Emergency Care (Chapter 2) The Well-Being Of The Emt

Front 1

Pathogens

Back 1

The organisms that cause infection, such as viruses and bacteria.

Front 2

Bloodborne Pathogens

Back 2

Can be contracted by exposure to the patient's blood and sometimes other body fluids espically when they come in contact with an open wound or sore on the EMT's face, hands, or other exposed parts.

Front 3

Airborne Pathogens

Back 3

Are spread by tiny droplets sprayed during breathing, coughing, or sneezing.

THESE PARTICALS CAN BE ABSORBED THROUGH YOUR EYES WHEN YOU INHALE.

Front 4

Standard Precautions
aka: Body Substance Isolation
(BSI)

Back 4

A strict form of infection control that is based on the assumption that all blood and other body fluids are infectious.

Front 5

Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE)

Back 5

Equipment that protects the EMS worker from infection and/or exposure to the dangers of rescue operations.

Front 6

Contamination

Back 6

The introduction of dangerous chemicals, disease, or infectious materials.

Front 7

Hepatitis

Back 7

An infection that causes an inflammation of the liver.

Front 8

Hepatitis A

Back 8

Is acquired primarily through contact with food or water contaminated by stool.

Front 9

Hepatitis B

Back 9

Has been found to live for many days in dried blood spills, posing a risk of transmission long after many other viruses would have died.

HEPATITIS B CAN BE DEADLY

No cure, but there is an effective vaccine.

Front 10

Hepatitis C

Back 10

Can infect you in the same way as Hepatitis B but there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

Front 11

Tuberclosis
(TB)

Back 11

- Is an infection that sometimes settles in the lungs and that in some cases can be fatal.
- HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
- Can be spread through the air.
- There is an increased risk of TB in nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters.

Front 12

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS)

Back 12

- Is a set of conditions that result when the immune system has been attacked by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and rendered unable to combat certain infections adequately.
- LESS RISK TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS THAN HEPATITIS AND TB because the virus does not last well outside the human body.

Front 13

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS)

Back 13

- It is a respiratory virus with symptoms that include fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing.
- Spread through respiratory droplets, by coughing, sneezing, or touching something contaminated and then touching your nose or eye.

PROTECTION: frequent hand washing and the use of gloves, gowns, eye protection, and an N-95 respirator.

Front 14

Avian Flu

Back 14

A disease found in poultry that can also afect humans.

SYMPTOMS: traditional flu-like symptoms that progress to more severe conditions such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

PROTECTION: frequent hand washing and the use of gloves, gowns, eye protection, and an N-95 respirator.

Front 15

Ryan White CARE Act

Back 15

Establishes procedures by which emergency response workers may find out if they have been exposed to life-threatening infectious diseases.

Front 16

Communicable Diseases:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS)

Back 16

TRANSMISSION: HIV-infected blood via intravenous drug use, unprotected sexual contact, blood transfusions, or (rarely) accidental needlesticks. Mothers also may pass HIV to their unborn children.

INCUBATION: several months or years.

Front 17

Communicable Diseases:
Chickon Pox
(Varicella)

Back 17

TRANSMISSION: airborne droplets. Can also be spread by contact with open sores.

INCUBATION: 11-21 days

Front 18

Communicable Diseases:
German Measles
(Rubella)

Back 18

TRANSMISSION: airborne droplets. Mothers may pass disease to unborne children.

INCUBATION: 10-12 days

Front 19

Communicable Diseases:
Hepatitis

Back 19

TRANSMISSION: blood, stool, or other body fluids, or contaminated objects.

INCUBATION: weeks to months, depending on type.

Front 20

Communicable Diseases:
Meningitis, Bacterial

Back 20

TRANSMISSION: oral and nasal secretions.

INCUBATION: 2-10 days

Front 21

Communicable Diseases:
Mumps

Back 21

TRAMSMISSION: droplets of saliva or objects contaminated by saliva.

INCUBATION: 14-24 days

Front 22

Communicable Diseases:
Pneumonia, Bacterial & Viral

Back 22

TRANSMISSION: oral and nasal droplets and secretions.

INCUBATION: several days

Front 23

Communicable Diseases:
Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Back 23

TRANSMISSION: direct contact with infected wounds or sores or with contaminated objects.

INCUBATION: several days

Front 24

Communicable Diseases:
Tuberculosis
(TB)

Back 24

TRANSMISSION: respiratory secretions, airborne or on contaminated objects.

INCUBATION: 2-6 weeks

Front 25

Communicable Diseases:
Whooping Cough
(Pertussis)

Back 25

TRANSMISSION: respiratory secretions or airborne droplets.

INCUBATION: 6-20 days

Front 26

Designated Officer
(D.O.)

Back 26

Responsible for gathering facts surrounding possible emergency responder airborne or bloodborne infectious disease exposures.

Front 27

Notification System:
Airborne Disease Exposure

Back 27

You will be notified by your designated officer when you have been exposed to an airborne disease.

Front 28

Notification System:
Bloodborne or other Infectious Disease Exposure

Back 28

You may submit a request for a determination as to whether or not you were exposed to bloodborne or other infectious disease.

Front 29

Multi-drug Resistant TB
(MDR-TB)

Back 29

Does not respond to the usual medications.

Front 30

TB
Signs & Symptoms

Back 30

Productive cough (coughing up mucus or other fluid) and/or coughing up blood, weight loss and loss of appetite, lethargy and weakness, nigh sweats, and fever.

Front 31

Purified Protection Derivative Test
(PPD)

Back 31

Can detect exposure to TB.

Front 32

Stress

Back 32

A state of physical and/or psychological arousal to a stimulus.

Front 33

Stress:
Stressors

Back 33

ENVIRONMENTAL: noise, inclemant weather, unstable wreckage, etc.

OTHER PEOPLE: unpleasant family or work relatioinships, abusive patients or bystanders, etc.

OWN SELF IMAGE: worry over expertise at specific skills or guilt over poor patient outcomes, etc.

Front 34

General Adaptation Syndrome

Back 34

- Dr. Hans Selye

ALARM REACTION: your sympathetic nervous system increases it's activity in what is known as the "fight or flight" syndrome.

STAGE OF RESISTANCE: your body systems return to normal functioning.

EXHAUSTION: exposure to the stressor is prolonged or the stressor is particularly severe (lost the ability to resist or adapt, may become ill).

Front 35

Types of Stress Reactions

Back 35

1. Acute Stress Reaction
2. Delayed Stress Reaction
3. Cumulative Stress Reaction

Front 36

Stress Reactions:
Acute Stress Reaction

Back 36

- One critical event.
- Occurs simultaneously with or shortly after the critical incident.
- Often linked with catastrophes, such as large-scale natural disaster, a plane crash, or a co-workers line-of-duty death or injury.
- May involve physical, cognitive (the ability to think), emotional, or behavioral functions.

Front 37

Stress Reactions:
Delayed Stress Reaction

Back 37

- One critical event.
- AKA post tramatic stress disorder.
- May occur at any time, days to years, following a critical incident.
-Signs and symtoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, feelings of detachment, irritability, sleep difficulties, or problems with concentration or interpersonal relationships.

Front 38

Stress Reactions:
Cumulative Stress Reaction

Back 38

- Many critical events.
- AKA burnout
- Occurs as a result of prolonged recurring stressors in our work or private lives.
- Low-level stressors--possibly in more than one aspect of one's life--and develops over a period of years.

Front 39

Multiple-Casualty Incident
(MCI)

Back 39

- An emergency involving multiple patients.
- Examples range from a motor-vehicle crash in which two drivers and a passenger are injured to a hurricane that causes the injury of hundreds of people.

Front 40

Causes of Stress as an EMT

Back 40

- Multiple-Casualty Incidents.
- Calls involving infants and children,
- Severe injuries.
- Abuse and neglect.
- Death of a co-worker.

Front 41

Type of Stress:
Eustress

Back 41

A positive form of stress that helps people work under pressure and respond effectively.

Front 42

Type of Stress:
Distress

Back 42

- Is negative.
- It can happen when the stress of a scene becomes overwhelming.
- Can cause immediate and long-term problems with your health and well-being.

Front 43

Signs of Stress

Back 43

- Irritability with family, friends, and co-workers.
- Inability to concentrate.
- Changes in daily activities such as difficulty sleeping or nightmares, loss of appetite, and loss of interest in sexual activity.
- Anxiety.
- Indecisiveness.
- Guilt.
- Isolation.
- Loss of interest in work.

Front 44

Lifestyle Changes
(to deal with stress)

Back 44

- Develop more healthful and positive dietary habits.
- Exercise.
- Devote time to relaxing.

Front 45

Critical Incident Stress Management
(CISM)

Back 45

A comprehensive system that includes education and resources to both prevent stress and to deal with stress appropriately when it occurs.

Front 46

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
(CISD)

Back 46

Is a process in which a team of trained peer counselors and mental health professionals meet with rescuers and health care providers who have been involved in a major incident.

Front 47

Defusing Session

Back 47

- Held within the first few hours after a critical incident.
- Usually limited to the people who were most directly involved with the most stressful aspects.

Front 48

What are the steps/approaches in dealing with the patient and family members confronted with death or dying?

Back 48

- Recognize the patients needs.
- 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.

Front 49

Hazardous-Material Incident

Back 49

The release of a harmful substance into the environment.

Front 50

What are the actions required to respond to danger?

Back 50

- Plan.
- Observe.
- React.

Front 51

Violence:
Plan

Back 51

- Wear safe clothing.
- Prepare your equipment so it's not cumbersome.
- Carry a portable radio whenever possible.
- Decide on safety roles.

Front 52

Violence:
Observe

Back 52

- Violence.
- Crime Scenes.
-Alcohol or Drugs.
- Weapons.
- Family members.
- Bystanders.
- Perpetrators.
- Pets.

Front 53

What are the three "R's" of reacting to danger?

Back 53

- React.
- Radio.
- Reevaluate.

Front 54

What are important roles at the scene of a hazardous-material incident?

Back 54

- Recgonizing potential problems.
- Taking initial actions for your personal safety and the safety of others.
- Notifying an appropriately trained hazardous-materials response team.

Front 55

Decontamination

Back 55

The removal or cleansing of dangerous chemicals and other dangerous or infectious materials.