
Working when bleeding stops
Tourniquets
When to seek care for minor bleeding
Possibility of infection or it is already infected
Bleeding will not stop
Deeper or wider than half an inch
Not healing after a couple of days
Puncture wounds
Contaminated wounds
Comes in contact with rusty metal and not up to date on their tetanus shot
Animal bites
Only involve top layer of skin
minor burn
Involves top and deeper layers of skin, including blood vessels, hair follicles, and glands
moderate burn
Penetrate both layers of skin and involves subcutaneous tissue (muscle, fat, bone)
severe/thick burn
Burn treatment
Remove the source of the burn
Remove clothing and jewelry from burn site
Cool the burn using clean, cool running water for 10-20 minutes
Leave it uncovered, unless you are in a remote location
Monitor for shock
Burns serious for 911
Any full thickness burn
Burns covering more than one body part/large amount of the total body surface area (TBSA)
Burns that compromise airways
Burns that impair any function
Burns caused by chemicals, explosions, electricity, and radiation
Children and older people, as infection could be worse
Circumferential burns
damage to foligaments
Sprain
damage to a bone (cracked, fully broken, chipped
Fracture
when a bone moves out of its natural position in the joint
Dislocation
damage to a muscle or a tendon (which attaches muscle to bone)
strain
Musculoskeletal signs and symptoms
Open fracture (bones coming through the skin)
Swelling
Popping, snapping, grating sounds
Pain, varying from mild to severe
Significant bruising
Abnormal bump, ridge or hallow formedly displaced
Obvious deformity
Changes in circulation and sensation below the injury site
What does CSM stand for?
circulation, sensation, movement
Signs and symptoms of head injury
Light sensitivity
Vision becomes blurry
Double vision
Seeing stars
Headache
Confusion
Dizziness
Memory loss
Unresponsiveness
Nausea and vomiting
Noise sensitivity
Severe signs and symptoms of head injuries
Fluid leaking from their ears/nose
Seizures
Altered mental status (DICU)
Disoriented
Irritable
Combative
Unresponsive
Behavioral changes
Raccoon eyes/battle sign
Severe head injuries to call 911
Concussion
Traumatic brain injury
Life threatening brain injury
Skull fracture
Intracranial pressure
Spine injury signs and symptoms
Visual deformity
Patient says they have pain
Men can have abnormal sensations (like erections)
Loss of movement in extremities
spine injury treatment
Call 911
Approach them from the front and encourage them not to move
Manage other conditions
Leave in position found, unless CPR is needed
Keep them comfortable
Regulate their body temperature (generally meaning to keep them warm)
Leave helmets in place
