Emt Chapter 8

Front 1

The 5 steps to patient assessment

Back 1

- Scene size-up
- Primary assessment
- History taking
- Secondary assessment (medical or trauma)
- Reassessment

Front 2

The 5 components of "Scene Size-Up"

Back 2

- Ensure scene safety
- Determine MOI / NOI
- Take standard precautions
- Determine number of patients
- Consider additional/specialized resources

Front 3

MOI

Back 3

Mechanism of Injury

Front 4

NOI

Back 4

Nature of Illness

Front 5

The 7 components of "Primary Assessment"

Back 5

- Form a general impression
- Assess level of consciousness
- Assess the airway
- Assess the breathing
- Assess the circulation
- Perform rapid scan
- Determine priority of patient care and transport

Front 6

A rapid method of assessing a patient's level of consciousness.

Back 6

A - awake and alert
V - Responsive to verbal stimuli
P - Responsive to pain
U - Unresponsive

Front 7

Tests the mental status by checking the patient's memory and thinking ability

Back 7

Person
Place
Time
Event

Front 8

A score that can be helpful in providing additional information on patients with changes in mental status

Back 8

Glascow Coma Scale (GCS)

Front 9

A useful guide is assessing the patient's pupils

Back 9

P - Pupils
E - Equal
A - And
R - Round
R - Regular in size
L - React to light

Front 10

Signs of airway obstruction in an unconscious patient

Back 10

- Obvious trauma, blood or other obstruction
- Noisy breathing
- Extremely shallow or absent breathing

Front 11

Information needed to assess breathing

Back 11

- Respiratory rate
- Rhythm (regular or irregular)
- Quality/character of breathing
- Depth of breathing

Front 12

Normal respiratory rates in adult

Back 12

12 - 20 breaths/minute

Front 13

When you should consider providing positive pressure ventilations with oxygen

Back 13

- breaths are too shallow or too slow
- apneic (cessation of breathing)

Front 14

Breath sounds that are clear and quiet during inspiration and expiration

Back 14

Normal breath sounds

Front 15

Breath sounds that suggest an obstruction of the lower airways

Back 15

Wheezing breath sounds

Front 16

Breathing sounds:
A high-pitch whistling sound that is most prominent on expiration

Back 16

Wheezing breath sounds

Front 17

Breathing sounds:
Wet breath sounds that may indicate cardiac failure - A moist crackling, usually on both inspiration and expiration, also called crackles

Back 17

Rales breath sounds

Front 18

Breathing sounds:
Congested breath sounds may suggest the presence of mucus in the lungs. Low-pitch noisy sounds that are most prominent on expiration. The patient often reports productive cough associated with these sounds

Back 18

Rhonchi breath sounds

Front 19

Breathing sounds:
This is often heard without a stethoscope and may indicate that the patient has an airway obstruction in the neck or upper part of the chest. Expect to hear a brassy, crowing sound that is most prominent on inspiration

Back 19

Stridor breath sounds

Front 20

The amount of air that a patient is exchanging that is moved into or out of the lungs during one breath

Back 20

Tidal volume

Front 21

Respirations:
Little movement of the chest walls

Back 21

Shallow respirations

Front 22

Respirations:
Indentations above the clavicles and in the spaces between the ribs

Back 22

Retractions

Front 23

Respirations:
Indicates inadequate breathing in pediatric patients

Back 23

Nasal flaring and see-saw breathing

Front 24

The 2 common postures that indicate the patent is trying to increase airflow

Back 24

- Tripod position - sitting up with both hands on both knees
- Sniffing position - sitting upright with the head and chin slightly forward

Front 25

The normal resting pulse rate for an adult

Back 25

60 - 100 beats/minute

Front 26

A stronger than normal pulse

Back 26

Bounding

Front 27

A weaker than normal pulse that is difficult to feel

Back 27

Weak or Thready

Front 28

The skin appearance when a patient has low levels of oxygen in the blood

Back 28

Cyanosis

Front 29

When a patient's skin and scleral (the whites of the eyes) turns yellow

Back 29

Jaundice

Front 30

When the patient's skin is bathed in sweat

Back 30

Diaphoretic

Front 31

The ability of the circulatory system to restore blood to the capillary system

Back 31

Capillary refill (usually assessed on the nail bed) - the color should be restored to its normal pink within 2 seconds

Front 32

The length of time an EMT should take to perform a rapid scan of the patient's body to identify injuries that must be managed and/or protected immediately

Back 32

60 to 90 seconds

Front 33

The 10 conditions when a high priority patient needs to be transported to the hospital immediately

Back 33

- Difficulty breathing
- Poor general impression
- Unresponsive with no gag or cough reflex
- Severe chest pain
- Pale skin or other signs of poor diffusion
- Complicated childbirth
- Uncontrolled breathing
- Responsive but unable to follow commands
- Severe pain in any area of the body
- Inability to move any part of the body

Front 34

The time from injury to definitive care , during which treatment of shock and traumatic injuries should occur because survival potential is best

Back 34

Golden Period

Front 35

The mnemonic device that can be very helpful in the assessment of pain

Back 35

O - Onset
P - provocation or palliation
Q - Quality
R - Region/radiation
S - Severity
T - Timing

Front 36

To make the effects of (something, such as an illness) less painful, harmful, or harsh

Back 36

Palliation

Front 37

All cases that must be reported to the authorities

Back 37

Physical abuse or violence

Front 38

The 13 special challenges in obtaining a patient's history

Back 38

- Silence
- Overly talkative
- Multiple symptoms
- Anxiety
- Anger and hostility
- Intoxication
- Crying
- Depression
- Confusing behavior or history
- Limited cognitive abilities
- Language barriers
- Hearing problems
- Visual impairments

Front 39

The performance of a systematic physical examination of the patient

Back 39

Secondary examination

Front 40

A newer assessment tool that is used to evaluate the effectiveness of oxygen. A photoelectric device that monitors the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the capillary beds

Back 40

Pulse oximetry

Front 41

The iron-containing portion of the red blood cell to which oxygen attaches

Back 41

Hemoglobin

Front 42

A systematic head-to-toe examination

Back 42

Full-body scan

Front 43

The normal ranges of blood pressure in adults

Back 43

80 / 120
Systolic / Diastolic

Front 44

When patient reassessment should take place

Back 44

- Every 5 minutes for patients in unstable condition
- Every 15 minutes for patients in stable condition

Front 45

The performance at regular intervals during the assessment process - it's purpose is to identify and treat changes in a patient's condition

Back 45

Reassessment