Emergency Care - EMT Basic Chapter 2 Flashcards
(27 cards)
organisms that cause infection, such as viruses and bacteria.
pathogens
a strict form of infection control that is based on the assumption that all blood and other body fluids are infectious.
Standard Precautions (also known as body substance isolation - BSI; or infection control)
Who develops the guidelines about precautions against exposure to bloodborne pathogens?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
equipment that protects the EMS worker from infection and/or exposure to the dangers of rescue operations.
personal protective equipment (PPE)
List the types of personal protective equipment.
- Protective Gloves (put on before in contact with a patient)
- Hand Washing (done after any contact with a patient, even with gloves on)
- Eye and Face Protection (to prevent splashing or spraying into the eyes and mucous membranes)
- Masks
- Gown (to protect clothing and bare skin from spilled or splashed fluids)
What are the two types of masks, and when should they be used?
- Surgical Mask: used when blood or fluid may splatter
- N-95 or HEPA respirator: used when tuberculosis is suspected
an infection that causes inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis
How is Hepatitis A contracted?
primarily through contact with food or water contaminated by stool (feces)
How are Hepatitis B and C contracted?
through contact with blood and other bodily fluids
an infection that sometimes settles in the lungs
Tuberculosis (TB)
How is Tuberculosis spread?
through the air
a set of conditions that results when the immune system has been attacked by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and rendered unable to combat certain infections adequately.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
What diseases are spread by airborne droplets?
- Chicken pox (varicella)
- German measles (rubella)
- H1N1 (flu)
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
- SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)
What does SARS stand for?
severe acute respiratory syndrome
What is the Ryan White CARE Act?
It establishes procedures by which emergency response workers may find out if they have been exposed to life-threatening infectious diseases.
a state of physical and/or psychological arousal to a stimulus.
stress
What are a few stress-producing agents or situations?
- Multiple-casualty incidents
- Calls involving infants and children
- Severe injuries
- Abuse and neglect
- Death of a coworker
What are the three stages of stress (general adaptation syndrome)?
- Alarm Reaction (“fight-or-flight”)
- Stage of Resistance (your body returns to normal and you have adapted to the stimulus)
- Exhaustion (the individual has lost the ability to resist or adapt to the stressor and may become ill)
This stress reaction occurs simultaneously with or shortly after the critical incident.
Acute Stress Reaction
This stress reaction may occur at any time, days to years, following a critical incident.
Delayed Stress Reaction (PTSD)
This stress reaction is not triggered by a single critical incident, but instead results from sustained, recurring low-level stressors and develops over a period of years.
Cumulative Stress Reaction
a comprehensive system that includes education and resources to both prevent stress and to deal with stress appropriately when it occurs.
critical incident stress management (CISM)
What are the emotional stages of dying?
- Denial or “Not me.”
- Anger or “Why me?”
- Bargaining or “Okay, but first let me…”
- Depression or “Okay, but I haven’t…”
- Acceptance or “Okay, I’m not afraid.”
How should an EMT deal with the patient or family members confronted with death or dying?
- Recognize the patient’s needs. Talk directly to the patient and avoid talking to the family members in the patient’s presence as if the patient were incompetent or no longer living.
- Be tolerant of angry reactions from the patient or family members.
- Listen empathetically
- Do not falsely reassure
- Offer as much comfort as you realistically can. Let them know you will do everything you can to help.
