Tag: patient assessment
- Impaled Objects ()
It is better to leave impaled objects in place Impaled objects as a general rule should not be removed. Impaled objects are often tricky to remove without causing more damage or blood loss. Whenever possible, the object should be stabilized with bulky dressings and the patient moved as little as possible during transport. Controlling bleeding […]
- Sucking Chest Wounds ()
Pneumothorax is the medical term for a collapsed lung. It occurs when air enters the space around the lungs (the pleural space). This can happen when an open injury in the lung tissue causes air to leak into the pleural space. The resulting increased pressure on the outside of the lung causes it to collapse. […]
- How To Stop Bleeding ()
The application of direct pressure is the first and best move when the patient is bleeding The problem with bleeding is that bleeding can hide underneath patient clothing. There are times where the medics will know where the patient is bleeding from, and other times they are not sure. In order to be treated, bleeding […]
- Bleeding ()
Bleeding is the loss of blood. It can be external, or outside the body, like when you get a cut or wound. It can also be internal, or inside the body, like when you have an injury to an internal organ. Some bleeding, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, coughing up blood, or vaginal bleeding, can be a symptom of a […]
- Finding And Treating Shock (hypoperfusion) ()
The first clue is that there is no radial pulse The primary survey is how the medics actually meet the patient. During this initial meeting, the medics determine if the patient needs CPR, is conscious, has a clear airway, needs oxygen or ventilation, and is in shock. The first clue that that the patient may […]
- Field Triage of Injured Patients ()
- This Is Why Your Chest Compressions Suck ()
You don’t know where to put your hands When a chest compression is performed, the weight of the chest compression is placed on the palm. The palm should be placed on the lower half of the patient’s sternum. The sternum or breastplate is the bone that connects the ribs on anterior portion of the patient’s […]
- Cardiac Arrest Chain of Survival ()
It takes a village to bring people back from the dead The 911 system was conceived in the 1960’s in response to the growing concern of civil unrest. It took nearly 50 years to get the nearly all of the United States access to this system. Why did it take 50 years? Because the 911 […]
- Psychiatric ()
The ambulance crew is there to take care of the patient… and nothing else Psychiatric (regarding mental health) calls are generally made by the public in response to a general disturbance. The police never know what situation awaits them on the other end of the telephone. The police arrive and the patient is not cooperative […]
- Assessing The Abdomen ()
The most logical question ever, “Where does it hurt?” Different regions of the abdomen contain different organs. If a patient complains of right upper quadrant pain, the patient is probably having a problem their liver or gallbladder. If the patient is having pain around their naval, the patient could be experiencing appendicitis. The basics of […]