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Mrs. Brodermann – Biomedical 4
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Assess illness or injury and provide care
May be firefighters, law enforcement officers or private
citizens
With limited equipment they provide skilled and immediate
help
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Evaluate scene for safety and safely gain access to the
patient
Take appropriate body substance isolation precautions
Identify the cause of the injury or the nature of the illness
and provide emergency medical care using minimum
equipment
Move patient if necessary without causing further injury
Transfer information to more highly trained personnel upon
their arrival at the scene
Determine the total number of patients
Request additional help if necessary
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Dispatched by 911
Work with fire and police personnel
They work in all types of weather and at all hours
Seek medical advice from doctors and nurses via radio or
phone
Use a variety of equipment found in the ambulance
including back boards, cervical collars and AED’s
May be volunteers or full or part-time employees
Can work at hospitals, fire departments, independent
ambulance companies, emergency helicopters, industries
or correctional facilities
NOT DOING MUCH FOR MY
CONFIDENCE ARE YOU?
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Assess the situation to determine safety
Take appropriate precautions with infection control
Interview and examines patient to determine if emergency
care is necessary
Provides appropriate care such as starting an IV,
administering medication, life saving measures, interpreting
EKG data and securing airway
Transports patient to a medical facility if necessary
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BASIC EMT
o Basic national training standard training program
o Provide basic life support
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Oral and nasal airways
Cervical collar
Use of AED
Epi-pen
Immobilization of injuries to the arms or legs
Intermediate EMT
o Possess additional training and certification
o Can perform advanced procedures such as initiating an IV line,
advanced airway, interpret EKG, administer medications
o Can manage trauma, cardiac, respiratory emergency patients
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Highest level of training among EMT’s
Training programs last 2 years in a college setting.
o Preparation includes: skills practice labs, hospital clinical rotations
and fieldwork
o They take a board examination to become certified
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Additional responsibilities from the EMT-I
o Administer all types of medications
o Contacting hospital of patients condition
o Leadership role among other EMT’s
o Assignment of care, development of plan and performance of
emergency care
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Scene Evaluation
o Safety of all present
o Body substance isolation
o Assessment of injury or illmess
o Number of patients
o Need for additional resources
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Initial Assessment
o Form a general impression
o Determine the level of responsiveness
o Assess the airway
o Assess breathing
o Assess circulation including presence of pulse and bleeding
o Make a decision regarding the priority or urgency of the client
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Head
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Eyes – compare pupils
Neck
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Check for deformities, wounds, swelling
Check for jewelry
Chest
Abdomen
Pelvis
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Check for deformities, wounds, bruises and swelling
Check ears, nose and mouth for blood, injury or foreign bodies
Check for deformities, wounds, swelling and bruises
Press downward and inward on the pelvis to assess pain
Arms and hands
Legs
Back
Vital Signs
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S – Signs and Symptoms
o What is your complaint?
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A – Allergies
o Are you allergic to any medications?
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M – Medications
o What prescription or over the counter medications do you take?
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P – Pertinent Past Medical History
o Have you ever had this problem before? What other medical problems
do you have?
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L – Last Oral Intake
o When did you last eat or drink anything? What was it?
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E – Event Preceding
o What were you doing when this happened?
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Detailed Assessment is done quickly and an Ongoing
assessment is done continuously to reassess patient
Communication with patient, family and medical personnel
at hospital or at the scene
Documentation of history and physical and procedures
done at the scene and en route.
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Trauma or disease may limit the ability to freely move air through
the respiratory structures
In an unconscious patient, the tongue can fall back into the
mouth and block the airway.
Two common airway adjuncts are:
o Oropharyngeal airway
• A curved plastic devise with a flange at the mouth opening
• Inserted into the mouth and prevents the tongue from falling back into the
pharynx
• Most effective on an unconscious patient with no gag reflex
o Nasopharyngeal airway
• Used mostly for seizures, strokes, clenched teeth or injury of the mouth.
Made of soft latex tubing
• Insterted into one notril, rests in the pharynx and prevents the tongue from
becoming an airway obstruction
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Respiratory or Cardiac Arrest
Shock
Severe Blood Loss
Various lung diseases or Disorders
Stroke
Drug Overdose
Severe Bone Injuries
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Portable Oxygen Cylinders
o No smoking allowed near oxygen
o No dropping
o No adhesive tape
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Oxygen Regulator
Oxygen Flow Meter
Oxygen Delivery Device
o Mask
o Nasal Cannula
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Used to treat life-threatening cardiac conditions
V-fib = Ventricular Fibrillation – most common cause of
cardiac arrest
V-tach = Ventricular Tachycardia
49% survival rate if AED used immediately after collapse
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Resulting from
o Automobile collisions
o Shallow water diving accidents
o Motorcycle collisions
o Falls
• In children, falls from heights two to three times the child’s height; falls from
a bicycle or tricycle or being struck by a motor vehicle
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S/S of Spinal injury
o Paralysis to the arms and /or legs
o Weakness, tingling or numbness in arms or legs
o Pain or tenderness along the back of the neck or spine
o Pain with or without movement
o Loss of bowel of bladder control
o Difficult or labored breathing with little or no movement of the chest
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Anatomy & Physiology
o Placenta – organ formed at conception which is an exhange area
between mother and fetus. Allows osygen and nutrients to cross
from the mother’s circulation to nourish the fetus.
• Expelled after birth
o Umbilical Cord – A cordlike structureattached to the fetus’s navel
and the placenta.
o Amniotic Sac – a thin membranous sac that contains 1-2L of
amniotic fluid and surrounds the fetus.
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First Stage
o Begins with regular contractions of the uterus and thinning and dilation
of the cervix
o Contractions range from being 30 minutes apart to being 2-3 minutes
apart at an increasing strength
o This stage ends with full dilation and effacing of the cervix
o Can last up to 24 hours
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Second Stage
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Begins when baby enters the birth canal until it is born
Contractions become intense and frequent
Delivery is imminent when crowning is observed
Can last up to 2 or more hours
Third Stage
o Starts after the delivery of the infant until the delivery of the placenta
o Can last 10 -30 minutes