Prehospital Emergency Care - Assignment Example

Short Answer Questions: Paramedics Name: University: Course Title: Instructor: Date: 1. Provide your assessment on the benefits and disadvantages between Paramedics using online Medical Control and following set Patient Care Guidelines when attending emergencies According to Brouhard (2012), online medical control can be considered as a form of direct medical communication between medical practitioners and patients especially during emergencies. Usually, online medical control takes place over the telephone, radio, social media or other forms of real time communication. Patients are provided with multi-layered guidelines on appropriate best practice patient health care delivery. Patient flow continuums as well as clinical streams play a crucial role in the process of online medical control (Waikato Health Board, 2004). One of the disadvantages of online medical control is that there is limited time for discussion. Technical complications such as loss of signal during online communication might significantly jeopardize the treatment procedure. In addition, there could be communication and language barrier between the patient and the health care professional which might cause significant complication in the process. Communication and language barrier could also lead to misinterpretation on either side. One of the most significant advantages of online medical treatment is accountability. Secondly this kind of treatment is efficient in situations where medical professional are unable to reach the emergency area in time to provide health care services. Finally, online medical treatment can significantly help individual who would panic and become restless during emergencies before health care professionals reach the scene of emergency. 2. Explain how the Paramedic can assess and control the following hazards: A). Motor vehicles at a road accident In a motor vehicle accident scene, it is crucial to advice the public especially onlookers to provide sufficient space for fire brigades, emergency rescue teams and police to access the scene. This will make it less dangerous for the accident victims as well as the general public. Traffic police officers must be in the scenes as soon as possible in order to control and direct traffic. This is crucial as it would ease the emergency rescue process of motor vehicle accident. For the emergency health care providers, it is of great importance to ensure their own safety by putting on appropriate clothing and protective gear such as gloves (Eckstein, 1998). B). mentally disturbed patient with a knife For safety reasons, paramedics must observe caution and approach the situation carefully. First it is recommended that the paramedic call the police department before initiating any rescue attempt. In the process of waiting for the right service team, the paramedic can manoeuvre his or her way into deescalating the situation at hand with caution. It is important to persuade the patient to put away the knife as taking his or her own life is not a solution to any challenge he or she might be undergoing. The paramedic can also persuade the patient to seek medical assistance in order to feel better (Eckstein, 1998). 3. Explain why every patient should receive a secondary assessment Prompt emergency frequencies play a critical role in secondary assessment of patients and should be embraced by paramedics during the provision of health care services. As a result, before discharging patients it is important to recommend secondary assessment from secondary sources such as a triage nurse. Inefficiencies of paramedics to observe secondary assessment requirements before discharging patients from health institutions can cause significant health-related harm to patients involved. This is where assessment by secondary sources comes in. Studies have indicated that on an average day, paramedics have on several occasion s failed to meet the requirements of patient examination prior to discharge. According to Pointer (2001) for instance, “paramedics using written guidelines fall short of an acceptable level of triage accuracy to determine disposition of patients in the field.” As such, in order to minimize associated risks and sustain patients’ health-related safety, every patient should be entitled to secondary assessment prior to discharge from medical institution. This is important because every patient has a right to comprehensive health care service even after being discharge from health institutions. 4. Why should every patient have more than one set of vital signs taken? What are the key vital signs every patient should have completed and why? Surety and accuracy plays an important role in medical examinations. In order to be able to provide appropriate and accurate medication, the diagnosis undertaken by health care professionals must be accurate. This surety and accuracy in medical examinations can only be achieved through performing more than one set of vital tests to ascertain the signs under investigation. In addition, taking more than one set of vital signs can significantly compensate situations in which non-accessible vital signs can not be achieved. This process can also enhance contemplation of treatment of patients with complex situation. For instance, taking more than one set of vital signs can significantly benefit patients who have victims of severe injury; organ, tissue and cell damage; or even accidents. This is crucial because it will enable paramedics to make appropriate decision regarding further or specialized patient Intel and treatment in a cost effective manner. Some of the most significant or rather key vital signs every patient should have completed include pulse reception, blood pressure, as well as breathing and responses. These vital signs can be accessed in various parts of the human body. The completion of these vital signs is important because the allow paramedic further accessibility to the actual patient condition (Whitehead, 2010). 5. Why would an elderly person with a low blood pressure be considered at risk? Low blood pressure in elderly individuals has significant adverse health related implications. Such individuals can be considered to be at risk because low blood pressure is associated with low immunity. Elderly individuals with low blood pressure are at risk of collapsing and sustaining detrimental injuries to body organs, tissues and cells. According to Boshuizen (1998), ill-health and the death of elderly individuals above the age of 85 is associated with either low or high blood pressures. Low blood pressure and blood cholesterol in elderly persons jeopardizes drug management hence high levels of threat from cardiovascular complications. Studies have indicated that there exists a converse relationship between low blood pressure and impermanence especially with reference to deprived health in elderly persons. Elderly persons with deprived health conditions need round the clock medical examination and attention with regard to medication for controlling their blood pressure absent which their lives can be at risk. It is due to this relationship between low blood pressure and deprived health that elderly persons are considered to be at risk. 6. Explain why an unconscious patient should be placed laterally or have their airway manually controlled by the Paramedic In many cases, an unconscious patient has his or her tongue blocking their airway. As such, paramedics are encouraged to ensure that unconscious patients are laid down laterally. This is primarily because it is easier to manually control the airway of an unconscious patient in such a position. The impediment caused by the tongue in the airway is in most cases as a result of the position of the patient’s head and jaws. The submandibular muscles are responsible for keeping the tongue in its natural position. In the unconscious state of a patient, these muscles are unable to hold the tongue in its natural position and as such the tongue tends to fall towards the back side of the patient’s throat thereby blocking the airway. When the airway is restricted by the backward leaning tongue, the patient may begin snoring. If this situation is not manually controlled by the paramedic in a periodical manner, then the tongue can be a barrier to the whole airway. When this happens, the patient may suffer apnoea, hypoxia, and in extreme cases death. Therefore, by laying an unconscious patient laterally prevents the tongue from blocking the airway and enables the paramedic to manually control the patient’s airway (Campbell, 2006). 7. Explain why CCR is becoming preferred over CPR Heart attack and cardiac arrest are cardiovascular complications with adverse health related implications including sudden death of victims if not appropriately responded to. There is significant difference between heart attack and a cardiac arrest. While a cardiac arrest can be regarded as a sudden detrimental electrical complication in which the heart beat stops all over sudden, a heart attack is plumbing complication resulting from blockage of blood veins. Many have equated cardiac arrest absent urgent resuscitation to sudden death. In a heart attack, when the affected blood vein is not unclogged, the heart muscle dies. There are two methods of responding to heart attack and cardiac arrest: cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR) and Cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR) (DeNoon, 2008). In modern day, cardio cerebral resuscitation also popularly referred to as CCR is increasingly being applied to patients who suffer heart attack or cardiac arrest. Cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR) is increasingly replacing the traditional mouth to mouth artificial respiration of patients who suffer heart attack or cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation also commonly known as the CPR is the traditional mouth to mouth artificial respiration. It is due to efficiency and effectiveness in the resuscitation of heart attack and cardiac arrest patients that cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR) is becoming preferred over the traditional Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (DeNoon, 2008). 8. Explain why paediatric resuscitation (CPR) has a different recommended compression: ventilation ratio to adults. In a research commissioned by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the findings indicated that a compression ventilation ratio outer cardiac compression of 30:2 involving basic resuscitation of a single rescuer CPR was selected for endorsement following an agreement arranged for science and management. This compression ventilation ratio of 30:2 is entirely recommended for babies, kids and adults. On the other hand a compression ventilation ratio of 15:2 completed by two healthcare professionals selected for CPR for babies and young kids especially whenever a gap in the compression ventilation rations deliver breaths 1 and 2. These endorsements have substituted prior compression ventilation ratio of 5:1 for grownup or rather adults, children and infants. Studies conducted by scholars and researchers on statistics regarding the regulation of appropriate compression ventilation ratio with reference to CPR for infants, children and adults are inadequate. The foregoing endorsements are extrapolation of study findings conducted on dummies, animals and computer imitations. These have advanced compression ventilation ratios to potent figures as compared to standardized lower compression ventilation ratios (Healthcare Rescuers, 2006). 9. Explain why a poor patient handover can place a patient at risk Healthcare does not end when a patient is discharged from a medical institution. However, continues beyond this point. It is for this reason that appropriate patient medical handover is paramount. Poor patient medical handover by paramedics can result into serious health related risks. In addition, studies have indicated that medical handover is essential when conducting measurements to determine the level of risk endurance in patient care. Under normal circumstances, poor patient medical handover is organized for patients considered to be safe from health related risk with the objective of realizing improved patient care results. This supports healthcare institutions foster appropriate patient medical handover. The challenges face by healthcare professional as far as patient medical handover is concerned can be attributed to fluctuating configurations of work of healthcare professionals. In addition, patient medical handover are progressive in nature and require indispensable training to be effective. According to Haikerwa (2006), it is the mandate of healthcare professional such as medical superintendents, doctors and nurses to guarantee effective patient medical handover by working composedly. 10. Why would a randomised controlled trial be better than ‘expert opinion’ when developing Paramedic Patient Care guidelines? Paramedics in conjunction with other medical and healthcare practitioners are not only key actors, but also progressive themes in patient care. In the recent past the number of qualified health professionals has grown. Additionally health related programmes also continue to be developed and become available to enhance the delivery of patient care. Governments through innovative enterprises continue to recognize and acknowledge the role of paramedics in the provision of primary healthcare. Despite the foregoing, it is only logical that few difficult contrasts exist between randomised controlled trials and expert opinion when it comes to developing patient care guidelines for paramedics. However, various observational studies have indicated that patients are better place to provide optimistic paramedical reports (Venning, 2000). References Boshuizen, H. C. (1998). helping doctors make better decissions. Blood pressure and mortality in elderly people aged 85 and older: community based study. Brouhard, R. (2012). Online Medical Control. Health's Disease and Conditions. Campbell, J. E. (2006). Alberta Occupational Competency Profile (AOCP). Airway Management Module, 9-15. DeNoon, D. J. (2008). Forget CPR, Give CCR Instead. Adults Who Collapse Need Chest Compression, Not Mouth-to-Mouth, 1-2. Department of health. (2005). Clinical Services Framework. model of care overview and guidelines , 23-27. Eckstein, M. D. S. (1998). Prehospital Emergency Care. Needle thoracostomy in the prehospital setting, 132-135 . Pointer, J. E. (2001). Annals of Emergency Medicine. Can paramedics using guidelines accurately triage patients?, 268-277. Venning, P. (2000). helping doctors make better decissions. Randomised controlled trial comparing cost effectiveness of general practitioners and nurse practitioners in primary care. Whitehead, S. (2010, May 22). The Ultimate EMT Guide to Vital Signs. Retrieved from www.theemtspot.com: http://theemtspot.com/2010/05/22/the-ultimate-emt-guide-to- vital-signs/ Read More