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35 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Blunt Force Trauma |
Injury caused by a blow that does not penetrate the skin or other body tissues |
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Danger zone |
Area around the wreckage of vehicle collision or incident within special safety precautions should be taken |
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Index of suspicion |
Awareness that there may be injuries |
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Mechanism of injury |
A force/forces that may have caused injury |
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Nature of the illness |
What is medically wrong with a patient |
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Penetrating trauma |
Injury caused by an object that passes through the skin or other body tissues |
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Scene size up |
Steps taken when approaching the scene of an emergency call 1.) Check scene safety 2.) Take standard precautions 3.) Noting mechanism of injury/ nature of patient's illness 4.) Determining # of patients 5.) Deciding what, if any, additional resources to call for |
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When should scene size up take place |
Throughout the call (since emergencies are ever changing) |
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The most predictable thing about emergencies is that ... |
They're unpredictable (they can pose many dangers if you're not careful) |
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When does the scene size up begin? |
Before the ambulance is even stopped |
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Should you consider the scene safe if other emergency vehicles are already there? |
No. Never assume the scene is safe without checking yourself. |
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What do you do as you near the collision scene? |
1.) Look and listen for other emergency units coming from side streets 2.) Look for signs of collision related power outage 3.) Observe traffic flow 4.) Look for smoke in the direction of the scene (smoke means fire!) |
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When you're observing traffic, what does a lack of opposing traffic likely mean? |
Blockage at the collision scene |
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Signs of a collision related power outage are: |
Darkened areas that suggest wires are down at the collision scene |
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What to do when you are within sight of the scene? |
1.) Look for indications of spilled/escaped hazardous materials 2.) Look for collision victims on/near the road 3.) Look for smoke not seen at a distance 4.) Look for broken utility poles/ downed wires 5.) Be alert for persons walking along the road/curious onlookers 6.) Watch for signals of police/emergency units |
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Clues indicating hazardous materials |
-Placards -Damaged truck -Escaping liquids -Fumes -Vapor clouds |
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If you see any indications of hazardous materials, what should you do? |
Stop the ambulance and consult your hazardous materials book |
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How should you check for downed poles and lines at night? |
Use the beam of a spotlight to check poles and wires as you approach the scene |
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What should you do as you approach the scene? |
1.) Follow the instructions of the person in charge. 2.) Gather information from the incident commander 3.) Don protective gear 4.) Sniff for odors related to hazardous materials |
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Danger Zone: When there are no apparent hazards |
50 feet in all directions |
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Danger Zone: When fuel has been spilled |
100 feet in all directions |
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Danger Zone: When a vehicle is on fire |
100 feet in all directions |
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Danger Zone: When wires are down |
The area in which people or vehicles might be in contact with energized wires if the wires pivot around their points of attachment |
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Danger Zone: When a hazardous material in involved |
Consult the emergency response guidebook for suggestions on where to park the ambulance, ask the incident commander to request advice from an agency such as CHEMTREE (sometimes it's 50 feet or 2,000 feet or more). |
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Should you ever enter a violent situation to provide care? |
No, an EMT's safety is the first concern. |
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Signals of danger/violence |
-Fighting or loud voices -Weapons visible or in use -Signs of alcohol/drugs -Unusual silence -Knowledge of prior violence |
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Types of mechanism of injury |
-Direct -Twisting -Forced flexion or hyperextension -Indirect |
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Type of motor vehicle collisions |
-Head-on: *up and over the steering wheel, head and neck injuries *down and under, knee leg and hip injuries. -Rear-end: *neck injuries -Side-impact: neck injuries primarily, other injuries from being struck directly -Rollover: most serious (multiple impacts), ejection of those not wearing seat belts -Rotational impact: vehicle is struck, then spins, multiple injury patterns |
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The three collisions in motor vehicle crash are: |
1.) Vehicle collision, when the vehicle strikes an object 2.) Body collision, when the person's body strikes the interior of the vehicle 3.) Organ collision, when the person's organ strikes interior surfaces of the body. |
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Fall factors |
-Height of fall -Surface they fell onto -What part of the patient hit the surface -Anything that interrupts the fall |
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Guidelines for fall victims to be transported to the trauma center |
-Adults: fall of greater than 20 feet -Child under 15: fall of greater than 10 feet or more than 2 to 3 times the child's height |
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Velocities of penetrating trauma |
Low: propelled by hand, usually limited to area penetrated (knives) Medium: forcefully propelled (handguns, shotguns, compound bows) High: (high powered rifles) |
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How bullets cause damage |
-Damage directly from projectile: depends on size of bullet and fragments. -Pressure-related damage (cavitation): energy of the bullet causes a pressure wave that causes a cavity greater than size of bullet. Cavity, though temp, can damage items in it's path. |
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Where to information to determine nature of the illness |
-The patient: conscious and oriented, they will be the prime source -Family members/bystanders: can be used to piece the puzzle together even if the patient is conscious. -The scene: could include observing medications, living conditions, etc. |
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Reasons for calling for additional assistance: |
1.) More than one person experiencing issues (more than you anticipated) 2.) Different circumstances than you expected that you cannot deal with safely (a patient that is having trouble breathing, but once you get to the scene, the patient is too heavy to transport with just you and your partner (no elevator, 3rd floor, must transport).) |