Med 13

Patient assessment

standardized approach for performing a physical exam and obtaining a medical history on a patient.

Brachial pulse

pulse that can be felt in the medial side of the upper arm between the elbow and shoulder.

Crepitus

grating noise or the sensation felt when broken bone ends rub together.

Secondary assessment

complete head-to-toe physical exam, including medical history.

Interventions

actions taken to correct or stabilize a patient’s illness or injury.

General impression

first informal impression of the patient’s overall condition.

Primary assessment

quick assessment of the patient’s airway, breathing, circulation, and bleeding to detect and correct any immediate life-threatening problems.

Jugular vein distention

abnormal bulging of the veins of the neck indicating cardiac compromise or possible injury to the chest. Abbrev: JVD.

Rapid secondary assessment

quick head-to-toe assessment of the most critical patients.

Accessory muscle use

use of the muscles of the neck, chest, and abdomen to assist with breathing effort.

Radial pulse

pulse that can be felt on the anterior aspect of the wrist on the same side as the thumb.

Trauma patient

one who has a physical injury caused by an external force.

Immediate life threats

any condition that may pose an immediate threat to the patient’s life, such as problems with the airway, breathing, circulation, or safety.

BP-DOC

memory aid used to recall what to look for in a physical exam of a trauma patient; the letters stand for bleeding, pain, deformities, open wounds, and crepitus.

AVPU scale

memory aid for the classifications of levels of responsiveness; the letters stand for alert, verbal, painful, and unresponsive.

Mechanism of injury

force or forces that may have caused injury. Abbrev: MOI.

Tracheal deviation

shifting of the trachea to either side of the midline of the neck caused by the buildup of pressure inside the chest (tension pneumothorax).

Nature of illness

what is medically wrong with the patient; a complaint not related to an injury. Abbrev: NOI.

Manual stabilization

using your hands to physically hold the body part and keep it from moving.

Focused secondary assessment

examination conducted on stable patients, focusing on a specific injury or medical complaint.

Guarding

protection of an area of pain by the patient; spasms of muscles to minimize movement that might cause pain.

Dorsalis pedis pulse

pulse located on the top of the foot.

ABCs

patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation as they relate to the primary assessment.

Track marks

small dots of infection, scarring, or bruising that form a track along a vein; may be an indication of IV drug abuse.

Reassessment

last step in patient assessment, used to detect changes in a patient’s condition; includes repeating the primary assessment, reassessing and recording vital signs, and checking interventions. To be repeated as time allows until higher-trained EMS personnel assume care of the patient.

Scene size-up

overview of the scene to identify any obvious or potential hazards; consists of taking BSI precautions, determining the scene safety, identifying the mechanism of injury or nature of illness, determining the number of patients, and identifying the need for additional resources.

Paradoxical movement

movement of an area of the chest wall in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest during respiration; an indication of chest wall trauma.

Medical patient

one who has or describes symptoms of an illness.

Carotid pulse

pulse that can be felt on either side of the neck. Palpate only one side at a time.