Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Lecture Notes: BLS, Respiratory, and Cardiovascular Emergencies

This set of flashcards covers vocabulary and key concepts from the BLS, Respiratory, and Cardiovascular lecture notes, including medical terminology, patient assessment, and emergency procedures.

Apnea

A state of not breathing.

Perfusion

The exchange of oxygen at the cellular level and the pressure built by compressions.

Guppy breathing

Gasping for air as a last ditch effort to get air into the lungs; it is a sign of death or possible obstruction.

Head tilt-chin lift

A maneuver used to open the airway in unresponsive patients without suspected trauma by tilting the head back.

OPA (Oropharyngeal airways)

A basic airway adjunct that keeps the tongue from blocking the upper airway; used for unresponsive patients without a gag reflex.

NPA (Nasopharyngeal airways)

An airway adjunct used for unresponsive or semiconscious patients who have a gag reflex but cannot maintain their own airway.

Beck triad

A set of signs indicating cardiac tamponade, consisting of JVD (jugular vein distension), hypotension, and muffled heart tones.

53 BASH

A mnemonic for Nitroglycerin contraindications: $5$ minutes apart, $3$ sprays max, BP below $100$ systolic, ALOC (Altered Level of Consciousness), Sexually enhanced drugs, and Head injury.

Ischemia

A lack of oxygen in the tissues.

Atherosclerosis

The buildup of calcium and cholesterol inside the walls of coronary blood vessels.

Stable angina

Chest pain that occurs with exertion and leaves with rest.

Unstable angina

Chest pain that occurs in the absence of a significant increase in oxygen demand and may not respond to rest or oxygen.

AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction)

A heart attack where pain signals the actual death of cells in the heart muscle.

Asystole

The absence of all heart electrical activity.

PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity)

A condition where the patient is unresponsive and lacks a palpable pulse despite having organized cardiac electrical activity.

Dyspnea

Difficulty breathing.

Croup

An upper respiratory infection in children characterized by inflammation, a seal-bark cough, fever, and stridor.

Epiglottitis

A bacterial infection causing inflammation of the epiglottis; symptoms include the tripod position, stridor, drooling, and fever.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

An infection in the lungs and passages causing excessive mucus production, often seen in young children.

Pneumonia

An infection where the alveoli fill with fluid (pus/mucus), causing symptoms like productive cough, fever, and Rhonchi or Wheezing.

Pertussis

An airborne bacterial infection mostly affecting children, characterized by a "whoop" sound after a coughing fit.

Tuberculosis

A bacterial infection affecting the lungs that can remain inactive for years; symptoms include fever, night sweats, and weight loss.

Acute Pulmonary Edema

A condition where fluid builds up in the alveoli and lung tissue, often resulting from left-sided congestive heart failure.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

A slow process of dilation and disruption of the airways and alveoli, often caused by chronic bronchial obstruction or tobacco smoke.

Pink puffers

A term for patients with pure emphysema who may exhibit pursed-lip breathing and a barrel-chested appearance.

Blue bloaters

A term for patients with pure chronic bronchitis who are often cyanotic and overweight.

Anaphylaxis

An extreme hypersensitivity reaction where the body releases too much histamine, causing vessel permeability, shock, and airway swelling.

Spontaneous Pneumothorax

The accumulation of air in the pleural space, often causing unilateral diminished lung sounds and acute shortness of breath.

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

A blood clot that circulates through the venous system and becomes lodged in the pulmonary artery, cutting off blood flow.

Cardiogenic shock

Shock caused by inadequate function of the heart, often resulting from a myocardial infarction.

Obstructive shock

Shock caused by a mechanical obstruction that prevents an adequate volume of blood from filling the heart chambers, such as cardiac tamponade.

Septic shock

A type of distributive shock caused by a severe infection that moves into the bloodstream.

Neurogenic shock

Shock resulting from a high spinal cord injury that prevents nerve impulses from reaching blood vessels, causing them to dilate.

Psychogenic shock

A sudden reaction of the nervous system that produces temporary vascular dilation, resulting in syncope (fainting).

Hypovolemic shock

Shock resulting from an inadequate amount of fluid or volume in the circulatory system.

Aortic aneurysm

A weakness in the wall of the aorta that is susceptible to rupture.

Aspirin dosage

Recommended dose of $162,mg$ to $324,mg$ ($2$ to $4$ of the $81,mg$ chewable tablets).

AVPU

Alert, Responds to Verbal stimuli, Responds to Painful stimuli, or Unresponsive.

SPO2 Normal Range

Peripheral oxygen saturation levels between $94\text{-}99\%$.

Triage Black Tag

Category for deceased or apneic patients.

Triage Red Tag

Category for immediate patients with uncontrolled bleeds or severe fractures.

Triage Yellow Tag

Category for delayed patients with moderate to significant injuries, like a closed fracture.

Triage Green Tag

Category for the least injured patients who are able to walk.

Adult CPR Ratio

$30:2$ (30 compressions to 2 breaths) for both 1 and 2 rescuers.

Infant 2-Rescuer CPR Ratio

$15:2$ (15 compressions to 2 breaths).

Adult CPR Compression Depth

Between $2\text{-}2.4,\text{in}$.

Infant CPR Compression Depth

$1.5,\text{in}$ or $1/3$ the depth of the chest.

Adult Ventilation Rate (Pulse but no breathing)

$1$ breath every $5\text{-}6,\text{secs}$.

Pediatric Ventilation Rate (Pulse but no breathing)

$1$ breath every $2\text{-}3,\text{secs}$.

Perfusion Triangle

The three parts of the cardiovascular system: The Pump (heart), Set of Pipes (vessels), and Contents (blood).

P (PENMAN)

Personal, partner, patient safety, PPE

E (PENMAN)

Environmental hazards and scene safety

N (PENMAN)

Number of patients

M (PENMAN)

Mechanism of injury or illness (MOI) or Nature of Illness (NOI)

N (PENMAN)

Need for additional resources, Need for extrication, Need for C-spine

Primary Survey

What do i see, smell, hear? Identify and Treat any life-threats. Patient Rapport. AVPU. ABCs.

A (ABCs)

Assess Airway (Open/Obstructed, if so, then…)

B (ABCs)

Assess Breathing (Rate, Rhythm, Condition, Lung Sounds)

C (ABCs)

Assess Circulation (Rate, Rhythm, Condition - Radial/Carotid Pulse - Skin Signs (Color, Temperature, Condition) - Cap Refill)

D (ABCs)

Disabilities/Deformities

E (ABCs)

Expose Chief Complaint

F (ABCs)

Field Impression (Stable/Unstable)

G (ABCs)

Go (ALS/BLS, Transport, Destination)

Focused History

OPQRST (Pain Survey)

O (OPQRST)

Onset (When did it start? What were you doing?)

P (OPQRST)

Provoke/Palliation (What makes it worse and what makes it better?)

Q (OPQRST)

Quality (Describe this pain)

R (OPQRST)

Radiation (Where else does it go?)

S (OPQRST)

Severity (On a scale from 1 to 10…)

T (OPQRST)

Time (How long has this been going on?)

SAMPLE

Past medical history

S (SAMPLE)

Signs and Symptoms

A (SAMPLE)

Allergies

M (SAMPLE)

Medication (SHOP - Street Drugs, Herbal Drugs, OTC, Prescription)

P (SAMPLE)

Past Medical History (Has this happened before? Is this a preexisting condition?)

L (SAMPLE)

Last Oral Intake (When did you eat last?)

E (SAMPLE)

Events (What were you doing when you started to feel this way?)

Secondary Assessment

DCAPBLSTIC

D (DCAPBLSTIC)

Deformities

C (DCAPBLSTIC)

Contusion

A (DCAPBLSTIC)

Abrasions/Amputations/Avulsions

P (DCAPBLSTIC)

Penetrations/Punctures

B (DCAPBLSTIC)

Burns

L (DCAPBLSTIC)

Lacerations

S (DCAPBLSTIC)

Swelling

T (DCAPBLSTIC)

Tenderness

I (DCAPBLSTIC)

Instability

C (DCAPBLSTIC)

Crepitus

Patient Assessment Guide

Scene (PENMAN) - Primary Survey - Focused History - Secondary Assessment - Vitals - Reassessment

Vitals

BP, RR, HR, Skin Signs, Lung Sounds, Eyes

Reassessment must be performed every ___ minutes for patients in unstable condition.

5

Reassessment must be performed every ___ minutes for patients in stable condition.

15

A/O Questions

Alert/Oriented - Who, Where, When, Why/What happened?

PMSC

Pulse - Motor - Sensory - Capillary Refill

DR. GERM

For assessing the abdomen