Scene Assessment Flashcards
What are the components of scene assessment?
- Plan
- Observe
- React
What are some signs of potential danger at an emergency scene?
- Violence
- Weapons of any kind
- Signs of intoxication or drug use
- Anything unusual
What general rule can you follow if you find a scene to be unsafe?
Do NOT enter
- Call for appropriate teams to handle the situation
Which part of a vehicle provides the best cover from projectiles?
The engine and front tire area is safest
What is the effect of mass (weight) and velocity (speed) on the severity of injuries?
Each affect the kinetic energy and either increase or reduce the severity of the injury sustained
What are the 3 impacts that may occur in a crash?
- Vehicle hits an object
- Person in vehicle hits inside of vehicle
- Organs strike the interior of the chest and abdomen
What Trauma can be expected from the down-and-under and up-and-over pathways of injury in an MVA?
Up-and-over: Face head and neck injuries - Chest injuries bruised heart , ruptured lungs, pneumothorax -skull fracture, brain damage, Potential cervical spine fracture, whiplash -separated cartilage rings in throat - Abdominal injuries: liver may be cut, spleen may be torn from attachment (severe breeding)
down-and-under: - Dislocated hip - Broken patella, femur, and pelvis
What factors affect the seriousness of the injuries caused by a fall?
- Distance of fall
- Anything that interrupts the fall
- The body part that first impacts a surface
- The surface the patient lands on
What are some resources you should consider calling to a scene?
- Additional personnel and ambulances
- Hazardous Materials - Fire Department
- Police
- Utilities company
At what point should you call for extra resources at a scene ?
After you assess the scene and before you begin patient care, also at anytime additional help is required
If a scene becomes unsafe what do you do ?
- Retreat
- Radio
- Re-evaluate
Generally a fall from how far is considered severe?
A fall 2 times the patients hight onto an unyielding surface
What are the 3 phases of explosion injuries? Briefly explain each
- Primary the pressure wave can injure gas-containing organs Common Primary blast injuries: - pneumothorax - pulmonary contusion - perforation of the stomach and intestines -
Secondary: flying debris created by the blast force Common Secondary blast injuries - open wounds - impaled objects - broken bones -
Tertiary: occurs when the patient is thrown from the blast force and impacts a surface Command Tertiary blast injuries - similar / same as patient who was ejected from a car
When treating a gunshot patient it is important to ?
- Assess the scene and ensure it is safe
- Be careful to not disturb evidence as best you can
- Remember internal damage may be significantly worse than external tissue damage
- Look for both entry and exit wounds
- Exit wound can be larger than entry
What are medium and high velocity weapons
Medium- velocity : handguns and shot guns
high velocity: high-powered rifles
What are factors that can effect severity of gun wounds
- Weapons velocity
- trajectory
- drag ( anything that slows down the bullet)
- if the bullet fragments on impact
- the kind of pressure wave from bullet
- entrance and exit wound
what are 3 ways to assess severity of low-velocity injuries
- Gender of offender: women tend to stab overhand and down, Men stab up and out
- position of victim: what organs were accessible during the attack
- length of weapon: different lengths will hit different organs
What are common injuries of feet-first falls and of falls more than 5m?
- Fractures to spine, ankle, heel. hip socket, femur
- head, back and pelvis injuries if they fall backwards after
- broken wrists, clavicle and shoulders ( when breaking a fall)
More than 5m:
- internal organs likely to be severely injured from deceleration
- liver may be sliced in 2
- spleen and kidney may be torn from attachment
- heart may be torn from aorta
Common injuries from head-first falls?
- begins with arms then heads up shoulders
- head and spinal injuries
- extensive damage to neck
- chest, lower spine and pelvic injuries
what are the 3 different types of impacts for a motorcycle accident? Briefly describe and explain common injuries
- head-on impact: Rider hits a object head on causing them to impact the handle bars at the same speed.
- Fractures
- Angular impact: rider strikes an object at an angle
- sever amputations
- crush injuries
- fractures
- Ejection: rider is tossed from bike and is thrown it it hits a stationary object
- severe head/facial injuries
- fractures
- concussion
- severe soft tissue damage
What are the 5 main types of MVA?
- head-on impact
- rear impact
- side impact
- rotational impact
- rollover
Common injuries from rear impacts
- soft tissues injuries
- compression of cervical spine
- cervical fractures
- no head rest: whiplash
common injuries from side impacts?
-
Head and neck injuries
- skull injuries/brain injuries and damage
- tears in neck muscles and ligaments
- cervical spine fractures
-
Chest injuries
- potential clavicle breaks
- broken ribs
- potential breathing issues
- potential liver/spleen injuries due to rib fractures
-
pelvic injuries
- pelvis fractures
- femur fractures
Common injuries for rotational and rollover impacts?
Roational impact: same injury pattern as head on collisions
rollover: sever soft tissue injuries, multiple broken bones and crushing injuries
