Study Guide Flashcards
Components of the primary survey
ASSESSING THE SCENE, OBTAINING PT’S CHEIF COMPLAINTS, SAMPLE/OPQRST, SECONDARY ASSESSMENT, TRANSPORT DECISION
MOST IMPORTANT DETERMINATION MADE BY MEDICS
IDENTIFY THE PT’S PROBLEM, SET CARE PRIORITIES, DEVELOP A PT CARE PLAN, QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY EXECUTE IT
How to determine that MOI or NOI at an emergency medical scene. Why is it important to differentiate medical and trauma patients
MOI: How the injury occurred
NOI: General type of illness a patient is experiencing
To decide the need for manual stabilization of c-spine.
Minimum standard precautions should follow and the PPE that should be worn at a scene.
Assume everyone you come in contact with has a infectious disease. Diseases do not discriminate.
Minimum PPE: properly fitting gloves
When would additional PPE be appropriate
When blood or other bodily fluids can splash or spray: eye protection.
Inhaled particles: properly sized respirator sometimes a gown
And other things that could pose as a health/safety risk.
Principal goals of the primary survey process
Rapidly Determine and treat life threats, in a pt by prioritizing assessment and interventions on critical areas such as airway breathing circulation. Goal is to quickly stabilize the pt in an emergency.
How is a general impression formed as part of the primary survey? Why is it crucial to patient management?
General impression is formed by the Patients surrounding, the MOI, Signs and symptoms, chief complaint and inspection.
Crucial for the Patients overall outcome.
How to identify life threats by inspecting and palpating
Inspection looks for swelling, deformities, or discoloration
Palpation finds where the patient has pain or tenderness
POSSIBLE HAZARDS THAT MAY BE PRESENT AT AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SCENE
INFECTIONS, INHALED PARTICLES, BLOOD/ BODY FLUIDS, HAZMAT, DANGEROUS PERSONNEL
How do you recognize hazards on scene
Situational awareness
How to assess the airway status in responsive and unresponsive patients
Responsive: talking and crying
Unresponsive: Sounds of breathing, chest rise and fall
What are some possible signs and causes of airway obstructions and appropriate response by the Medic
Snoring respirations: position problem, Readjust
Gurgling or bubbling respiration: Most likely fluids in the mouth or in the pharynx. Suction
Universal choking sign(food), abdominal thrusts.
TYPES OF BSI
HEPA/ N95, STEEL TOE BOOTS, LEATHER GLOVES, NITRILE GLOVES, HELMETS, HEAT RESISTANCE OUTERWEAR, SCBA
How to assess a patients breathing status
Look and listen
What care is required for adequate and inadequate breathing
Adequate: reassess
Inadequate: rate, effort, chest rise and fall, depth and rhythm
Flail chest: ensure adequate ventilations
Sucking chest would: occlusive dressing, oxygenate and ventilate as needed
Diminished: possible tension pneumothorax, needle decompression
HOW TO ASSESS A PT CIRCULATORY STATUS
Obtaining Pulse, cap refill, skin temp/ color/ condition, looking for obvious bleeds
How to obtain a pulse
2-3 fingers in places where arteries cross over bones. Radial, carotid, pedal, etc
Responsive:
Unresponsive:
Infant (unresponsive or responsive)
- Radial
- Carotid
- Brachial
(In unresponsive pt’s peripheral pulses can be faint or nonexistent, check central d/t lack of profusion)
How to assess a patients skin based on color, temp, and condition.
Color- reflects the circulation status beneath the skin
Temp- rises when peripheral blood vessels dilate and lowers when vessels constrict
Condition- when the sympathetic NS is stimulated.
Can tell a lot about a patient overall condition
Normal and abnormal findings in skin color and what it means
Normal- Warm, dry and pink. In darker skin, using mucous membranes
Red- fever, HTN, superficial burns, allergic reaction, alcohol intake, carbon monoxide poisoning.
White- excessive blood loss, anaphylaxis, hypoglycemia, anxiety
Blue- hypoxemia, o2 desat
Mottled- cardiovascular shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
Jaundice-Liver dysfunction.
Determine priority of pt care and transport: give examples
Stable Pts: not typically deemed high priority tx
Unstable Pt’s: high priority tx
Ex: Cardiac arrest, in need of life sustaining ventilatory/circulatory support, poor general impression, unresponsive, AMS, difficulty breathing, hypoxia that does not correct its self after 1-2 minutes of treatment, hypoperfusion/ shock, shest pain w/ systolic less than 100mm/hg, suspected AMI/STEMI, CVA, severe pain anywhere, multiple injuries, ABD injuries, severe HTN, can’t move, ALTE
(When treating do only what is necessary on scene, and begin transporting)
Skin conditions and possible causes
Hot and dry- excessive body heat, possible heat stroke
Hot and wet- Increased internal or external temperatures
Warm and dry- fever
Cool and dry- exposure to cold
Cool and wet- shock
MOIs that most likely produce Life threatening injuries
Fall 3x the pt’s height(15 ft for adult or 10ft or 2X the height for peds) high risk MVC, Intrusion, ejection, Motorcycle/atv crash higher than 20mph, vehicle v. Pedestrian, death in the same passenger compartment, penetrating wounds to head, neck, torso, or extremities.
What is the purpose of obtaining the Patient HX
To gain information about the patient and learn about the events surrounding the incident