EME 106 Test 1

Types of Consent

Expressed (verbal/physical grant by competent adult), Implied (assumed for unresponsive/altered patients), Involuntary (mandated by law/court/police), Minor (granted by parent/guardian, or implied in life-threat), Emancipated Minor (legally independent, can consent/refuse).

Abandonment

Terminating care without the patient's consent and without handing off care to a provider of equal or higher medical authority.

Negligence (4 Elements)

Duty to act, Breach of duty, Damages (harm occurred), and Proximate cause (direct causation).

Who Can Sign an AMA?

An adult (18+ or emancipated) with full decision-making capacity (A&O x 4, sober, no altered mental status, dementia, or severe hypoxia/hypoglycemia).

Mandated Reporting Requirements

EMS personnel are legally required to report any suspected child abuse/neglect or elder/dependent adult abuse.

5150 Criteria

Danger to Self (DTS), Danger to Others (DTO), or Gravely Disabled (GD: unable to provide basic food, clothing, shelter due to a mental disorder).

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Protects Protected Health Information (PHI); disclosures permitted only for Treatment, Payment, Operations (TPO), or legal court order.

Vital Sign Reassessment Intervals

Unstable patient = every 5 minutes; Stable patient = every 15 minutes.

5 Parts of the Run (Exclusion)

Dispatch, En Route to scene, On Scene, Transport, In Service. Includes all EXCEPT: Documentation.

Blocks of Patient Assessment

Scene Size-up, Primary Assessment, History Taking, Secondary Assessment, Reassessment.

Components of the Primary Assessment

General impression, mental status (AVPU), Airway, Breathing, Circulation (pulse, skin, gross bleeds), and transport priority decision.

DCAP-BTLS (Exclusion)

Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/Penetrations, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling. Includes all EXCEPT: Pulse.

Pulse Check in Unresponsive Patient

Check the Carotid pulse for at least 5 seconds but no more than 10 seconds.

Signs of Inadequate Breathing

Rate

Airway Opening: Head-Tilt/Chin-Lift vs. Jaw-Thrust

Head-tilt/chin-lift for non-trauma medical patients; Jaw-thrust for trauma or suspected cervical spine injury.

Vocal Cords Location

Located inside the Larynx (the dividing landmark between upper and lower airways).

Ventilating for CPR vs. Rescue Breathing

CPR: 30:2 (adults), 15:2 (child/infant 2-rescuer) without advanced airway; Rescue Breathing (pulse present): Adult = 1 breath every 5–6 sec (10–12/min), Child/Infant = 1 breath every 2–3 sec (20–30/min).

Definitive Signs of Obvious Death

Decapitation, dependent lividity, rigor mortis, decomposition, incineration.

Central Nervous System (CNS) Components

Brain and Spinal Cord.

Cerebrum Function

Responsible for conscious thought, reasoning, voluntary muscle movement, memory, sensory interpretation, and personality.

Brainstem Function

Controls vital vegetative functions: respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and autonomic reflexes.

Sections of the Spinal Column

Cervical (7), Thoracic (12), Lumbar (5), Sacrum (5 fused), Coccyx (4 fused).

Two Spinal Sections Most Susceptible to Injury

Cervical spine and Lumbar spine (due to high mobility and lack of rib support).

3 Types of Muscle Tissue

Skeletal (voluntary, striated), Smooth (involuntary, nonstriated, inside blood vessels/hollow organs), Cardiac (involuntary, striated, automaticity).

Inferior Parts of the Heart

The Ventricles (form the lower chambers and apex of the heart).

Path of Blood Through the Heart

Vena Cava -> Right Atrium -> Tricuspid Valve -> Right Ventricle -> Pulmonary Arteries -> Lungs -> Pulmonary Veins -> Left Atrium -> Bicuspid Valve -> Left Ventricle -> Aorta -> Body.

Abdominal Quadrants & Contents

RUQ: Liver, gallbladder, right kidney, part of colon; LUQ: Stomach, spleen, left kidney, pancreas, part of colon; RLQ: Appendix, ascending colon, small intestine; LLQ: Descending colon, small intestine.

Solid vs. Hollow Organ Rupture

Solid organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys) bleed profusely causing hypovolemic shock; Hollow organs (stomach, intestines, gallbladder, bladder) spill contents causing infection/peritonitis.

Organ Responsible for Storing Sugar

The Liver (stores glucose in the form of glycogen).

San Diego County BRIM Guidelines

Brim refers to San Diego County capacity and diversion tracking protocols for destination hospital choice.

Prefix: Brady- vs. Tachy-

Brady- means slow; Tachy- means fast/rapid.

Prefix: Poly- vs. Nulli-

Poly- means many/excessive; Nulli- means none/zero.

Prefix: Peri- vs. Para-

Peri- means around/surrounding; Para- means beside, near, or abnormal.

Prefix: Macro- vs. Micro-

Macro- means large; Micro- means small.