(11) Scene Size-Up and Trauma EMT Basics

Blunt force trauma

Injury caused by a blow that does not penetrate the skin or body tissues.

Danger zone

The area around wreckage or incident where special safety precautions should be taken.

Index of suspicion

Awareness that there may be other injuries.

Mechanism of injury (MOI)

A force or forces that may have caused injury.

Nature of illness (NOI)

What is medically wrong with a patient.

Additional resources: ALS factor

Where and how far out is Advanced Life Support (ALS)?

Additional resources: Air factor

How far is air transport?

Additional resources: Facility factor

What is the closest medical facility?

Penetrating trauma

Injury caused by an object that passes through skin or other body tissues.

Scene size-up

Steps taken when approaching an emergency scene to ensure safety, precautions, and resources.

What is the only predictable thing about emergencies?

They are often unpredictable and compose many dangers.

Crash scene parking distance (no fluids on ground)

50 feet in all directions.

Crash scene parking distance (fluids on ground)

100 feet in all directions.

Rule of UPs

Uphill, upwind, upstream.

Danger zone size: Car on fire

Minimum 100 feet in all directions.

Danger zone size: Wires down

One full span of wires away from the poles with broken wires.

What to check when hazardous materials are involved?

The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

Signs of violence on arrival (audible/behavioral)

Fighting, loud voices, or unusual silence.

Signs of violence on arrival (physical/history)

Visible weapons, alcohol/drug use, or knowledge of prior violence.

Two elements of standard precautions

Body Substance Isolation (BSI) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

How fast does an airbag deploy?

200 mph.

Windshield assessment in a head-on collision

Spider web damage, which indicates potential head trauma.

Serious fall threshold for an adult

More than 20 feet.

Serious fall threshold for a child under 15

More than 10 feet, or 2 to 3 times the child's height.

Important factors in falls (height/surface)

Height from which the patient fell and the surface they hit.

Important factors in falls (body/interruption)

Part of body that hit the surface and anything that interrupted the fall.

What causes high velocity bullet injuries and cavitation?

High powered rifles.

Three sources of NOI information at a scene

The patient, family members or bystanders, and the scene itself.