Recognising Life Threatening Problems

Question 1

How can you recognise a heart attack?

Answer 1

Occur when blood flow to the heart stops or is reduced

Patients complain of chest pain and an uncomfortable pressure or squeezing.
Pain may spread to the shoulders, neck or arms.
Patients may complain of nausea, shortness of breath and dizziness. They may sweat or faint.

Question 2

How can you recognise cardiac arrest?

Answer 2

Occurs when a heart artery becomes blocked and the heart stops receiving oxygen.

2 ways of recognition

Patients doesn’t respond when you speak or touch them. Unresponsive.

The patient doesn’t appear to have any signs of circulation

Question 3

What is ventricular fibrillation?

Answer 3

When the artery begins to quiver - cardiac arrest

Question 4

What is a stroke?

Answer 4

Occurs when a blood vessel is blocked or ruptures in the patients brain. Deprives the brain of oxygen and causes cell death.

Use FAST to identify the stroke.

Question 5

What does FAST stand for?

Answer 5

Face - 1 side of the face droops when smiling
Arms - 1 arm will tend to drift down when asked to put their arms up
Speech - is speech slurred?
Time - call EMS if you see any of these signs

Question 6

What are the common signs and symptoms of a stroke?

Answer 6

Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Confusion or drowsiness
Trouble speaking, understanding or swallowing
Vision trouble
Dizziness or loss of balance coordination
Sudden servers headache

Question 7

How can you recognise airway obstruction?

Answer 7

Patient can’t speak
Patients tend to become embarrassed and try to leave the area

Tend to grab their throat