Medical Emergencies Flashcards
What is a medical emergency?
- injury or illness that is acute and possesses an immediate risk to a person’s life or long term health
Common medical emergencies
- hyperventilation
- asthma
- epilepsy/seizure
- anaphylaxis
- syncope
- diabetes
When do you do vitals for a medical emergency?
After primary (before secondary)
What is hyperventilation?
- breathing more quickly
- upsets balance of O2 and CO2
- exhaling more than inhaling
Causes of hyperventilation
- strong emotions (excitement, fear, anxiety)
- asthma
- injuries
- exercise
- life-threatening bleed
S/S hyperventilation
- rapid, shallow breathing
- feeling of not getting enough air
- fear, anxiety, confusion
- dizziness
- numbness/tingling in fingers/toes
- muscle contractions (hands, feet, arms, legs)
Hyperventilation Tx
- 911 if does not stop after a few mins, person becomes unresponsive, or suspected injury/illness
- remove from stressful environment
- controlled breaths (breathe in slowly, hold, gradually exhale)
- calm voice, reassure, contact, breathing pattern (can put their hands on chest and abdomen)
What is asthma?
- chronic illness where substances/conditions cause inflammation/swelling of bronchioles
- harder for air to move in/out of lungs
Asthma causes
- air pollution
- allergies
- temp
- strong odours
- colds/flus
- physical activity
- respiratory infections
- stress/anxiety
Asthma prevention
- know triggers
- have meds
Pathology of asthma
Bronchoconstriction: dyspnea, wheezing, coughing
- tightened smooth muscles
- swelling + mucus
- wall inflamed and thickened
Asthma medications (2 main types)
1- Long-term control
2- Quick-relief (bronchodilators)
How to take asthma meds
- inhaler
- nebulizer
- orally
(tripod position, NOT lying down)
S/S of asthma attack
- wheezing/coughing/gasping
- rapid, shallow breathing
- anxiety/fear
- tightness in chest
- tingling in hands/feet
- sweating
What is a seizure
- episode of abnormal electrical signals in brain
- temporary/involuntary disturbances in brain fcn
- shaking/contraction of limbs (convulsions), changes in sensation, shifts in behaviour, altered LOC
Causes of seizures
- epilepsy
- fevers/infections
- head injuries
- heat stroke
- poisons
- drug/alcohol withdrawal
- diabetic emergencies
- audio-visual stimulation
S/S of seizures
- hallucinations
- uncontrolled muscle mvmt
- eyes rolling up
- drool/foaming at mouth
- repetitive motions
- Aura
Types of seizures
- Tonic-clonic or convulsive (“grand mal”)
- absence (“petit mal”)
- focal or partial
Describe tonic-clonic seizures
- aura stage
- tonic stage (convulsions, unresponsive)
- clonic stage: twitching, irregular breathing
- postictal stage: rest, regain responsiveness
(total time: 1-3mins, up to 5)
Describe absence seizures
- brief, sudden lapses in responsiveness
- blank stare
- chewing motions, breath rapidly, blink rhythmically
- no convulsions
- no confusion after
- 2-10 seconds
Describe focal or partial seizures
- begin in one specific part of brain
- S/S vary depending on region
- only affects one part of body
- short
- may or may not remain aware during seizure
Seizure tx
- 911
- check medical history
- time seizure
- # seizures
- verify for injuries (move objects out of way + protect head with soft object)
- time of unresponsiveness
- roll person to side if possible
After: check ABCs, place in recovery position
What is anaphylactic shock?
- allergic rxn
- immune system reacts in a sudden/exaggerated way to contact w/ an allergic substance (antigen)
What is syncope?
Fainting - brief period of unresponsiveness when not enough blood flow to brain
