Patient Assessment
Patient assessment is the process an EMT or paramedic follows to evaluate an injured or ill patient. The process includes a scene size-up, which is the identification and mitigation of risks, a primary assessment to find and fix life threats and a secondary assessment to perform a focused history and physical exam of the patient. Each step is an opportunity to collect information that will guide treatment and inform a transport decision. In the EMS1 Patient Assessment topic find the latest news about patient assessment and top resources to improve your patient assessment skills.
Are there exceptions to this hard-and-fast EMS rule?
This real-world incident highlights how outdated tools and improvised techniques endanger patients — and why modernization is no longer optional
A practical guide to interpreting urine color for maintaining optimal hydration
A suspected mass overdose in Baltimore’s Penn North neighborhood sent at least 25 people to the hospital Thursday, triggering a level-one mass casualty response
A Lexington paramedic’s monitor failed to detect carbon monoxide during an initial call to an apartment later condemned after a suspected gas leak killed one person and injured others
UT Southwestern Medical Center research finds ED visits for heat-related illnesses among children have spiked sharply over the past decade
An 8-year-old boy was critically injured after falling 20 feet into a shaft near the top of the Koko Head Trail in Oahu
One man died and at least nine others were hospitalized after high levels of carbon monoxide, flammable gas and methane were found during a gas leak at a Lexington apartment complex
Fifteen people were hospitalized after a skydiving plane crashed while attempting an emergency landing near at an airport in Gloucester County
A drive-by shooting in Chicago’s River North neighborhood left four dead and victims taken to Northwestern and John H. Stroger hospitals
A bus carrying at least 20 people overturned after hitting railroad tracks in Lancaster
MultiCare and Spokane Fire Department responded to 892 total incidents during the basketball tournament, down from nearly 1,200 last year
After a boat explosion left a family with severe burns, they were rushed to Jackson Memorial’s Miami Burn Center for immediate care and long-term healing support
Central Virginia saw a record spike in heat-related ER visits last week, with 146 cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke reported in just three days
High schoolers visiting Virginia Tech for a summer program fell six feet onto concrete when a utility grate gave way
Extreme heat at Paterson graduations led to 150 treated for heat exhaustion and 16 hospitalized, forcing officials to cut one ceremony short
Video captures a dramatic rescue when an explosion and fire at a Cleveland apartment injured five people
A Phoenix family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging firefighters declined to transport a 2-year-old to the hospital after a seizure
Despite FDA warnings and no U.S. approval, underground brands keep marketing tianeptine products like Zaza and Tianaa, exploiting gaps in supplement oversight
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was hospitalized in Washington, D.C., after an allergic reaction
Responding to threats of a balcony jump, Caldwell first responders used “minor physical force” to handcuff the man, who lost consciousness moments later and could not be revived
Two hikers were struck by lightning near the summit of Torreys Peak, prompting a daring helicopter hoist rescue at 14,200 feet, believed to be the highest in Colorado history
Inspired by his daughter’s experience, Battalion Chief Dave Edwards brought KultureCity’s sensory-inclusive training and tools to Thompson Valley EMS
Key assessment and management techniques for EMS personnel confronting hyperthermia
Explore why START triage remains a go-to system for efficient MCI response and field prioritization
Four children were among nine injured when a drunk driving suspect drove into an outdoor seating area at a busy Fort Myers taco stand
FDNY marine crews rescued passengers from the water and rushed the injured to local hospitals
At least eight people were injured after a man attacked a pro-Israeli hostage rally in Boulder, the FBI is investigating as a terrorist act
A UT Southwestern study of 500K cardiac arrest cases finds survival has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, especially in Black and Hispanic communities
MOST POPULAR
- ‘This is evil': Authorities find multiple improvised explosives inside truck in New Orleans attack
- La. health department, Acadian Health begins pilot program to keep ‘super-utilizers’ out of EDs
- 30 feet to catastrophe: The price of a higher wall — injuries at the U.S.-Mexico border
- Why it’s not just about lights and sirens
- 8 dead, at least 40 injured in Fla. bus crash