Emergency Care Foundational Concepts Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is a rapid assessment
- For a water emergency, begin the assessment in the water and finish it on land.
- Form your initial impression as you move the person to the exit point.
- Extricate the person from the water and then continue with assessment.
- Summon EMS for any life-threatening conditions.
- For a person who is not breathing as a result of drowning, give two ventilations before beginning care.
- Provide care for the conditions found.
Consent from adults
You must obtain consent form an awake and alert adult before you touch them
What is a secondary assessment
- Summon EMS if necessary.
- Provide care for the conditions found.
Adult consent
You must obtain consent from an awake and alert adult before you touch them to perform a secondary assessment or provide care. If the adult is not alert, consent is implied.
Child consent (under 18)
For most infants and children up to the age of 18 years, you must obtain consent from the child’s parent or legal guardian if they are present, regardless of the child’s level of consciousness.
Consent with water rescue
You do not need to obtain consent to a touch a person when performing a water rescue
Steps of a rapid assessment
- Scene size-up
- Check for responsiveness
- Open the airway, check for breathing, pulse and life-threatening conditions
- Give two ventilations for drowning person
- Provide care
What happens in a scene size-up
- Look at the scene
- Evaluate safety
- Form an initial impression
- Identify resources needed
Checking for responsiveness in adults
- Shout, “Are you OK?” Use the person’s name if you know it.
- Tap the person’s shoulders.
- Shout again.
Checking for responsiveness in infants
- Shout. Use the infant’s name if you know it.
- Tap the bottom of the infant’s foot.
- Shout again.
Open airway for adult
Past-neutral position
Open airway for children
Slightly past-neutral position
Infant open airway position
Neutral position
Where to check pulse in adults
Cartoid pulse - 2 fingers to the neck
Where to check pulse in infants
Brachial pulse - 2 fingers inside the upper arm
What ro check from together
Breathing and bleeding
How long should the check for bleeding and breathing be
No more than 10 seconds
Agonal breaths
Isolated or infrequent gasps - the person is not breathing
How long should each ventilation last
1 second
What may occur during ventilations
- Frothing/foam at the mouth
- Vomiting
What to do when a person starts frothing at the mouth
If present, don’t take time to wipe it away. Instead, complete your assessment, including two ventilations, and then begin care.
What to do when a person starts vomiting during ventilations
If the person vomits, roll them onto their side toward yourself and wait for vomiting to stop.
Use a finger sweep to clear their mouth (or use a manual suctioning device). Once their mouth is clear, roll them onto their back and continue assessing or caring.
Care for respiratory arrest adult
Give 1 ventilation every 6 seconds
Care for respiratory arrest in infants
Give 1 ventilation every 2 to 3 seconds
