EMT chapter 10

capillary refill

capillary refill

A test that evaluates distal circulatory system function by squeezing (blanching) blood from an area such as a nail bed and watching the speed of its return after releasing the pressure

chief complaint

The reason a patient called for help; also, the patient's response to questions such as "What's wrong?" or "What happened?"

diastolic pressure

The pressure that remains in the arteries during the relaxing phase of the heart's cycle (diastole) when the left ventricle is at rest

focused assessment

A type of physical assessment typically performed on patient's who have sustained nonsignificant mechanisms of injury or on responsive medical patients. This type of examination is based on the chief complaint and focuses on one body system or part.

general impression

The overall initial impression that determines the priority for patient care; based on the patient's surroundings, the mechanism of injury, signs and symptoms, and the chief complaint.

history taking

A step within the patient assessment process that provides detail about the patient's chief complaint and an account of the patient's signs and symptoms

mechanism of injury (MOI)

The forces, or energy transmission, applied to the body that cause injury

Nature of illness (NOI)

The general type of illness a patient is experiencing

orientation

The mental status of a patient as measured by memory of person (name), place (current location), time (current year , month , and approximate date), and event (what happened)

pertinent negatives

Negative findings that warrant no care or intervention

primary assessment

A step within the patient assessment process that identifies and initiates treatment of immediate and potential life threats

reassessment

A step within the patients assessment process performed at regular intervals during the assessment process to identify and treat changes in a patient's condition. A patient in unstable condition should be reassessed every 5 mins, whereas a patient in stable condition should be reassessed every 15mins

responsiveness

The way in which a patient responds to external stimuli, including verbal stimuli (sound), tactile stimuli (Touch), and painful stimuli

scene size-up

A step within the patient assessment process that involves a quick assessment of the scene and the surroundings to provide information about scene safety and the mechanism of injury or nature of illness before you enter and begin patient care

secondary assessment

A step within the patient assessment process in which a systematic physical examination of the patient is performed. The examination may be a systematic exam or an assessment that focuses on a certain area or region of the body, often determined through the chief complaint.

Tachy

rapid, fast

Brady

slow

Hypo

under, below normal

Hyper

over, excessive, high

Card/i

heart

-pnea

pertaining to breathing

cyan

blue

DCAP-BTLS

Deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures/penetrations, burns, tenderness, lacerations, swelling

MAP

Mean arterial pressure

OPQRST

Onset, provocation/palliation, quality, region/radiation, severity, timing

SAMPLE

Signs/symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, events leading up

AVPU

Alert and awake, responsive to verbal stimuli, responsive to pain, unresponsive

PEARRL

Pupils equal and round regular in size react to light