Chapter 43 - Emergency preparedness and first Aid. After completing Chapter 43, you will be able to: Discuss the importance of first aid during a medical emergency, describe the purpose of the emergency medical services system and explain how to contact it, list items found on a crash cart or first-aid tray, list general guidelines to follow in emergencies.
CHAPTER 43 Emergency Preparedness and First Aid © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 432 Learning Outcomes 43.1 Discuss the importance of first aid during a medical emergency 43.2 Describe the purpose of the emergency medical services (EMS) system and explain how to contact it 43.3 List items found on a crash cart or first-aid tray 43.4 List general guidelines to follow in emergencies © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 433 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 43.5 Compare various degrees of burns and their treatments 43.6 Demonstrate how to help a choking victim 43.7 Demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 43.8 Demonstrate four ways to control bleeding 43.9 List the symptoms of heart attack, shock, and stroke © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 434 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 43.10 Explain how to calm a patient who is under extreme stress 43.11 Discuss ways to educate patients about ways to prevent and respond to emergencies 43.12 Describe your role in responding to natural disasters and those caused by humans © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 435 Introduction • Emergencies – Acute illnesses – Acute injuries – Phone calls from patients with urgent problems – Disasters The medical assistant must be prepared to determine the urgency of and handle any emergencies that arise © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 436 Understanding Medical Emergencies • Any situation in which a person becomes ill or sustains an injury requiring immediate care • Prompt action may prevent disability or death • Can occur within or outside the healthcare setting © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 437 Understanding Medical Emergencies • Quick response using first aid is vital • First aid can – – – – Save a life Reduce pain Prevent further injury Reduce risk of permanent disability – Increase the chance of early recovery • Patient education – First aid – Proper way to respond in an emergency © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 438 Apply Your Knowledge Why is it important to perform first aid in a medical emergency? ANSWER: First aid can: Save a life Prevent further injury Reduce pain Reduce risk of permanent disability Increase the chance of early recovery © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 439 Preparing the Office for Emergencies • Establish roles • Post emergency telephone numbers – – – – • EMS if different than 911 – Women’s shelter Fire – Rape hotline Police – Drug and alcohol center Poison control Crash cart – rolling cart with emergency supplies and equipment © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4310 Preparing the Office (cont.) • Provide information to EMS – – – – – – Your name and location Nature of the emergency Number of people needing help Condition of the injured or ill patient(s) Summary of the first aid already given Directions to your location Do not hang up until the dispatcher gives you permission to so © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4348 Disasters • Be familiar with standard protocols for responding to disasters • Participate in fire or other disaster drills to familiarize yourself with emergency procedures • Triage –victims are tagged to classify the victim –Emergent – needing immediate care –Urgent – needing care within several hours –Nonurgent –needing care when time is not critical, or dead © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4349 Disasters (cont.) • Evacuation plans – maps of facility with escape routes • Shelter-in-place plans –interior room with few/no windows • Plans – Communication during and after emergency – Training in procedures and employee roles – Means of alerting employees © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4350 Disasters (cont.) • Weather-related – Community command post – Accept assignments appropriate to abilities – Document carefully • Office fires – – – – Activate alarm system Fire extinguisher Turn off oxygen Close windows and doors – Evacuate © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4351 Disasters (cont.) • Bioterrorist attack – Be alert for an increased incidence of disease – Take isolation precautions – Use Standard Precautions – Inform local health departments • Chemical emergency – Use PPE – Identify the chemical; report to local authorities – Assist with decontamination – Monitor patient – Document patient care – Arrange for patient transport © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4352 Disasters (cont.) • Mass casualties – Assess safety – Report to community command post – Triage – Provide first aid – Document care © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4353 Bioterrorism • Intentional release of a biologic agent with the intent to harm individuals • Biologic agent = weapon –Easy to disseminate –High potential for mortality –Cause public panic or social disruption –Requires public health preparedness © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4354 Bioterrorism (cont.) • Physician’s offices are the front lines –Individual cases –Common trends in syndromes/unusual patterns • Notify local public health department of suspected cases • Follow state and national guidelines © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4355 Apply Your Knowledge What are the categories for triaging patients? ANSWER: They are: emergent – needing immediate care; urgent – needing care within several hours; nonurgent – needing care when time is not critical, or dead What criteria does a biologic agent have to meet to be a biological weapon? ANSWER: It must be easy to disseminate, have a high potential for mortality, cause public panic, and require public health preparedness © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4356 In Summary 43.1 Prompt and appropriate first aid can safe a life, reduce pain, prevent further injury, reduce the risk of permanent disability, and increase the chance of early recovery 43.2 An EMS system is a network of qualified emergency services personnel who use community resources and equipment to provide emergency care to victims of injury or sudden illness In most parts of the country, the EMS system number is 911 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4357 In Summary (cont.) 43.3 The crash cart should include all appropriate drugs, supplies, and equipment needed for emergencies These include but are not limited to activated charcoal, atropine, dextrose 50%, epinephrine, lactated Ringer’s solution, nitroglycerin tablets, and sodium bicarbonate 43.4 When faced with an emergency, a medical assistant should first assess the surroundings to determine if the area is safe If the area is safe, the medical assistant should don appropriate PPE and an initial assessment of the patient © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4358 In Summary (cont.) 43.5 The severity of a burn is determined by the depth and extent of the burn area, the source of the burn, the age of the patient, the body regions burned, and other patient illnesses and injuries The depth and extent of the burn determines the type of treatment 43.6 The goal of rendering first aid to a choking victim is to restore an open airway This is accomplished by providing abdominal thrusts or chest thrusts until the object is expelled © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4359 In Summary (cont.) 43.7 The essential steps of CPR include opening the airway, giving breaths of about second each, delivering 30 chest compressions, hard and fast, following by breaths, continuing until the patient recovers, help arrives, or you are too exhausted to continue 43.8 Severe bleeding may be controlled by applying direct pressure to the wound, applying pressure over the nearest pressure point, elevating the injured body part, or, as a last resort only, applying a tourniquet © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4360 In Summary (cont.) 43.9 The symptoms of heart attack include chest pain, pain in the left arm, or pain in the neck and jaw, pallor, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and vomiting The symptoms of shock include restlessness, irritability, fear, rapid pulse, and increased respiratory rate The symptoms of stroke include headache, confusion, dizziness, speech difficulties, weakness of the limbs or paralysis on one side of the body, and loss of consciousness 43.10 A medical assistant can help calm a patient by listening carefully and giving her or his full attention © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4361 In Summary (cont.) 43.11 Medical assistants should educate patients about ways to prevent and handle various medical emergencies by providing brief, easy-to-read handouts containing local emergency contact numbers and a first-aid kit checklist The handouts should be prepared in multiple languages if the practice provides care for non-English-speaking patients 43.12 During a disaster, a medical assistant’s first-aid and CPR training will be of enormous help A medical assistant must also be familiar with standard protocols for responding to disasters © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 4362 End of Chapter 43 In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of medical science ~ Martin H. Fischer © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... cart – rolling cart with emergency supplies and equipment © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 43 10 Preparing the Office (cont.) • Provide information to EMS – – – – – – Your... Companies, Inc All rights reserved 43 17 Accidental Injuries • Injuries requiring emergency treatment – – – – – – Bites and stings Burns Choking Ear and eye traumas Falls and fractures Head injuries... reserved 43 9 Preparing the Office for Emergencies • Establish roles • Post emergency telephone numbers – – – – • EMS if different than 911 – Women’s shelter Fire – Rape hotline Police – Drug and