Medical Emergencies Flashcards
What are Identifying signs?
Skin colour [pink, grey, red, pale, blue]
- Pace of breathing
- Suddenness of any collapse
- Actions before collapse
- Condition of pulse
What are Identifying symptoms?
- Pain and location of pain
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
Vasovagal syncope
Signs: pale and clammy skin, weak and thready pulse, loss of consciousness
Symptoms: Dizziness, tunnel vision, nausea
Treatment: Unconscious – Leg elevation, water, Loosen tight clothes
Asthmatic attack
Signs: Breathless with wheezing on expiration, cyanosis (blueness of lips), restlessness
Symptoms: Difficulty in breathing, feeling of suffocating or drowning
Treatment: Administer Salbutamol, give oxygen, 999 if recovery isn’t rapid
Anaphylaxis
Signs: Rapid face swelling, formation of a rash, gasping, collapse
Symptoms: sudden-onset breathing difficulties, becoming severe, tingling of extremities
Treatment: 999, Administer intramuscular adrenaline, give oxygen, Bls if necessary
Epileptic fit
Signs: sudden loss of consciousness (tonic – ridged and convulses)
Symptoms: Altered mood (aura), dazed, sleepy, no memory of fit
Treatment: If not recovered in 5mins call 999
Myocardial infraction
Signs: Congested facial appearance, chest clenching, Grey, possible collapse
Symptoms: Chest pain not relieved by GTN spray
Treatment: call 999, administer aspirin tablet, give oxygen, BSL if necessary
Angina
Signs: Like myocardial infraction, irregular pulse, shallow breathing
Symptoms: Crushing chest pain may travel into left arm or jaw, nausea, breathlessness
Treatment: Administer Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray, give oxygen, call 999, begin BLS
Hypoglycaemia and diabetic coma
Signs: Trembling, cold and clammy skin, irritable to the point of aggression, drowsy, slurred speech, may appear drunk
Symptoms: Confusion, disorientated, blurred or double vision
Treatment: Glucogel tube (if conscious) administer intramuscular glucagon (unconscious)
Stroke
Signs: Sudden weakness of the face or limbs on one-side, difficulty speaking, sudden loss of balance/fall (fast- face, arms, speech, time 999)
Symptoms: numbness of face or limbs, sudden headache/visual disturbance, confusion, dizziness
Treatment: give oxygen, call 999
Adrenal crisis
Signs: Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Symptoms: Nausea, Abdominal pain, Feeling lethargic and weak
Treatment: Call 999, lay patient supine, oxygen, BLS and defibrillation
Chocking
Signs: Sudden coughing/wheezing, laboured breathing, inability to speak, blue lips
Symptoms: Breathing difficulties, dizziness
Treatment: lean forwards and encourage coughing, 5 back slaps, abdominal thrusts (Heimlich manoevuvre), 999 is unsuccessful
Assessment of unwell patient follows?
A [airway] B [breathing] C [circulation] D [disability] E [exposure]
[D - level of consciousness to indicate brain functionality]
[E – opening/removing items of clothing to carry out an assessment ]
Pulse oximeter
Measures pulse and oxygen saturation levels are taken using a finger probe
Fundamental aims of BSL
Rescue breathing [provide oxygen to lungs]
External chest compressions [circulate the oxygen to the body tissues
