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.
A verbal attack can be personal; here’s how to deflect the attack and minimize the damage
New technology is changing how we place electrodes for accurate 12-lead ECGs
Spend time with infants and toddlers to learn and understand normal responses
He fled from a psychiatric hospital as he was being loaded into an ambulance, and was hit by several cars when he ran onto a nearby busy highway
We need to modify our thinking to include serial 12-lead ECGs as part of our reassessment, just like we would reassess vital signs or pain scale
Follow this five-question framework to set the direction for your agency’s future, watch the system, and support vital processes
Pain is one of the primary reasons people call 911; there’s a growing concern in EMS that providers aren’t doing enough to assess, treat and relieve pain
Thom Dick, a paramedic, caregiver and advocate for patients and providers, discusses his more than 40 years in EMS
New Jersey is the only state with a law requiring hospitals to accommodate brain dead patients who belong to a religion that does not accept the diagnosis as a final verdict for death
Triage is a cold and calculating decision; to make the correct decision, you have to subvert a bit of your humanity.
Doctors said her symptoms were stress related, until she returned with a recording of herself describing the numbness and slurred speech as it was happening
The new transport procedure recognizes the negative effects of long spine boards and says a cervical collar without immobilization is now acceptable
Receptionists turned her away when she asked them to call her an ambulance; she dug for her cell phone outside the clinic
The patient had a blood clot, and filed a complaint after the crew stopped for the pair because they were on a dangerous road
The PIC arrived on scene, took one look at my superstar c-spine and started laughing. “Kid,” he said, “You’re gonna make one hell of a medic!”
There is nothing like doing a trauma assessment in heels and heading to your EMT basic graduation late, with bloody knees
You arrive on scene to find staff performing CPR; what are your priorities during this resuscitation?
Read the response and add your own thoughts in the comments
The lawsuit may be a bunch of crapola, but you need to take precautions to make sure it goes away as fast as it comes up
She eventually died from a closed head wound; her husband questions if her life could have been saved had the EMT not determined she was DOA
The $3.1M lawsuit says she suffered brain damage after doctors let hours pass before treating her with clot-busting medication, and instead gave her Ativan
Medics can use a new sensor and app to get ECG data on-the-fly from electrical impulses in patients’ fingertips
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia to affect our health; recognize and treat the symptoms
Her heart rate is rapid, her skin clammy and she’s having trouble breathing — what’s your diagnosis?
He made the 27-year-old walk to the ambulance and his injuries, which included a broken back, 12 broken ribs and brain damage were not discovered until arriving at the hospital
It can be frustrating to follow procedures when you think a patient is faking an illness, but your career is worth it
A race volunteer and EMT in another city rushed over and didn’t feel a pulse; he’s concerned medics didn’t start CPR but they say she did have a pulse
Understanding the difference can sometimes make all the difference
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