Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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Common signals of sudden illness:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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7.
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8.
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9. ___________________________________________________________________________
10. ___________________________________________________________________________
11. ___________________________________________________________________________
When to call 9-1-1 -
1. Unconscious or altered level of consciousness
2. Breathing problems
3. Signals of a heart attack
4. Persistent abdominal pain or pressure
5. Severe bleeding
6. Vomiting or passing blood
7. Severe burns
8. Suspected poisoning
9. Seizures or stroke
10.Suspected or obvious injuries to the head, neck, or back
11.Painful, swollen, deformed areas
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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What to do until help arrives 1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________________________________________
8. ___________________________________________________________________________
9. ___________________________________________________________________________
Fainting - a partial or complete loss of consciousness resulting from a temporary reduction of blood
flow to the brain.
Signs and Symptoms
1.
__________________________________________________________________________
2.
__________________________________________________________________________
3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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Care for Fainting
 Care
 Lower the person to the ground
 Loosen tight clothing
 Check that the person is breathing
 Do not give them anything to eat or drink
 Do not give them anything to eat or drink
 Call 9-1-1 if you are unsure of the victim’s condition
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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Seizures - ___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Signals of a Seizure  ____________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________________
 May experience an ______________, an unusual sensation or feeling, such as
____________________; strange sound, taste or smell; or an urgent need to get to safety
Febrile Seizures
 Most common in children younger than ___________
 Often caused by
o _____________________________________
o _____________________________________
 They most often occur with ____________________________________________
Signals of a febrile seizure 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sudden rise in body temperature
Change in consciousness
Rhythmic jerking of head and limbs
Loss of bladder or bowel movements
Confusion
6.
7.
8.
9.
Crying out
Becoming rigid
Holding breath
Upward rolling of eyes
Call 9-1-1 if…







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The seizure lasts more than five minutes

This is their first seizure

The person has multiple seizures

The person appears to be injured
The cause of the seizure is unknown

The person is pregnant
The person is diabetic
The seizure follows a quick rise in temperature
The person fails to regain consciousness
The seizure takes place in water
The person is elderly and could have suffered a
stroke
The person is a young child or an infant and
experienced a febrile seizure brought on by high
fever
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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Care for Someone Having a Seizure
1.
__________________________________________________________________________
2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
__________________________________________________________________________
Stroke - also known as a brain attack, a stroke is a disruption of blood flow to a part of the brain which
causes permanent damage to brain tissue
Mini-stroke - a temporary episode, like a stroke, is caused by a disruption of blood flow to the brain;
someone who has a mini stroke is at high risk of having a full blown stroke.
Risk Factors for Stroke
High Blood Pressure
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Diabetes
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Cigarette Smoking
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Diet
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____________________________________________________________________________________
Preventing Stroke
 Control your blood pressure
 Quit smoking
 Eat a healthy diet
 Exercise regularly
 Maintain a healthy weight
 Control diabetes
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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Signals of a Stroke
1.
__________________________________________________________________________
2.
__________________________________________________________________________
3.
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4. ___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________________
F.A.S.T.
F __________________________________________________________________________________
A __________________________________________________________________________________
S __________________________________________________________________________________
T __________________________________________________________________________________
Care for someone having a stroke
 Note when the symptoms started
 If they are unconscious –
o Make sure their airway is open
o Position the victim on their side if they have fluid in their mouth
o Stay with the person and monitor their signs of life
 If they are conscious –
o Check for non-life threatening conditions
o Reassure the victim
o Have the victim rest in a comfortable position
o Do not give them anything to eat or drink
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
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Diabetes - the inability of the body to change sugar from food to energy
This can lead to other medical conditions such as blindness, nerve disease, kidney disease, heart disease,
and stroke.
Types of Diabetes
Types I
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Type II
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Types of Diabetic Emergencies
Hyperglycemia
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Hypoglycemia
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Signs and Symptoms of a Diabetic Emergency
1.
__________________________________________________________________________
2.
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3.
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4.
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5. ___________________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________________
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
Emergency Care
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Care for Diabetic Emergencies
 If the person is conscious –

_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
 __________________________________________________________________
 If they are unconscious –

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
Allergic Reactions
Allergic reactions are caused by over activity of the immune system against specific antigens (foreign
substances).
Antigens that often cause allergic reactions are bee or insect stings, antibiotics, pollen, animal dander,
latex, certain foods such as nuts or shellfish.
What to Look For  ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
Call 9-1-1 if 


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The person has trouble breathing
Complains of the throat tightening
Explains that he or she is subject to severe allergic reactions
If the person is unconscious
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
-8-
What to do until help arrives  Monitor the person’s breathing
 Give care for life threatening conditions
 Check a conscious person to determine
o The substance (antigen) involved
o The route of exposure
o The effects of the exposure
 Assist the person to use an Epi Pen
 Assist the person to take antihistamine
 Document any changes in the person’s condition
How Poisons Enter the Body
A poison is any substance that causes injury, illness, or death if it enters the body.
A person can be poisoned by  ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
Checking the Scene for Poisoning
 Check for clues about what happened
o ________________________________________________________________________
o ________________________________________________________________________
o ________________________________________________________________________
 Try to get information from the victim or bystanders
 Try to find outo ________________________________________________________________________
o ________________________________________________________________________
o ________________________________________________________________________
o ________________________________________________________________________
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website
Emergency Care
Chapter Five – Sudden Illnesses
-9-
Signs and Symptoms of Poisoning
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Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Chest or abdominal pain
Trouble breathing
Sweating
Changes in consciousness
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Headache
Dizziness
Burning or tearing eyes
Burns around the lips, tongue, or on the skin
General Care for Poisoning
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Remove the person from the source of poisonif the scene is dangerous
Check the person’s level of consciousness, breathing, and other signs of life
Care for any life threatening conditions
Gather information
Look for containers and take them with you to the phone
Call 9-1-1 of the Nation Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222
Follow the directions given to you by the professionals
Poison Control Center
PCCs help reduce the workload of the EMS system by helping people deal with poisonings. Many can
be found in emergency departments of hospitals.
Special Care Considerations
Toxic Fumes
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Chemicals
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Preventing Poisonings
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter notes can be found on Mrs. Kathleen Kelley’s Emergency Care Website