Medical Emergencies

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Medical Emergencies

• EMT 100

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Heart Attack Myocardial Infarction
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Atherosclerosis plaque buildup thrombosis
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Signs Symptoms

• Chest pain
• Constant pressure
• May radiate
• Signs of shock
• Denial
• Feeling of impending doom

• Angina Pectoris
• Signs symptoms without permanent damage to
  myocardium
• practice heart attack
• Signs symptoms usually start to improve after a
  few minutes of rest
• If in doubt, consider it a heart attack

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Treatment

• Have patient rest
• Sitting position
• Loosen clothing around neck
• Pain meds
• ACTIVATE EMS!

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Stroke Brain Attack

• Atherosclerosis is again the major cause!

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• Vessel(s) become occluded due to plaque buildup
  or thrombosis
• Or, brittle vessels rupture

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Signs Symptoms(like a head injury)
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Treatment

• If conscious and good airway control
• Rest in a sitting position
• Reassure
• Activate EMS

• If unconscious or poor airway
• Recovery position with weak/paralyzed side down
• Reassure
• Activate EMS

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Diabetes poor utilization/regulation of blood
sugar (glucose)

• Problem is with insulin utilization and production

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Complications high blood sugar(Diabetic Coma)

• Too much carbohydrate intake or not enough
  insulin and/or other meds
• Develops gradually
• May be how patient is initially diagnosed

Maintain ABCs and activate EMS
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Complications low blood sugar(Insulin Shock)

• Too much insulin/other meds or too little
  carbohydrate intake
• Develops very rapidly
• Can be very damaging to brain cells

If conscious, give sugar Unconscious-ABCs and EMS
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Asthma transient inflammation of the airways

• Often triggered by allergy
• Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Coughing

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Treatment

• Have patient sit up and rest
• Get patients meds
• If not responding, activate EMS

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Hyperventilation exhaling too much CO2

• May be caused by physical or emotional stress
• Patient complains of
• Inability to catch breath
• Tightness in chest
• Tingly sensation in hands and feet
• Lightheaded/dizzy
• May lose consciousness

• Have patient slow breathing by coaching them
• Medical direction may have them rebreathe
• May need EMS

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Grand Mal Seizures (Tonic-Clonic)

• Head injury
• Stroke
• Brain lesion
• Infection
• High temperature (febrile)
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Hypoglycemia
• Sleep deprivation
• Hypoxia
• Epileptogenic tissue (Epilepsy)

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Grand Mal Seizure Phases
Tonic Clonic Postictal - dazed and confused -
incontinence - N V
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Treatment during seizure

• Tonic phase
• Help down if possible
• Nothing else! Do not force anything in patients
  mouth!
• Clonic phase
• If jerking not too severe, place patient on side
• Prevent injury move objects or pad the area
• Never try to restrain the movements!
• Postictal
• ABCs
• Reassure
• EMS if clonic goes back to tonic

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Drug OD

• Maintain ABCs
• Activate EMS
• Watch your back!

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Communicable (Infectious) Diseases

• Diseases caused by microbes, ie bacteria,
  viruses, parasites, fungus, etc

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Transmission Direct Contact

• Body fluids

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Transmission Indirect Contact

• People or objects who come in contact with
  microbe and then spread it to others

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Transmission Droplets (Airborne)

• Coughs, Sneezes, etc

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Prevention and Protection

• Frequent handwashing
• Barriers
• Gloves
• Mask
• Eyewear
• Gowns
• Dont reuse anything between patients without
  cleaning or replacing

• Maintain your own health
• Rest
• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Immunizations!

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Lets hit the lab!