PRE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT

Question 1

Unnecessary deaths from cardiac arrest may be reduced by a series of interventions known as the chain of survival. What are they?

Answer 1

1. Early recognition, call and emergency service access.
2. Early basic life support
3. Early defibrillation
4. Early advanced life support

The less time spent between each link then the greater the chance of survival.

Question 2

What is the concept of FPOS training?

Answer 2

To give emergency life supporting measures to any patient suffering sudden illness or injury.

Question 3

Interventions shown to effect improvement in outcome are often simple and focus on 3 key areas. What are they?

Answer 3

1. Airway assessment and stabilisation of neck
2. Breathing assessment and support
3. Circulatory assessment and support

Where there is evidence of catastrophic life-threatening external compressible bleeding then control of this takes precedence over anything else.

These are conventionally describes as basic life support.

Question 4

Describe considerations of Scene Safety?

Answer 4

CONSIDER

1. Yourself
2. The Scene
3. The Patient

Evaluate the scene

1. Look
2. Listen
3. Think
4. Act

Look

1. Immediate dangers to yourself and patient
2. Hazards such as electrics
3. At the incident to see what has happened
4. At the mechanism of injury(clue for possible injury and type)
5. At the position casualties are in
6. How many casualties
7. Determine most serious by triage
8. to see what other services or help is on scene

Listen

1. For dangers
2. To witnesses or bystanders
3. To colleagues or other emergency services

Think

1. what you have seen and heard
2. Your priorities
3. What can be done to help each patient
4. What additional resources are required
5. What was the likely cause of any injuries

DO NOT RUSH IN

Question 5

Violent casualty. If a casualty becomes violent with you this may be due to their medical condition however if this continues then

Answer 5

1. Do not become confrontational

2. Withdraw

Question 6

Minimising Infection, state the Universal Precautions?

Answer 6

1. Keep cuts and grazes covered at all times
2. Maintaining good personal hygiene at all times in particular regular hand washing.
3. Keep nails short and clean
4. Ensure that your hands are washed thoroughly before and after contact.
5. Wear gloves and other PPE. Don’t wear gloves whilst driving
6. disposing of clinical waste such as bandages through the ambulance service or other arrangements.
7. Ensure equipment is either disposable as per clinical waste or appropriately cleaned and disinfected.

Question 7

Two main considerations when dealing with spillage of bodily fluids?

Answer 7

1. Ensure their safe disposal
2. Minimise the risk of infection

Smaller spills may be wiped up with a paper towel and the area should then be disinfected normally by the ambulance service.

Larger Spills should be covered with paper towels and and left for the ambulance service.

Gloves and appropriate PPE must be worn and waste placed in a yellow clinical waste bag.