Published in EMR. Tags: patient assessment, secondary assessment.
The focused history and physical exam answers the question, “why am I here?” When the EMS crew is confronted with a patient who has a medical problem but there is no mechanism of injury, the medics have to figure out the complaint and formulate a differential diagnosis. A differential diagnosis is a temporary or working […]
Published in EMR. Tags: patient assessment, secondary assessment.
When a serious mechanism of injury is the cause of the patient’s condition or the patient is unresponsive for reasons unknown (after looking for an explanation of the loss of consciousness by using the NACHOS pneumonic), the ambulance crew needs to look for injuries. The EMS crew needs to look for injuries that could be […]
Published in EMR. Tags: geriatrics, history taking, patient assessment, pediatrics.
Pediatric Pediatric patients are treated specifically based on their age. For all practical intents and purposes, pediatric patients are patients who are under the age of 8 or have secondary sex characteristics. Older children (acting age appropriate) can be assessed and managed the same as adults. Assessing a pulse on an infant is performed by […]
Published in EMR. Tags: history taking, patient assessment.
The patient interview is the only conversation that an EMS provider has with all of his or her patients that will remain exactly the same no matter how many calls he or she runs in their career. Signs and symptoms Most conditions are described by their signs and symptoms. Signs are things that the EMS […]
Published in EMR. Tags: history taking, patient assessment.
A significant mechanism of injury is a force that could result in an injury so severe, the patient could die from it or suffer a debilitating injury for the rest of their life. What exactly constitutes a significant MOI? According to the CDC, examples of a significant MOI would include: Falls of greater than 20 […]
Published in EMR. Tags: history taking, patient assessment.
Asking questions is what medics do when there is no mechanism of injury If the ambulance shows up to the scene of a 911 call and does not find a mechanism of injury, how would they know why they are even at the patient’s house? The answer is simple, ask the patient. If the patient […]
Published in EMR. Tags: artificial ventilation, patient assessment.
EMS personnel should always be on the lookout for a mechanism of injury (MOI). The MOI is force that results in injury to the patient. Injuries are easy to see (if you look for them). Obviously, not all MOI’s are equal. A person that tripped on a rug in the living room probably won’t have […]
Published in EMR. Tags: cardiology, CPR, patient assessment, shock and resuscitation.
Signs of circulation are any movement that would indicate the patient is alive Imagine a patient sitting in a chair awaiting the arrival of the ambulance crew. The patient see the medics come through the doorway. The patient can’t help but think help has arrived. The medics look at the same patient and say to […]
Published in EMR. Tags: infection control, infectious disease, patient assessment, workplace safety and wellness.
When the patient is unconscious, they are not in a position to tell you they have a contagious disease. Let’s say the patient is found unconscious. If the ambulance crew doesn’t know why the patient is unresponsive, then how would they know that the patient doesn’t have some contagious disease? If the patient could talk, […]
Published in EMR. Tags: patient assessment.
When the patient is unconscious, they are not in a position to tell you what’s wrong If the patient had fallen off the roof of their house and was found unconscious, the medics should be thinking head injury or spinal cord injury. If the patient had been hit by a car and was unconscious, the […]