Emergency Procedures Final

What are the Goals of First Aid?

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* Preserving life
* Alleviating suffering
* Preventing further illness or injury
* Promoting recovery

Your primary role in the EMS system is what?

Recognizing that the problem exists

When are you obligated to give first aid?

* When it is required by your employer
* When a preexisting responsibility exists
* Once you have started to care for a person, you are legally obligated to stay with that person until the care is turned over to a better care provider
* If you injured that person

What is expressed consent?

consent that is given verbally, non verbally or in writing

What is implied consent?

if someone is unconscious, or if children/incompetent adults need care

What is standard care?

Treatment that is accepted by medical experts, and is the same way that other medical professionals would treat a patient

What are standard percautions?

Assume that all organisms that pose a risk for transmission of infectious diseases. These measures are designed to prevent first aid providers from coming into direct contact with infectious agents.

How do you prevent getting blood borne pathogen when giving first aid?

* Immunizations
* Handwashing
* PPE (personal protective equipment)
* Exam gloves
* Mouth barrier devices
* Eye protection
* Gowns

What laws are in place to protect those giving first aid?

Good Samaritan Laws

What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is 30 chest compressions for every 2 breaths - compressions, airway, breathing

What is in the RUQ?

liver and gallbladder

What is in the LUQ?

pancreas, stomach, and spleen

What is in the RLQ?

appendix

What is in the LLQ?

small intestine

What is considered bodily fluids?

semen, vaginal secretion, blood, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), urine, feces, and vomit

When does cell death occur when oxygen is not present?

4-6 minutes

What tissue cell can’t be regenerated once destroyed?

Nervous cell tissue

What is the proper way to wash your hands?

* Use soap and warm water
* Rub your hands together for 15-20” and be sure to clean everywhere
* Rinse off the soap and dry hands completely (towel if possible)

What are bloodborne and airborne diseases?

* Hiv
* Hepatitis B
* Hepatitis C (no vaccine)

Hepatitis A

Inflammation of the liver, usually transmitted orally through fecal contamination of food or water, usually heals itself in a couple of months - there is a vaccine

Hepatitis B

Inflammation of the liver, transmitted sexually or by exposure to contaminated blood or body fluids - there is a vaccine

Hepatitis C

Inflammation of the liver, transmitted by exposure to infected blood: this strain is rarely contracted sexually and can also cause liver disease and cancer. It cannot be cured - there are no vaccines.

Tuberculosis

Chronic bacterial infection of the lungs that is becoming more common. It is more common with people with coughs, homeless shelters or developing countries.

When damage to the spinal cord occurs, how does it affect your body?

Numbness, tingling, or a loss of changes in sensation in the hands and feet. Paralysis that may happen immediately or develop over time as swelling and bleeding affects the spinal cord. Pain or pressure in head, neck or back.

Using an AED and what it is?

An automated external defibrillator is an electronic device that analyzes the heart rhythm and if necessary delivers an electric shock. All AEDs have an internal recorder that records electrocardiogram (ECG), shock data, date, time, number of shocks, and other information about the device’s performance.

Recovery position: what is it and why do you use it?

A side lying position that keeps the patient's airway open, delays vomiting by placing esophagus above the stomach, delays poison effects by keeping pylorus above the stomach (opening between stomach and duodenum), relieves pressure on a woman's vena cava.

How do you check circulation in extremities?

Capillary refill test - press on nail beds for 2 seconds and wait for blood to return

What happens when someone experiences sudden unconsciousness and cardiac arrest?

If their heart rhythm doesn’t rapidly return to normal, brain damage occurs and death results - they will need CPR

What is a heart attack?

When heart muscle tissue dies because the blood supply is severely reduced or stopped

What is a syncope?

Sudden loss of consciousness or fainting caused by lack of blood supply to the cerebrum

What is a heart murmur?

An abnormal sound from the heart produced by defects in the chambers or valves

What is an arrhythmia?

Improper beating of the heart - can be irregular, too fast, or too slow

How do you position a pregnant woman when transporting?

Recovery position

What is the proper care for knocked out teeth?

* If it is a permanent tooth, try to place it back into place and bite down on gauze
* If it is dirty, gently rinse it in a bowl of warm water
* If you are unable to re implant it, then store it in a salt solution, egg white, coconut water, whole mile, or saliva

What steps do you take if there are foreign objects in the eye?

Flush out with water, and if serious, then call 9-1-1

What is the proper care for scalp and head wounds?

* Replace any skin flap to its original place and control the bleeding by applying pressure to the scalp wounds
* If it is a skull fracture, then do not apply direct pressure and seek immediate medical care

what is the proper care for broken ribs?

* Immediately get medical care to be sure that the rib fracture didn’t affect the organs
* Most rib fractures will heal on their own with ice, rest, and time but can be super dangerous in the case of puncturing organs

What is the proper care of broken pelvis?

* Immediately call 9-1-1
* Stabilize the patient in the position that you found them in
* Treat them for shock
* Pelvis fractures can be life-threatening because of the amount of blood loss

What is the proper care for nose bleeds?

Pinch the bridge of the nose and tilt the head forward so that the blood comes out and doesn’t go into the back of their throat

What is the proper care for muscle cramps?

* Stretch and massage the muscle
* Applying heat will also loosen the muscle

What is the proper positioning of abdominal pain?

fetal position with knees to the chest

What is RICE?

Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation

What are strains?

Strains are injuries to tendons (muscle to bone), and when muscle fibers tear, fluid from nearby tissues leak out and start to build up near the injuries and becomes inflamed, swollen, and tender

What are shin splints?

Pain in the anterior and medial portions of the leg, commonly caused from overuse

What are adhesive bandages?

a small, flexible sheet of material which is sticky on one side, with a smaller, non-sticky, absorbent pad stuck to the sticky side(band aid).

What is adhesive tape?

used to attach bandages, gauze, and other dressings to the skin around wounds.

What is a cravat bandage?

a multipurpose triangular shaped textile that can be used to sling and support injuries, immobilize fractures and dislocations, or even bandage wounds.

What are elastic roller bandages?

strip of gauze or cotton material prepared in a roll. Roller bandages can be used to immobilize injured body parts (sprains and torn muscles), provide pressure to control internal or external bleeding, absorb drainage, and secure dressings.

What is a gauze pad?

cleaning and covering cuts, scrapes, grazes and minor burns.

What is a gauze roller?

Used to hold a dressing in place on a wound, maintain pressure over a bulky pad to control bleeding, support an injured limb or joint, and apply pressure to a limb.

What is a roller bandage?

A lightweight cotton bandage that is used to hold a dressing in place.

What is self-adhering, conforming bandage?

a type of bandage that have an adhesive backing to keep them in place. As mentioned above, the primary benefit of this material is that these kinds of bandages will stick to themselves without the need of any external assistance, but not to skin, ensuring a wound is left to heal.

What is trauma dressing?

an effective, constant pressure bandage used for the treatment of wounds to control bleeding.

What is a triangular bandage?

used as an arm sling or as a pad to control bleeding. It may also be used to support or immobilise an injury to a bone or joint or as improvised padding over a painful injury. A tubular gauze bandage is used to retain a dressing on a finger or toe.

What are the symptoms of concussions?

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* Trouble thinking/remembering
* Headache, balance, blurry vision, lethargy, sensitivity to light/noise
* Emotional and moody
* Sleep disturbance

How do you care for concussions?

* Physical and mental rest
* Avoid physical activities and sports

What are the signs and symptoms of a skull fracture?

* Pain
* Skull deformity
* Bleeding or CSF leakage from ear or nose
* Discoloration around the eyes or battle signs
* Uneven pupils
* Excessive bleeding  on scalp

What is tetanus?

*  Bacteria whos toxins travel through the nervous system to brain or spinal cord and causes muscle spasms
* Anyone who has not had a vaccine within 10 years (5 if it is a dirty wound) needs one within 72 hours
* No known antidote to the toxin once it enters the nervous system

What are the cardiovascular causes of shock?

Pump failure, low fluid volume, poor vessel function

What is psychogenic shock?

Sudden nervous system reaction that produces a temporary vascular dilation, resulting in fainting or syncope

What is anaphylactic shock?

Shock caused from a life-threatening allergic reaction

What are the symptoms of shock in the skin?

* Flush, itching, burning over face and upper chest
* Hives
* Swelling, especially of face, tongue, and lips
* Blue discoloration around lips and mouth (cyanosis)

What are the symptoms of shock in the respiratory system?

* Weak pulse
* Dizziness
* Fainting and unresponsiveness

What is Shock position?

raise feet 6-12" if no pain or legs/pelvis not injured

What is the Head injury position?

Elevate head if no spinal injury is suspected

When do you do recovery position?

Unresponsive or experience a stroke

What is Recumbent / Semi-Fowlers position used for?

* Breathing problems
* Chest injuries
* Heart attack

When do you do Supine position?

Spinal injury suspected or leg injury

What is perfusion?

The circulation of blood through tissues

What type of bleeding is the most common: arterial, venous, capillary?

Capillary

How do you perform a quadrant check?

Push on each abdominal quadrant to check if the abdomen is abnormally hard (is usually soft and squishy)

What causes a blood clot?

Platelets

How do you stop a wound from bleeding?

* Expose the wound and place a sterile or clean cloth over it with direct and steady pressure for at least 5’
* If the bleeding doesn’t stop within 10’, then add more dressing
* Apply a pressure bandage
* Consider using a tourniquet if these don’t work

How do you clean a wound and what can you use?

* Wash inside the wound with soap and water then flush the wound with water (irrigation with water is the most important factor in preventing infection)
* Remove small objects that weren’t flushed out with sterile tweezers (a dirty abrasion or other wound that is not properly cleaned will leave a “tattoo” on the person’s skin
* If the bleeding restarts, then apply direct pressure over the wound

What is an abrasion?

A scrape on the top layer of skin

What is a laceration?

A jagged, irregular wound created by a non-cutting object

How long can avulsed or amputated parts last uncooled for optimal tissue survival?

6 hours

How to treat impaled objects?

* DO NOT remove large objects that are impaled, instead stabilize the object with bulky dressings or padding
* If bleeding, apply pressure to base of the object
* If necessary, reduce the length or weight of object by cutting or breaking it
* Call 9-1-1

What layer of skin does a 1st degree burn through?

Epidermis

What layer of skin does a 2nd degree burn through?

Epidermis and part of dermis

What layer of skin does a 3rd degree burn through?

Epidermis and dermis --> all the way to the bone

What layer of skin does a 4th degree burn through?

All layers of the skin, muscles, tendons and bones

What is wind chill?

The temp of wind speed and air temp combined - what the air temperature feels like to the human skin due to the combination of cold temperatures and winds blowing on exposed skin

When should you rub or massage extremities for increased circulation with heat or cold?

When you don’t have warm water

How does humidity affect sweating?

In 75% of humidity, sweating is ineffective in cooling the body because sweat is unable to evaporate so it rests on the skin

What is heat exhaustion?

Condition resulting from exposure to heat and excessive loss of fluid through sweating - severe dehydration

What is a heat stroke?

A condition caused by too long an exposure to high temperatures, causing…

* High fever
* Headaches
* Hot, dry skin
* Physical exhaustion
* Sometimes physical collapse and coma
* The body's internal temperature reaches over 103 degrees

What is hyponatremia and what is it from?

It is low blood sodium that occurs when you have an abnormally low amount of sodium in your blood, or when you have too much water in your blood

What venomous spiders are around KY?

Brown recluse

What is an transverse fx?

When the bone is broken perpendicular to it’s length

What is an linear fx?

A vertical break in the bone that doesn’t move the bone

What is an oblique nondisplaced fx?

broken, but the pieces weren’t moved far enough to be out of alignment

What is an oblique displaced fx?

bone is broken at an angle

What is a spiral fx?

Bone broken by a twisting motion

What is a greenstick fx?

A bone that bends and cracks instead of breaking completely

What is a comminuted fx?

Bone that is broken into more than 2 pieces

What is a simple fx?

The bone is broken, but the skin is still intact

What is a compound fx?

A broken bone that breaks the skin

What is a impacted fx?

A break where the ends are driven into each other

What is a normal fx?

A break in the continuity of a bone