EMS Chapter 1

EMS Systems

EMS

• Emergency medical services

• Team of healthcare professionals who are responsible for and provide emergency care and transportation to the sick and injured

KSAs

Knowledges, skills, abilities

Licensure Levels

EMR (emergency medical responder)

EMT (emergency medical technician)

AEMT (advanced emergency medical technician)

paramedic

EMR

Emergency medical responder

• Least breadth. Usually first to the scene. Focuses on initial patient assessment and transportation before ambulance arrives

EMT

Emergency medical technician

• More breath and scope. Second to arrive. Crucial link between emergency scene and healthcare system

• Focus on initial stabilization and transportation

AEMT

Advanced emergency medical technician

• Can administer certain medications. More advanced assessement techniques.

• Can do advanced life support and intravenous therapy

Paramedics

• Greatest breadth and depth

• ALS assessment, interpretation of heart rhythms, advanced airway management, emergency pharmacology

Scene Size-Up

• An awareness and ability to analyze the scene at hand and any possible or intermittent danger.

• Being able to determine the best steps forward and how to mitigate the emergency.

Patient Assessment

• Using physiological, anatomical, and pathophysiological knowledge to understand what is wrong with the patient and perform an effective assessment.

• Foundation of any EMS call

Treatment

• Understand patient needs and what must be administered

• Can be physical or mental

Star of Life

• Created by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

• DRROCT (Detection, Reporting, Response, On-Scene Care, Care in Transit, Transport to Definitive Care)