EMT Mnemonics & Acronyms

Question 1

SAMPLE

Answer 1

SAMPLE is the acronym covering the details we need to get about any patient.

Signs & Symptoms
Allergies
Medications
Past pertinent history
Last oral intake, liquid & solid
Events leading to the incident

Question 2

CHEATED

Answer 2

This is a summary of a patient contact, from start to finish.

Chief Complaint
History
Examination
Assessment
Treatment
Evaluation (Did the treatment help?)
Disposition (What was the final outcome?)

Question 3

PENMAN

Answer 3

Personal Protective Equipment
Equipment needed
Number of injured
Mechanism of injury
Additional resources needed
Need for immobilization?

Question 4

AVPU

Answer 4

Alert & Oriented (Person / Place / Time / Event )
Verbally Responsive
Pain - responsive to Pain
Unresponsive

Question 5

OPQRST (And what it’s used for)

Answer 5

Used for pain……….
Onset (Sudden or gradually)
Provocation/Palliation (What makes better/worse
Quality (What kind of pain is it i.e. dull, sharp etc.)
Radiate (Move to other body parts)
Severity (Scale of 1 to 10)
Time (Come and go? and how long ago)

Question 6

CHAMPS RN

Answer 6

Cardiogenic
Hemmorhagic
Anaphalactic
Metabolic
Psychogenic
Septic
Respiratory
Neurogenic

Question 7

What are the 6 Ps? Which is a method of assessing compromise to an extremity when a musculoskeletal injury is suspected.

Answer 7

Pain or tenderness
Pallor (pale skin or poor capillary refill)
Paresthesia, or the sensation of pins and needles
Pulses diminished or absent in the injured extremity
Paralysis or the inability to move
Pressure

Question 8

DCAP BTLS is used to assess trauma patients. What does it mean?

Answer 8

D	Deformities
C	Contusions
A	Abrasions
P	Punctures and penetrations
B	Burns
T	Tenderness
L	Lacerations
S	Swelling