Week 6 Flashcards
What are we assessing for disability?
- disability
- Assess conscious level = AVPU or GCS
- Pupillary response
What are we assessing for in exposure and environment?
we need to expose our pt and look for: -needle marks -wounds -abrasions -anything else For environment we would be assessing the pt's temp control
The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to assess the level of consciousness. This is separated into 3 parts what are they?
- eye opening = 4
- verbal response =5
- motor response = 6
List the responses for eye opening and there values.
4= spontaneous-pt opens eye's spontaneously 3= to voice - pt opens eyes to command 2 = to pain stimulus = pinch trapezius muscle 1= no response
List the responses for verbal response and their numerical values.
5= orientated - pt can give name, address and day of week 4= confused - pt knows name but less likely to know day of week 3= inappropriate words- inconsistent answers, profanity, repeats same words over and over 2= incomprehensible sounds -may have to be intubated. 1= no response
List the responses for motor response and their numerical values.
6 = obeys commands - obeys complex commands
5= localises pain - pt localizes source of pain
4= withdraw pain = pt knows there is pain but can’t localize it
3=abnormal flexion (decorticate)
2= abnormal extension= decerebrate
1= no response
What does decorticate posturing indicate?
Indicates that there may be damage to areas including the cerebral hemispheres, the internal capsule, and the thalamus
-it is an ominous sign of severe brain damage, and may also indicate lesion(s) in the lower brainstem.
What does decerebrate posture indicate?
Indicates that there are lesions or compression in the midbrain lesions in the cerebellum
If it is a progression from decorticate to decerebrate posturing is often indicative of tonsil are brain herniation.
List what we would be assessing for in a primary survey of a pt who has presented with trauma.
- Airway + c-spine
- Breathing
- circulation and haemorrhage control
- disability
- exposure
- Fahrenheit
- prevention of further compromise or complications
What are we doing on a secondary survey?
- head to toe assessment
- finger and tubes in every hole
what are we doing on a tertiary survey of the pt?
- identifying injuries that have not yet been detected
- full head to toe assessment
- assessing the initial response to treatment and plan assessment and management strategies for future care.
what is the golden hour?
it is the belief that trauma pt’s have better outcomes if provided definitive care within 60 minutes of injury
What does FAST mneumonic stand for and what is it used for?
Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma
- used as part of secondary assessment
- used to determine if free fluid is present in the abdominal cavity
what is hypothermia?
a core temperature that is below 35*C
what is coagulopathy?
it is a term used for a group of conditions in which there is a problem with the process of blood clotting
