Operations & Ethics
EMR
Emergency Medical Responder
Before approaching a downed power line in a pasture, you must do this.
Keep everyone away and request appropriate utility/emergency assistance
How many times should you check a patient's pulse before starting CPR?
Once and check for no more than 10 seconds if trained to check a pulse
Organ that protects the body
Skin
Medications
This type of consent occurs when a patient clearly agrees to receive care.
Expressed consent
A rancher is trapped under a heavy object. What should you consider before attempting to move it?
Scene stability, crush injury, and the risk of moving the object
What does PPE stand for?
Personal Protective Equipment
Where the upper airway and lower airway divide
Larynx
Medical term meaning difficulty breathing
Dyspnea
A competent adult refuses your recommended care. What should you do?
Explain concerns within your role, assess and follow applicable refusal procedures, notify higher-level EMS as appropriate, and document
During a Montana winter call, a patient is cold, confused, and shivering. What condition should you suspect?
Hypothermia
Should you give food or drink to an unconscious patient?
No
Organs of the LUQ
Liver, Gallbladder
"S" in OPQRST
Severity
Sharing identifiable patient information with an uninvolved friend may violate this privacy law.
HIPAA
A patient has been working outside in extreme heat and is confused with altered mental status. What life-threatening heat illness should you suspect?
Heatstroke
What should you do if you suspect a spinal injury after a fall?
Minimize unnecessary movement, maintain appropriate stabilization, and monitor airway and breathing
Blood comes from the lungs back into this part of the heart
Left atrium
This term describes a heart rate that is faster than normal.
You begin caring for a patient, then leave without arranging an appropriate transfer of care. What ethical or legal problem might this create?
Abandonment
Your ambulance is 30 minutes away and a critically ill patient needs help now. What should an EMR do while awaiting additional resources?
Provide care within training and protocol, monitor the patient, communicate updates, and coordinate resources
What is the overall goal of EMR care before higher-level EMS arrives?
Preserve life, prevent further injury, and promote recovery while providing care within scope
A patient has weakness on the right side of their body and difficulty speaking after a sudden neurological event. Which organ system is most likely affected?
Nervous system
"L" in DCAP-BTLES
Lacerations