Emergency situations

What does START stand for?

Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment

When did the AHA update the BLS measures?

2010

What is patient triage?

A decision system used by medical and emergency personnel to prioritize medical care when there are more injured people needing care than resources available

What is the goal of triage?

To treat as many patients as possible

What categories are patients divided into?

Patients with minor injuries who can wait for treatment, patients with such severe injuries they require prompt treatment to survive, and patients whose injuries are so severe they probably won’t survive

What are the simple triage color codes?

Red (immediate), yellow (delayed), green (minor), and black (deceased)

When are patients considered deceased in simple triage?

A person is not considered deceased unless they are not breathing and efforts to reposition the airway have been unsuccessful

What is advanced triage?

Specialty trained professionals decide that some seriously injured people should not receive advanced care because they are unlikely to survive

What are the six basic steps of telephone triage?

Introduce yourself, interview, make decision based on established guidelines, give advice, conclude the call/follow up, and document the call

What do you do if someone is unconscious in face-to-face triage?

Look for a medical identification tag

Define insidious

Slow, hidden beginning but then quickly develop symptoms. Examples: kidney failure and liver disease

What are the 5 basic steps to take in an emergency as an MA?

Recognize there is an emergency (observe changes in condition), decide to act (determine if situation is dangerous), determine if person is conscious (if safe, gently shake patient and call to them), activate EMS (provide patient location and describe their condition), provide appropriate care until qualified medical personnel arrive

What do office staff do in an emergency situation?

Identify patients in need of emergency service, advise waiting patients of delays, call 911 if necessary

What do medical assistants do in an emergency situation?

Transfer patient to treatment room, alert doctors/nurses, bring crash cart, measure vital signs, start oxygen by face mask if O2 saturation is less than 93%, and assist with treatment as directed

What do nurses do in emergency situations?

Assist the doctor with medications and treatment

What does an enhanced 911 system do?

It automatically identifies a patient’s phone number and location

What are the two types of seizures?

Grand mal and petit mal

What is a generalized-onset seizure?

A seizure that affects both sides of the brain

What is a focal-onset seizure?

A seizure that starts in one area of the brain

What are the three major groups of seizures?

Unknown-onset, focal-onset, and generalized-onset

What are characteristics of focal-onset/partial seizures?

They can have automatisms (repeated automatic movements such as chewing, lip smacking, clapping, or rubbing hands)

What are the types of motor symptoms of seizures?

Clonic (sustained rhythmic jerking movements), tonic (muscles become tense/rigid), myoclonus (brief muscle twitching), and epileptic spasms (body may flex and extend repeatedly)

When do unknown-onset seizures happen?

They typically happen at night or when the patient lives alone

What do you do when someone has a seizure?

Ease person to the floor, turn person gently to the side, clear area of hard or sharp objects, put something soft and flat under the person’s head, remove glasses if worn, loosen ties or anything around the neck, and time the seizure (if longer than 5 minutes, call 911)