Vital Signs
This vital sign indicates oxygen saturation in the blood.
What is SpO₂?
The first assessment you perform to identify immediate life threats.
What is the primary assessment?
This mnemonic helps you systematically check trauma injuries (bruises, cuts, deformities).
What is DCAP-BTLS-IC?
After an intervention, you must do this to check for effectiveness and stability.
What is reassessment?
You find a 22-year-old male who fell off his bike. He is alert, breathing 28/min, pulse 128, BP 96/58, SpO₂ 90%. Scene is safe. What is your first action?
What is perform primary assessment
The normal adult pulse range in beats per minute.
What is 60–100 bpm?
Checking for scene safety, mechanism of injury, and number of patients is called this.
What is scene size-up?
For a patient with abdominal pain, you should perform this type of secondary assessment.
What is a focused assessment?
You gave oxygen to a patient whose SpO₂ was 88%. It rises to 94%. Your next step is…
What is continue monitoring and reassess vitals?
A patient is complaining of shortness of breath and wheezing. You notice accessory muscle use and hear audible wheezes. SpO₂ is 89%. What is your priority intervention?
What is administer oxygen and assist ventilations if needed?
Early signs of shock are usually seen in this vital sign first.
What is pulse/respirations?
This step comes after life threats are addressed and involves collecting patient history.
What is the secondary assessment?
This mnemonic is used to evaluate patient complaints like pain or discomfort.
What is OPQRST?
How often should an unstable patient be reassessed?
What is every 5 minutes?
A 40-year-old female complains of severe abdominal pain. Her vitals are RR 20, pulse 110, BP 100/70, SpO₂ 96%. You have finished the primary assessment. What should you do next?
What is perform a focused secondary assessment and take OPQRST/SAMPLE history?
A 25-year-old male’s BP is 88/54. This is the most concerning finding because it indicates his body is in this state.
What is hypotension/shock?
You arrive to find a patient unresponsive and bleeding. The first thing you should do is…
What is perform a primary assessment?
During your head-to-toe assessment, you find abrasions on a patient’s forearm. You are performing this type of exam.
What is a full-body assessment?
What is every 15 minutes?
A patient fell down a flight of stairs and is unresponsive. Airway is partially obstructed with vomit, respirations are shallow, pulse is weak, and BP is 86/50. What is your priority sequence of care?
What is: 1) open airway, 2)Suction, 3) provide ventilations with oxygen
You arrive at a 55-year-old male patient who was found collapsed at home. He is unresponsive, with shallow respirations at 8/min, pulse 42 and weak, BP 78/50, cool, clammy skin, and SpO₂ 82%. What is your life threat? What is your first priority action?
What is open airway and provide assisted ventilations with oxygen?
You arrive at the scene of a 40-year-old female who is unresponsive after a reported seizure. The scene appears safe, but there is blood around her mouth and she has shallow respirations.
After ensuring scene safety, what is your next step?
What is perform the primary assessment to identify and treat immediate life threats?
What does SAMPLE stand for?
Signs/symptoms, allergies, medications, past medical history, last oral intake and events.
A 60-year-old male with chest pain, diaphoretic, pulse 120, BP 92/60, RR 18, SpO₂ 89% → What is your first priority?
What is apply oxygen?
During transport, your patient’s BP drops from 118/78 to 88/54, pulse rises from 100 to 124, and SpO₂ drops from 95% to 89%. What is your next step?
What is reassess the patient, identify possible shock, intervene as needed, and notify receiving facility?