Chapter 16

Medical emergency

A condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Common causes of a medical emergency

Accidents or underlying medical conditions.

Meaning of 'oriented' in patient assessment

Aware of person, place, and time.

Meaning of 'disoriented'

Unable to answer basic orientation questions regarding person, place, or time.

Meaning of 'unresponsive'

Unconscious or failing to respond to sensory stimuli.

Patient observations a CNA must report immediately

Unusual changes in condition or awareness.

First responsibility of a healthcare worker during an emergency

Recognize that an emergency exists.

First action to take before entering an emergency scene

Check that the scene is safe.

Primary purpose of assessing scene safety

To avoid becoming injured yourself.

Immediate action required when finding an unresponsive person

Activate the emergency response system.

Definition of an emergency response system

Resources organized to respond to emergencies.

Key information to provide when calling emergency services

The exact location and the person's current condition.

Definition of first aid

Care provided before advanced medical help arrives.

Factors determining the level of first aid a CNA can provide

Training and scope of practice.

CNA responsibility while waiting for emergency personnel

Stay calm and provide appropriate care within scope.

Action required immediately after providing emergency care

Record observations and care provided.

Biological importance of oxygen

Cells require oxygen to survive.

Respiratory arrest

The complete cessation of breathing.

Causes of respiratory arrest

Airway obstruction, trauma, drowning, or medications.

Consequence of untreated respiratory arrest

Cardiac arrest may occur.

Cardiac arrest

The complete cessation of effective heart beating.

Common causes of cardiac arrest

Heart attack, drug overdose, severe bleeding, or electrocution.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Measures that prevent or treat respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Three primary measures of Basic Life Support (BLS)

Rescue breathing, CPR, and AED use.

Rescue breathing

The process of manually breathing air into another person's lungs.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

A combination of chest compressions and rescue breathing.

Function of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

Detects heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock.

Reason for rapid AED application during cardiac arrest

Survival rates decrease with every passing minute.

Meaning of 'C' in the BLS acronym CAB

Compressions.

Meaning of 'A' in the BLS acronym CAB

Airway.

Meaning of 'B' in the BLS acronym CAB

Breathing.

Target compression rate in BLS

$100\text{--}120$ compressions per minute.

Number of compressions delivered per cycle before rescue breaths in CPR

$30$ compressions.

Number of rescue breaths delivered following $30$ chest compressions in CPR

$2$ breaths.

Timeframe to start chest compressions when no pulse is detected

Within $10\,\text{seconds}$.

Two physical checks required before starting BLS

Responsiveness and pulse.

Legal or patient directive to verify before starting resuscitation

The person's resuscitation wishes and DNR status.

Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction)

Damage to heart muscle resulting from blocked blood flow.

Primary symptom of a heart attack

Chest pain, pressure, or tightness.

Anatomical areas where heart attack pain commonly radiates

Neck, back, or arm.

Associated symptoms of a heart attack

Sweating, breathing trouble, nausea, or fatigue.

Immediate action for a suspected heart attack

Position the person lying down and activate the emergency response system.

Stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident)

Interrupted blood supply causing damage to part of the brain.

Purpose of the acronym FAST

To quickly identify signs of a stroke.

Meaning of 'F' in the FAST acronym

Face drooping.

Meaning of 'A' in the FAST acronym

Arm weakness.

Meaning of 'S' in the FAST acronym

Speech difficulty.

Meaning of 'T' in the FAST acronym

Time to call $911$.

Action to take if stroke symptoms disappear spontaneously

Call $911$ immediately.

Recommended position for a person suspected of having a stroke

Keep the person lying down.

Syncope

Temporary loss of consciousness caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

Warning signs that someone may experience syncope

Dizziness, pale skin, sweating, or vision loss.

Positioning for a conscious person feeling faint

Supine position with legs elevated $12\,\text{inches}$.

Alternative seated position for someone feeling faint

Sitting with head placed between knees.

Minimum duration a fainting person should remain in position

At least $5\,\text{minutes}$.

First action when a person faints

Lower them safely to a flat surface.

Positioning for an unconscious person who has fainted

On their back with head turned sideways.

Condition under which a fainted person's legs may be elevated

When there is no suspected head, neck, or spinal injury.

Seizure

A sudden disruption of normal electrical brain activity.

Grand mal seizure

A major seizure characterized by violent muscle jerking and loss of consciousness.

Petit mal seizure

A minor seizure characterized by brief staring spells or sudden stopped speech.

Primary CNA goal during an active seizure

Protect the person from injury.

Item to place under a person's head during a seizure

A pillow or folded towel.

Item restricted from being placed in a person's mouth during a seizure

Anything at all.

Immediate action after a seizure ends

Turn the person onto their side.

Purpose of placing a person in the recovery position post-seizure

To allow fluids and secretions to drain from the airway.

Hemorrhage

Severe, uncontrolled bleeding from blood vessels.

Characteristics of arterial bleeding

Bright red blood spurting or pulsing in sync with the heartbeat.

Characteristics of venous bleeding

Dark red blood flowing steadily.

First step in controlling severe bleeding

Apply firm, steady direct pressure to the wound.

Action to take if direct pressure fails to control severe bleeding

Raise the limb and apply pulse-point pressure.

Indication for tourniquet use

As a last resort applied by trained emergency responders.

Medical shock

A life-threatening condition where tissues do not receive adequate oxygen-rich blood.

Clinical signs of shock

Low blood pressure, rapid weak pulse, and pale, cold, clammy skin.

Cause of hemorrhagic shock

Massive blood loss.

Cause of anaphylactic shock

A severe allergic reaction.

Care steps for a person in shock

Keep them warm and calm while keeping them lying flat.

Aspiration

Inhaling foreign material into the lungs or airway.

Signs of partial airway obstruction with good air exchange

Strong coughing and normal skin color.

Action for a partial airway obstruction with strong coughing

Stay with the person and allow them to continue coughing.

Signs of partial airway obstruction with poor air exchange

Weak cough, high-pitched crowing sounds, or cyanosis.

Signs of complete airway obstruction

The person cannot cough, speak, or breathe.

Universal sign of choking

Clutching or grabbing the throat with one or both hands.

First aid maneuver for conscious choking adults and children over $1\,\text{year}$

Abdominal thrusts.

Indications for performing chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts

Pregnancy or very large body size.

Action if a choking person becomes unresponsive

Lower them to the floor and begin CPR with chest compressions.

First aid procedure for a choking infant under $1\,\text{year}$

A combination of backslaps and chest thrusts.

Reason abdominal thrusts are contraindicated in infants

They can damage delicate internal organs.

Number of backslaps delivered to a choking infant per cycle

Up to $5$ backslaps.

Number of chest thrusts delivered to a choking infant per cycle

Up to $5$ chest thrusts.

Chain of Survival

A series of linked actions that significantly improve emergency survival rates.

First step in the Chain of Survival

Recognize the emergency and activate the emergency response system.

Second step in the Chain of Survival

First responder care.

Third step in the Chain of Survival

Advanced medical intervention.

Fourth step in the Chain of Survival

Hospital care.

Final step in the Chain of Survival

Rehabilitation.