HLTH – 1306

Test I Ch 1-4 Study Guide

Chapter 1:

What are the values of first aid?

a. Value to self

b. Value to others

c. Value in remote areas

What is first aid?

- Immediate Care

How does a person minimize the risk of lawsuit when giving first aid?

- Getting permission, or “consent” from the victim

Expressed consent:

- Actual visible consent given by an alert, mentally competent victim

o Handshake, verbal agreement, etc.

Implied consent:

- Involves an unresponsive victim with a life-threatening condition

- It is assumed (implied) that they would consent if alert

Children and mentally incompetent adults:

- Consent must be obtained from the parent or guardian of the victim

o If parent or guardian is unavailable, do not withhold first aid in order to

obtain the consent; first aid should be given based on implied consent.

o With mentally ill, only police officers are allowed to restrain or transport

a person against that person’s will

  First aiders should not intervene unless directed by an officer

Abandonment:

- CH. 1 slides

- Pg. 7

Negligence: (four components)

- Having a duty to act

- Breaching that duty

- Causing injury and damages

- Exceeding your level of training

Duty to act:

- When employment requires it

- When on duty (and sometimes when off)

- When a preexisting responsibility exists

o Parent for child

o Driver for passenger

Breach of duty:

- When first aider fails to provide the type of care that would be given by a person

with the same or similar training

- Act of omission:

o Failure to do that of someone with same/similar training

- Act of commission:

o Doing something that someone with same/similar training would not do

Confidentiality:

- As a first aider, may learn confidential information about victim

- Use extreme caution about revealing information learned

Good Samaritan Law:

- Encourage people to assist others in distress by granting them immunity against

lawsuits

- Applies when rescuer is:

o Acting during an emergency

o Acting in good faith

o Acting without payment

o Not guilty of misconduct or negligence

Chapter 2

Why are ordinary bystanders less likely to offer emergency help?

- Lack of knowledge

- Confusion about what is an emergency

- Characteristics of the emergency

o Blood, vomitus, or just stench

What should be done in an emergency?

1. Recognize the emergency

2. Decide to help

3. Call 911, if EMS is needed

4. Check the victim

5. Give first aid

What are four factors to recognize the emergency?

- Severity

- Physical distance

- Relationship

- Time exposed

- Pg. 12

What does a person need to do to develop an attitude to decide to help in an emergency?

- Decide to help before ever encountering an emergency

What are the reasons people do not offer help?

- It could be harmful

- Helping doesn’t matter

- Obstacles may prevent helping

What are the four questions to ask if you are unsure about calling 911?

-[if answer is “yes” to any of these questions, or you are unsure, call 911]-

- Is the victim’s condition life threatening?

- Could the condition get worse and become life threatening on the way to the

hospital?

- Does the victim need the skills or equipment of the EMS?

- Could the distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting the victim to the

hospital?

What conditions require immediate transportation to an emergency room?

- Pg. 14 (left column; middle)

What are the advantages of calling 911 over driving a victim to the emergency room?

- Pg. 14 (left column; bottom)

What information will be needed when calling 911?

1. The victims location

2. The phone number you are calling from and your name

3. What happened

4. Number of persons needing help and any specific conditions

5. Victims condition

What are the three things of the 10 second scene size up?

- Hazards that could be dangerous to you, the victim(s), or bystanders

- Cause of the injury or illness

- Number of victims

Disease precautions:

- Infectious disease: (communicable diseases)

o Can be transmitted from one person to another

o Transmission can be minimized with proper precautions

- Universal precautions:

o Advise you to assume that all blood and certain body fluids pose a risk

for transmission of infectious diseases

o Designed to prevent first aiders from coming into direct contact with

infectious agents
- Body substance isolations:

o Techniques to provide additional protection

o Infectious diseases can spread through:

 Blood or fluid splash

 Surface contamination

 Lack of or improper handwashing

- Proper hand washing procedure:

1. Us soap and warm water, if possible

2. Rub hands together for 15-20 seconds; wash all surfaces and under nails

3. Rinse soap from hands

4. Dry hands completely with clean towel or air dry

- Personal protective equipment: Pg. 17-19

o Medical exam gloves, mouth-to-mouth barrier device, eye protection, and

gowns

o Provides barrier between infectious disease and first aider

- Blood borne diseases: HIV, Hepatitis B virus

o Pg. 19

- Air borne disease: tuberculosis, SARS

o Pg. 20
What are the stages of grieving?

- Denial

- Anger

- Bargaining

- Depression

- Acceptance

How do you deal with:

- A dying victim:

o Avoid negative statements

o Assure the victim you will locate family

o Allow for some home

o Use a gentle tone of voice

o Let the victim know that everything that can be done to help will be done

- Survivors:

o Allow survivors to grieve

o Provide simple, honest, clear information

o Offer support and comfort through your words and presence

o Use a gentle tone of voice

Chapter 3:

What three body systems do most life threatening injuries and illnesses affect?

- Respiratory, circulatory and nervous

What organs are involved in most life threatening injuries and illnesses?

- Lungs, heart, brain and spinal cord

Chart or respiratory system on Pg. 25

What are normal respiration rate ranges for various age groups?

- Table 3-1 on Pg. 26

What are the mechanics of breathing?

- First page of Ch. 3 PPT

What are the signs of inadequate breathings (four)?

- A rate of breathing outside the normal range (table 3-1)

- Cool or clammy skin that is pale or cyanotic (blue-gray)

- Nasal flaring, especially in children

- An uncorrected respiratory problem in children and infants

Chart of circulatory system:

- Fig. 3-2 and 3-3 on Pg. 27

Pulse:

- Surge of blood given by heart beat

- Can be felt at any point where artery lies close to surface of body

- Major locations:

o Carotid, femoral, radial, brachial, posterior tibial, dorsalis pedis arteries

Blood pressure:

- Hypotension: (low BP)

o If blood does not fill the system

- Hypertension: (high BP)

o When the arterial walls have become hard and cannot expand readily
Blood:

- Pg. 29

Hemorrhage:

- A large amount of blood loss in a short amount of time

Perfusion:

- The circulation of blood through an organ or a structure

Hypoperfusion: (shock)

- The inadequate circulation of blood through an organ or a structure

What is shock and what are the signs and symptoms of shock?

- Hypoperfusion

- Signs/symptoms:

o Pale or cyanotic (bluish), cool, clammy skin

o Rapid pulse

o Rapid breathing

o Restlessness, anxiety, or mental dullness

o Nausea and vomiting

o Reductions in total blood volume

o Low or decreasing blood pressure

o Subnormal body temperature

Chart of CNS and PNS on Pg. 30 and 31

Chapter 4:

What are the components of the scene size up?

- Determines safety of the scene

- Cause of injury or nature of illness

- Number of victims

What are the steps of the initial check?

- Determine if victim is responsive

- Ensure that the victim’s airway is open

- Determine if victim is breathing

- Check for any obvious, severe bleeding

What is the AVPU Scale?

- Describes how responsive the victim is

What are the levels of responsiveness and what does each mean?

- Table 4-1 on Pg. 43

What are the ABCs of first aid?

- Check for:

o Airway

o Breathing

o Circulation
What are the breath sounds and what are the possible causes of each?

- Table 4-2 Pg. 45

What can the victim’s skin color indicate?

- Table 4-3 Pg. 47

What are the skin temperatures/moisture levels an what are possible causes of each?

- Table 4-4 Pg. 47

What are the significant causes of injury?

- Table 4-5 Pg. 48

Signs:

- Victim’s conditions you can see, feel, hear, or smell

Symptoms:

- Things the victim feels and is able to describe

- Known as the chief complaint

DOTS:

- Deformity

- Open wounds

- Tenderness

- Swelling

Medical identification tags:

- Pg. 52
Triage:

- Process of prioritizing multiple victims:

o Immediate care

o Urgent care

o Delayed care

o Dead

What information is included in SAMPLE history?

- Ch. 4 PPT

What are the classifications of victims according to care and transportation priorities?

- Same as process of prioritizing multiple victims

What are the advantages of the left-side position? (recovery position)

- Keeps airway open

- Delays vomiting

- Delays poison’s effects

- Relieves pressure on a pregnant woman’s vena cava