Question

You are in the student center in line at the bookstore. You hear someone yelling for help toward the back of the bookstore. You are the first to respond and the person who called for help witnessed the victim collapse. How would you use the following steps when assessing the person? Steps: 1. Perform a primary check 2. Perform a physical exam also known as a head to toe exam 3. Obtain the persons samples history

Answer 1

1. primary check mainly includes the check for environment and the patients response.

a. check for any danger around you, and try to rouse the casualty by giving their shoulders a hard shake and shouting 'can you hear me?'

b. if you get no response, then simply tilt their head back to help clear their airway. this might be enough to start them breathing. put your face near their cheek to see if you can hear or feel breath, and look along their chest to see if it is rising and falling.

c. if they are not breathing, then quickly call for help (ask someone else to) and start CPR; cardiopulmonary resuscitation. use both hands- one on top of the other- to push down firmly in the center of their chest, about 5-6 cm with each push. it's quite a big push, so if you get right over them so that your arms are straight and you can use your own body weight that will help. push down twice a second and keep going until help arrives- swap over with other people if you can to keep yourself from getting too tired.

d. if someone can bring you a defibrillator, or AED, then don't be afraid to use it.

2. Physical examination

general appearance- body built, look, grooming

mental status- level of consciousness, orientation if he is responding.

vital signs - temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure

head - size, shape, symmetry, contour, hair      skin

face, eyes, ears, nose throat, chest- inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, abdomen- inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation., genitalia and extremities both upper and lower. spine and back

reflexes and sensation are also included.

3. blood sample

for emergency blood sugar level using glucometer, complete blood routine examination, serum electrolyte level especially, sodium, pottasium, calcium. cardiac markers such as troponin I and CK- MB