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.
For new EMTs and paramedics there is nothing more important than improving your patient assessment skills; learn and follow these field proven tips
The criminalization of medical errors has added a new layer to reducing harm
Watch as Steve Whitehead shares quick tips for improving stroke care
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) must be prepared to appropriately and cautiously handle these calls
Our co-hosts discuss the pros and cons of using lights and sirens while responding to emergency calls
A review of recent peer-reviewed literature surrounding the efficacy of CPR training programs for EMS providers
Southwest Texas EMS agencies adopt a “time out” for transferring EMS patients to nurses and physicians
Salt Lake City Fire Department investigation finds no difference in the interruption to compressions between video and direct laryngoscopy
An ‘Eagleholic’ learns and shares the latest on resuscitation guidelines, stroke management, community paramedicine, dispatch, quality and patient safety from 2016 Gathering of Eagles
Two adults and four children were found by a relative; a generator was being run in the basement of the home
Hemorrhage control guidelines direct paramedics to use hemostatic gauze but medics are often not formally trained in wound packing
Use these documentation and handoff tips to communicate important patient information to ED and ICU staff unfamiliar with capnography
EMS medical directors discuss innovations and improvements in stroke patient, triage care at Gathering of Eagles
EMS medical directors discuss pediatric and pregnant patient resuscitation, the use of active compression devices and head-elevated CPR at Gathering of Eagles
Learn the signs and symptoms for this significant behavioral emergency and the importance of rapid patient sedation
Anesthesiologists compare mask ventilation adequacy with endotracheal intubation and laryngeal mask airway for pediatric patients
When teaching new EMS skills or reviewing old ones, take advantage of the chance to put them in context and reinforce good clinical decision-making
The growing number of limited English speakers raises the urgency for managers and chiefs to have a solid plan for communicating with them in times of need
The baby boy spent the night in the morgue at about 10 F after he was declared dead
You were asked to respond to a coffee shop for a 22-year-old male with increasing shortness of breath following a coughing fit; did you make the right decision?
You are asked to respond to a coffee shop for shortness of breath
They were reassigned to duties away from patient care and will undergo additional training while an investigation is conducted
Prepare for behavioral emergencies by understanding pathophysiology, personal protection, patient handling and restraint techniques, and the importance of documentation
Two shifts into an EMS career is when paramedic and author Kevin Hazzard witnessed his first patient death
The app aids in the diagnosis of heart problems
Among this month’s best clips were tips on nasopharyngeal airway use and ECG interpretation
