Transcript Patient Assessment

Patient Assessment - Before you begin
 Do a scene size-up
– Safety.
 Do a medical size-up
– Call for assistance.
 Start where you stand.
 If Necessary Perform
Triage
– If victims not already
tagged.
 When triage completed
begin assessment.
What We’re Looking For . . .
• Mechanism of Injury
• To provide immediate
treatment for life
threatening injuries
• To make a plan and
treat non-life
threatening injuries
• Signs & Symptoms
– Signs
 Bruising
 Wounds
 Swelling
 Disfigurement
– Symptoms
 Pain
 Dizziness
 Inability to move a
body part.
Make Sure Your Patient has been Triaged
 Look, Listen, & Feel
 RPM
– Respiration
– Perfusion
– Mental Status
Head
• Sign of Injury
 Change in
consciousness
 Bleeding
• Nose, mouth or ears
 Bruising
 Swelling
 Seizures
 Paralysis
 Nausea, Vomiting
Exam of the Head
 Use two hands
– Bilateral Symmetry
 Feel the scalp
 Feel the face
 Check the mouth for
foreign objects
oslacrimale
Neck
• Feel up back of neck
– Find the 7th cervical
vertebrae
– Check alignment
• Check structures in
front of neck
– Trachea
– Veins
– Arteries
Head, Neck & Spine Injuries
• Stabilize the
Head/Neck/Spine
– Keep in a straight
line
– Support the neck
• Neck is the easiest
area to injure
• Transport on a rigid
surface
– Door, plank, etc.
Shoulders
• Compare left and
right
– Same distance from
ground
– Same distance from
head
– Not forward,
backward, higher or
lower than the other
Chest
• Find the sternum
– Find the notch above the
sternum
– Find the point on the
bottom of the sternum
• Press with the edge of
your hand
– In the MIDDLE of the
sternum
– Depress about 1/2”
• Press in from sides
Abdomen
• Divide the abdomen
into 4 quadrants
– Find umbilicus
• Divide vertically and
horizontally from that
point
• Use two hands
– Fingertips
– Top hand presses
down, Lower hand
feels
Pelvis
• Find both iliac crests
• Place palms on the
crests
– Fingers facing out
• Press down
• Then press in from
the sides
Arms & Legs
• Check alignment
and appearance
• Rotate shoulder joint
• Flex elbow joint
• Flex wrist & fingers
Turning Patient - One Rescuer
• The more rescuers the
better
– (6 person turn taught in Class-5)
• Support the head/neck
if able
• Position arms and
legs for turning
• Grasp at shoulder and
hip
– Keep back inline when
turning
Back
• Keep in alignment
• Secondary consideration
– When compared to saving a life