Patient assessment and management procedures

Paramedic assessment

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As an emergency care provider, you treat patients who are seriously ill or injured, and you are often the highest trained professional on the scene. You must size up the scene; take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of yourself, your crew, and the patient; assess the condition of the patient; and take the appropriate corrective measures quickly and efficiently. An accurate patient assessment is one of the most important skills you will perform. With precious few minutes to waste, an accurate and thorough assessment can save your patient’s life. Remember that patient assessment begins when you receive the call from dispatch. You should begin to analyze the dispatch information as you are en route to the scene.

Resource: Principles of ALS care, AAOS

Words and phrases list:

assessment n.
        /əsesmənt/                The patient assessment includes the medical history, physical examination,
                                        laboratory test etc.
                                        V.: assess  [əˈsɛs] 
                                        syn.: evaluation /ɪˌvælyuˈeɪʃən/
                                                size up                    
                                        An accurate patient assessment one of the most important skills you will 
                                        preform.
                                        You should preform the evaluation in more detail.
                                        A correct assessment can save the patient's life.
                                        Assess all details before you determin over the diagnosis.
                                        At first you must size up the scene.
                                        Size up the scene and report to the control room how many injured has been
                                        found.
emergency care 
provider n.                       A person who works for the emergency services. /e. g. Paramedics/
                                        The victim has been resuscitated by the emergency care providers.
                                        What is your future goals as an emergency care provider?
seriously ill, injured n.
 /ˈsɪəriəsli/                        The patient has such an dangerous disease which can cause the patient's death.

Seriously injured

                                        Load, go and treat the seriously injured.
                                        Does he seem like an seriously ill?
                                        John has suffered a car crash and has become a seriously 
                                        injured.
                                        Martha was seriously ill but she has recovered.
safety n.  
/ˈseɪftɪ /                             The condition of being safe; freedom fom danger, risk or 
                                         injury
                                         Safe [seɪf] adj
                                         Take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of yourself, 
                                         your crew, and the patient.
                                         If the scene isn't safe, ask help from the dispatch!
                                         The safety is the most relevant on an dangerous scene.
crew n.                                 
/kruː/                                  A group of people working together.
                                          The ambulance crew are going to finish the work at 7.00 p.m.
                                          The crew have assessed the patient and transported him into the hospital.
                                          The capitain was thrown in the sea by the ship's crew.
condition n.
[kəndish′ən]                        The current health situation of the patient.
                                           Assess the condition of the patient.
                                           I can't treat this condition on the scene, because it requries advanced
                                           equipment.
                                           The diagnosis has considered and he has started treating the condition.
                                           What's his condition? - He's drunk.
corrective measure col.
/kərektɪv   meʒər/                 To do something that prevent the condition's progression.

                                            Take the appropriate corrective measures quickly and efficiently.
                                            The corrective measures don't help in this situation, because the patient's
                                            conditions are far gone.
                                            Which corrective measure would you apply?
Preciuos few minutes
/preʃəs/                                 Valueable period of time.
                                             With precious few minutes to waste, an accurate and thorough assessment
                                             can save your patient’s life.
                                             Don't waste precious few minutes with an seriouly injured on the scene.
                                             In this precious few minutes we can talk to each other.
                                             The soldiers have spent a precious few minutes with their family.
thorough  adj.                      
 /ˈθʌrə/                                  Very careful; attending to every details.
                                             thoroughly adv.
                                             Read the above text thoroughly.
                                             The patient was examined thoroughly.
                                             With a thorough research you can avoid making mistakes.
                                             This study was not enough thorough.
dispatch center n.                      

/dɪspætʃ/                               The place where the emergency calls are responded.

Dispatch room

                                             Dispatcher n. who work in a dispatch
                                             center.
                                             The dispatcher is a patient person.
                                             The dispatch center is far away from
                                             our town.
                                             To lead a dispatch center is a great
                                             challange.
en route  adv.                       
 /ɒn ˈruːt/                               on or along the way.
                                             You should begin to analyze the
                                             dispatch information as you are en route to the scene.
                                             I was being en route to home when I heard a strange noise.
                                             We have been en route when the patient collapsed.
                                                

Practice

1. Fill the gaps
As an                               , you treat patients who are                                , and you are often the highest trained professional on the scene. You must                the scene; take appropriate steps to ensure the                 of yourself, your         , and the patient; assess the                  of the patient; and take the appropriate                   quickly and efficiently. An accurate patient                      is one of the most important skills you will perform. With                few minutes to waste, an accurate and                       assessment can save your patient’s life. Remember that patient assessment begins when you receive the call from                . You should begin to analyze the dispatch information as you are                 to the scene.


2. Copmlete the dialogues.
    (crew, seriously ill, en route, assessing, thoroughly)
- What is the paramedic doing at first on the scene. - He is                    the patient's condition.
- Have you heard what happend with Thomas? Yes, I have. He has been                     in a hospital.
- How can I avoid making mistakes? Learn                      .
- I wouldn't  like to work wih my new                      anymore  - Why? - He don't help me to lift the patient.
- How many times does it take to reach the scene? We're                    about 5 minutes.


3. Test yourself. Cover the glossary meanings and look at word. What are the meaning? Try to create sentences with the new words.  


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