EMT Patient Assessment

EMS Care Chapter 14 | EMT Patient Assessment starts with an introduction to the topic and has presentations on various aspects of  Scene size up and how to go about the primary and secondary assessment. We subsequently explore  in-depth the following lessons:

• Scene Size-up and Safety.
• Primary Assessment.
• Secondary Assessment.

Core Concepts covered :

• Size-up the scene and determine if additional or specialized resources are required.
• Quickly identify and protect oneself from violent or hazardous situations.
• Assess the patient to understand the problem, so appropriate care can be given.

Important Notes

• So, if you only want to take the online course for CME credit, you can pay here.  The fee for online-only does NOT include a skills session nor (re)certification.  You will receive a certificate for CME credit after successful completion of the course.
•  In addition, if you sign up for one of those courses, you will be automatically enrolled in this course. Click here for scheduled courses.
• Finally, to get credit for this course, you must watch all the lessons in their entirety, the course review, and pass the quiz at the end with a score of 75% or better.

An Excerpt from the course on EMT Patient Assessment

Next, assess the breathing to ensure that it is present and is adequate.

Some of the questions to ask yourself are:

• Is the patient breathing?
• In addition, is the patient breathing adequately?
• As well as, is the patient hypoxic?

Based on your assessment, when the breaths are greater than 28 breaths per minute, less than 8 breaths per minute, or too shallow to facilitate adequate air exchange, provide positive pressure ventilation with an airway adjunct.

Also, look out for signs of increased respiratory effort that includes,

• Retractions
• Use of accessory muscles.
• Nasal flaring.
• Two to three-word dyspnea.
• Tripod position.
• Sniffing position.
• Labored breathing.

Respiratory distress is increased effort and rate of breathing, while respiratory failure occurs when the blood is inadequately oxygenated or when the ventilation is inadequate to meet the demands of the body.