Chapter 12 - Emergency preparedness and first aid. After studying this chapter you will be able to: Discuss the importance of first aid during a medical emergency, identify items found on a crash cart, recognize various accidental emergencies and how to deal with them, list common illnesses that can result in medical emergencies, identify less common illnesses that can result in medical emergencies.
CHAPTER 12 Emergency Preparedness and First Aid © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 122 Learning Outcomes 12.1 Discuss the importance of first aid during a medical emergency 12.2 Describe the purpose of the emergency medical services (EMS) system and explain how to contact it 12.3 List items found on a crash cart or first-aid tray 12.4 List general guidelines to follow in emergencies © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 123 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 12.5 Compare various degrees of burns and their treatments 12.6 Demonstrate how to help a choking victim 12.7 Demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 12.8 Demonstrate four ways to control bleeding 12.9 List the symptoms of heart attack, shock, and stroke © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 124 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 12.10 Explain how to calm a patient who is under extreme stress 12.11 Discuss ways to educate patients about ways to prevent and respond to emergencies 12.12 Describe your role in responding to natural disasters and those caused by humans © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 125 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 126 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 127 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 128 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 129 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 1210 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 1248 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 1249 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 1250 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 1251 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 1252 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 1253 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 1254 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 1255 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 1256 In Summary 12.1 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 12.2 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 1257 In Summary (cont.) 12.3 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 12.4 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 1258 In Summary (cont.) 12.5 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 12.6 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 1259 In Summary (cont.) 12.7 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 12.8 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 1260 In Summary (cont.) 12.9 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 12.10 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 1261 In Summary (cont.) 12.11 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 12.12 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 1262 End of Chapter 12 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 ... reserved 12 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... cart – rolling cart with emergency supplies and equipment © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 12 10 Preparing the Office (cont.) • Provide information to EMS – – – – – – Your... 12 7 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 –