Patient Assessment
What is the very first thing you do upon arrival of a first aid incident?
Look for hazards / scene assessment
What colour represents Minor Injury or Illness
Green
What is the stroke acronym and what does it stand for?
Face
Arm
Speech
Time
(bonus: VAN)
What is the Compressions to Ventilations ratio for CPR?
Bonus 50 pts: What's the depth of the compressions for an adult?
30 compression : 2 ventilations
bonus: 5 cm or 2 inches
What is the first thing you should do for burns?
cool the burn(s) with saline for at least 15 mins
If the patient isn't responding to your voice, what do you do next?
Perform a trap squeeze (or any other reasonable (pain stimulus) to see if they:
1. Respond to pain by vocalizing
2. Respond to pain by moving
What does the colour Red represent for the M.E.R in terms of patient condition? Be somewhat specific
A life or limb threatening injury.
Example: Deadly bleed, spinal injury, suspected internal injuries, pelvic fracture, airway burns
What does OPQRST stand for?
Onset
Provoke/palliate
Quality
Region/radiate
Severity
Time
What do you do when the AED says "analyzing"?
Stop CPR. Feel for a pulse. (If no shock advised and still no pulse, resume CPR)
How do you know if someone has heat stroke vs heat exhaustion?
Patient with heat stroke is no longer sweating
How do you check someone's airway if they are unconscious (not responding to you)?
tilt head back or do a jaw thrust
+ listen for gurgling/snoring, and look at chest to see if it is moving (are they breathing?)
What colour would a concussion or moderate burn to the arm be classified as in the MER?
Yellow (Serious Injury or illness)
What 2 factors can determine if someone needs Spinal Motion Restriction?
- Neck and/or back pain
- Mechanism of Injury
= a blow to the head or a fall from >20 ft, or significant Motor Vehicle Incident (MVI) = roll-over, collision at 60km/hr+, thrown occupant, major vehicle damage
What is the most important thing you need to do after putting a tourniquet on someone? (after making sure the bleeding has stopped)
Mark the time that the tourniquet was applied
What are the contraindications for Epinephrine?
None if patient is in anaphylaxis
What are 6 key vitals you need to take in your secondary assessment?
1. Level of Consciousness - AVPU
2. Skin condition (pale, red or normal?, hot, warm or cold? dry or clammy?)
3. Heart Rate (HR)
4. Respiratory Rate (RR)
5. SPO2 %
6. Pupils (concussion?)
Bonus:
- Temperature
- Capillary refill
What are the normal ranges for adult Heart Rate (at rest), Respiratory Rate and SPO2?
HR = 60-100
RR = 12-20
SPO2 = 96-100% on the MER (94-100% still correct)
If liquid is coming out of a patient's ears, what does this likely represent?
Brain injury causing a Cerebral Spinal Fluid leak
How to treat second degree (partial thickness) burns? (At least 2 points needed)
1. Cool the burn (cool water for 15-20 mins)
2. Do not pop blisters
3. apply cooling gel and antibiotic cream
4. cover with sterile, non-stick gauze
How do you treat severe smoke inhalation?
1. Get out of the smoke
2. High-flow oxygen regardless of SPO2 reading
Name all 3 ways of delivering oxygen (250 pts) and the flow rates associated with each (250pts)
nasal cannula (1-6 L/min)
non-rebreather mask (10-15 L/min)
Bag Valve Mask (10-15 L/min)
What determines whether a patient is UNSTABLE? (hint: RED category for the M.E.R)
Life/limb threatening injury.
Example: compromised ABCs and LOC
and/or: Deadly bleed (not controlled by direct pressure)
and/or: Spinal injury
and/or: Pelvic fracture
and/or: Airway burns
If you’re doing a rapid body survey and you feel that the patients pelvis is unstable, what should you do?
Bonus question 100 points: why can an unstable pelvis be so dangerous?
Manually stabilize the pelvis. Later with 3 triangle bandages.
Bonus: unstable pelvis can often mean internal bleeding within that area, where large arteries are present. Stabilizing = slow down or stop this internal hemorrhaging.
Describe what kind of dressing you would put on someone that has a puncture wound to the chest?
3 sided occlusive dressing (to let air out but not into the lungs)
What to do for a complete amputated limb? - must give the FULL answer
1. Tourniquet until bleeding stops
2. Rinse amputated limb with saline, cover with moist sterile gauze, store in plastic bag in a cool container (not directly on ice)
*Make sure time of tourniquet and collection of amputated limb is marked down