EMR May 2023
The parasympathetic nervous system predominates in quiet “rest and digest” conditions while the sympathetic nervous system drives the “fight or flight” response in stressful situations. The main purpose of the PNS is to conserve energy to be used later and to regulate bodily functions like digestion and urination.
Sympathetic Nervous System
Parasympathetic nervous system slows this all down when we don't need this reaction and the danger is gone.
Postictal State
The postictal state is a period that begins when a seizure subsides and ends when the patient returns to baseline. It typically lasts between 5 and 30 minutes and is characterized by disorienting symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness, hypertension, headache, nausea,
Aerobic Metabolism
A chemical process in which oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars).
Neurogenic Shock
Neurogenic shock is a combination of both primary and secondary injuries that lead to loss of sympathetic tone and thus unopposed parasympathetic response.
A 65 year old male is coughing forcefully. Skin and normal, warm and dry. Is he choking and does he need abdominal thrusts to clear his airway?
No not yet! This person is continuing to try and clear his own airway. IF someone is coughing they are passing air through their lungs. Let them continue to try to cough until they begin to show signs of hypoxia. Encourage them to continue and not panic.
Hypo-perfusion
Hypoperfusion is a term that describes "a reduced amount of blood flow". When ischemia develops due to low blood flow, we may describe this as "hypoperfusion". Causes for hypoperfusion include low blood pressure, heart failure or loss of blood volume.
Hypothermia symptoms
Septic Shock
Septic shock is a life-threatening condition that happens when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level after an infection. Any type of bacteria can cause the infection. Fungi such as candida and viruses can also be a cause, although this is rare. At first the infection can lead to a reaction called sepsis.
Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.
Atrial Fibrillation
An irregular heartbeat in which electrical pacemaker signals fire at different intervals and cause the atria of the heart to contract and beat out of sync with the ventricles.
Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar, usually defined as a symptomatic blood sugar below 70 mg/dL. Symptoms include
Hypertension.
A high blood pressure, usually with a systolic value over 140 or diastolic value over 110.
Index of suspicion
The level of suspicion that a disease or condition is the underlying diagnosis based on the available findings in a patient.
Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain. A blood clot often forms in arteries damaged by the buildup of plaques (atherosclerosis). It can occur in the carotid artery of the neck as well as other arteries. This is the most common type of stroke.
80 percent of strokes are ischemic.
Convection
Convective heat loss is the transfer of heat from a body to moving molecules such as air or liquid. The thin air layer adjacent to the skin is heated by conduction from the body but carries the heat away from the body in the ambient air currents. This leads to a convective heat loss.
Conductive heat loss
Conduction is the process of losing heat through physical contact with another object or body. For example, if you were to sit on a metal chair, the heat from your body would transfer to the cold metal chair.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD makes breathing difficult for the 16 million Americans who have this disease.
Compensated shock
With compensated shock, the body is experiencing a state of low blood volume but is still able to maintain blood pressure and organ perfusion by increasing the heart rate and constricting the blood vessels.
(First stage of shock)
Cardiogenic Shock
Cardiogenic shock, also known as cardiac shock, happens when your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. This is a life-threatening emergency. It is treatable if diagnosed right away, so it's important to know the warning signs. This might happen with a heart attack!
Early signs of shock
Rapid shallow breathing/elevated heart rate/nausea/anxiety or restlessness
How long do we suction for with a device?
No more than 15 seconds.
Anaphylactic shock
Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock — blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, blocking breathing. Signs and symptoms include a rapid, weak pulse; a skin rash; and nausea and vomiting.
Decompensated shock
Decompensated shock is defined as “the late phase of shock in which the body's compensatory mechanisms (such as increased heart rate, vasoconstriction, increased respiratory rate) are unable to maintain adequate perfusion to the brain and vital organs.” It occurs when the blood volume decreases by more than 30%.
What should you do if you find someone seizing who is prone.
Support the head and guard it from striking the hard ground. Move objects away from the patient. Roll the patient into the recovery position if there is no cervical spine injury.