WestCoast EMT Chapter 3 Flashcards

Consent

Permission to render care. Patient must give consent for treatment.

To be able to refuse care, the patient must be:

Conscious, Rational, Capable of making an informed decision. Called decision-making capacity.

Distracting Injury

Any painful injury that may distract the patient’s attention from another, potentially more serious (cervical spine injury).

Expressed Consent

The patient verbally or otherwise acknowledges permission for you to provide care or transport.

Informed Consent

A form of expressed consent where you explained the nature of the treatment, along with the potential risks, benefits, and alternatives to treatment, as well as potential consequences of refusing treatment, and the patient has given consent.

Emergency Doctrine/Implied Consent

Permits a health care provider to treat a patient in an emergency situation when the patient is incapable of granting consent because of an altered level on consciousness, disability, the effects of alcohol or drugs, or the patients age.

Involuntary Consent

For patients with mental illness or other issues, obtain consent from the guardian or conservator.

Minors and Consent

The parent or legal guardian (teacher in some cases) gives consent, unless they are emancipated. If a true emergency exists and no consent is available, treat the patient under implied consent.

Right to Refuse Treatment

If treatment is refused, you must assess/document the patient’s ability to make an informed decision: 1. Ask and repeat questions. 2. Assess the patient’s answers. 3. Observe the patient’s behavior.

Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR)

Physician’s written order to withhold resuscitation. Requires statement of medical problem, signature of patient and physician, and dated in past 12 months. You are still obligated to provide supportive measures (oxygen, pain relief, and comfort) to a patient who is not in cardiac arrest.

Advanced Directive

Specifies treatment should patient become unable to make decisions. Also, you may see physician/medical orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST or MOLST) forms when caring for patients with terminal illnesses (which describe acceptable interventions).

Definitive Signs of Death

Obvious Mortal Injury, Dependent Lividity, Rigor Mortis (2-12 hrs), Putrefaction (40-96 hrs).

Scope of Practice

Defined by state law but further defined by medical director.

Standard of Care

Manner in which you must act or behave (how a person with similar training would act under similar circumstances).

Negligence

Failure to provide the same care that a person with similar training would provide in the same or similar situation.

Elements of Negligence

Duty -The EMT had an obligation to provide care.

Breach of duty- The EMT did not act within an expected and reasonable standard of care.

Damages- A patient is physically or psychologically harmed in some noticeable way.

Causation- A cause-and-effect relationship exists between a breach of duty and the damages suffered by the patient.

Abandonment

Unilateral termination of care by the EMT without the patient’s consent and without making any provisions for care to be continued by a medical professional who is competent to provide care.

Defamation

Communication of false information that damages a person’s reputation. Libel is written information while slander is spoken.

Ethics

Philosophy of right and wrong, moral duties, ideal professional behavior.

Morality

Code of conduct affecting character, conduct, and conscience.

Bioethics

Addresses issues that arise in practice of health care.