Primary Assessment
The first thing an EMT does during the primary assessment is to gain an initial sense of the patient's condition, also known as forming this
What is a general impression?
This device is used for taking blood pressure, and consists of a cuff and gauge
50 year old female with respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute
What is normal?
Normal range: 12-20 breaths per minute
A list of potential diagnoses compiled early in the patient's assessment
What is differential diagnosis?
A patient who is unstable should be re-assessed this often
What is every 5 minutes?
These three actions are considered the ABCs of the primary assessment
What are Airway, Breathing, and Circulation?
Cigarette smoking, Carbon Monoxide poisoning, wearing nail polish, and excessive movement can all throw off this reading
What is oxygen saturation?
An 85 year old male with oxygen saturation of 94%
What is not normal?
Normal: 96-100%
a patient describes a feeling of bones rubbing together, also known as this
What is crepitation?
A patient who has been placed on oxygen via nasal cannula displays increased difficulty breathing during reassessment. The EMT switches him onto 15 Liters per minute of oxygen via this
What is nonrebreather mask?
When assessing an unresponsive infant, this type of pulse should be palpated to check circulation
What is brachial pulse?
The pressure remaining in the arteries after the pulse wave has passed through
What is diastolic blood pressure?
A 25 year old female with heart rate of 92 beats per minute
What is normal?
Normal resting hear rate: 60-100 bpm
A patient who was struck in the chest is experiencing a crackling sensation, indicating the possibility of this
What is subcutaneous emphesema?
When a previously responsive patient becomes unresponsive, this assessment should be repeated
What is primary assessment?
A hand clenched over a chest is known as this sign, named for an American cardiologist
What is Levine's sign?
Pressure created when the heart contracts and forces blood into the arteries
What is systolic blood pressure?
45 year old adult male with blood glucose of 50 mg/dL
What is not normal?
Normal range: 70-100 mg/dL
An unresponsive patient who was in a vehicular accident is observed to have a clear drainage coming from their ears. The drainage is suspected to be this fluid, indicating potential cranial fracture
What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
A patient who was being transported on 100% oxygen via nonrebreather mask is noted to have a respiratory rate of 8 breaths per minute during reassessment. To ensure adequate ventilation, the EMT switches her to this type of mask
What is a bag-valve mask?
This technique is used for assessing circulatory status in infants and children
What is capillary refill time?
This monitoring technique measures the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, and helps indicate how well tissues are using oxygen
What is capnography?
An infant with a capillary refill time of 4 seconds
What is not normal?
Normal: <2 seconds
Movement that occurs in an unexpected or counterintuitive way, often involving a reversal of the normal direction of motion
What is paradoxical motion?
Initial vital signs were a pulse of 120 bpm, BP of 90/50 mm Hg, and respiratory rate of 24/minute. Upon reassessment, patient now has a pulse of 135 bpm, BP of 85/50 mm Hg, and respiratory rate of 30/min
The patient's trending condition would be described as this
What is deteriorating?