EMT 2050 - Medical Emergencies

1. List the structures and functions of the upper and lower airways, lungs, and accessory structures of the respiratory system.
2. Explain the physiology of respiration and list the signs of normal breathing. 
3. Discuss the pathophysiology of respiration and provide examples of the common signs and symptoms a patient with inadequate breathing may present with in an emergency situation.
4. Explain the special patient assessment and care considerations that are required for geriatric patients who are experiencing respiratory distress. 
5. Describe the various respiratory conditions that cause dyspnea, including their causes, assessment findings and symptoms, complications, and specific prehospital management and transport decisions. 
6. List and review the characteristics of infectious diseases that are frequently associated with dyspnea. 
7. Describe the assessment of a patient who is in respiratory distress and the relationship of the assessment findings to patient management and transport decisions. 
8. List and define five different types of adventitious breath sounds, their signs and symptoms, and the disease process associated with each one. 
9. Describe the primary emergency medical care of a person who is in respiratory distress.
10. State the generic name, medication forms, dose, administration, indications, actions, and contraindications for medications that are administered via metered-dose inhalers and small-volume nebulizers. 
11. Discuss some epidemic and pandemic considerations related to the spread of influenza type A and strategies AEMTs should employ to protect themselves from infection during a possible crisis situation. 
12. Explain the special patient assessment and care considerations that are required for pediatric patients who are experiencing respiratory distress. 
13. Understand the basic anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system. 
14. Discuss the regulation of heart function. 
15. Describe the cardiac cycle, including the concepts of afterload, stroke volume, and cardiac output. 
16. Describe the pathophysiology of angina pectoris, thromboembolism, and myocardial infarction. 
17. List the dangerous arrhythmias that may follow a myocardial infarction. 
18. Discuss the pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock and its signs, symptoms, and treatment.
19. Discuss the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure and its signs, symptoms, and treatment.
20. Discuss the pathophysiology of pulmonary edema. 
21. Understand the pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and management of hypertensive emergencies.
22. Describe the pathophysiology, assessment, and management of aortic aneurysm/dissection.
23. Understand the relationship between airway management and the patient with cardiac compromise. 
24. Explain patient assessment procedures for cardiovascular problems. 
25. Discuss emergency medical care for cardiovascular emergencies, including angina pectoris, thromboembolism, and myocardial infarction. 
26. Give the indications and contraindications for the use of nitroglycerin. 
27. Recognize that many patients will have had cardiac surgery and may have implanted pacemakers. 
28. Define “cardiac arrest.” 
29. Give the indications and contraindications for use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). 
30. Explain the relationship of age and weight to defibrillation. 
31. Discuss the different types of AEDs. 
32. Give the advantages of using AEDs. 
33. Describe the difference between the fully automated and the semiautomated defibrillator. 
34. Explain the use of remote, adhesive defibrillator pads.
35. Recognize that not all patients in cardiac arrest need to be attached to an AED. 
36. Explain the circumstances that may result in inappropriate shocks from an AED. 
37. Explain the reason not to touch the patient, such as by delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, while the AED is analyzing the heart rhythm and delivering shocks.
38. Understand the reasons for early defibrillation. 
39. Describe AED maintenance procedures. 
40. Explain the role played by medical direction in the use of AEDs.
41. Understand the importance of practice and continuing education with the AED. 
42. Explain the need for a case review of each incident in which an AED is used. 
43. Understand quality improvement goals relating to AEDs. 
44. Discuss the procedures to follow for standard operation of the various types of AEDs.
45. Describe the emergency medical care for the patient with cardiac arrest. 
46. Describe the components of care following AED shocks. 
47. Explain criteria for transport of the patient for advanced life support (ALS) following CPR and defibrillation.
48. Discuss the importance of coordinating with advanced life support (ALS) personnel.
49. Discuss the anatomy and physiology of the brain and spinal cord. 
50. Discuss the different types of headaches, the possible causes of each, and how to distinguish a harmless headache from a potentially life-threatening condition. 
51. List the various ways blood flow to the brain may be interrupted and cause a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). 
52. Discuss the causes of ischemic strokes, hemorrhagic strokes, and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and their similarities and differences. 
53. Describe the dangers associated with increased intracranial pressure (ICP), and the processes that occur in the brain with increased ICP. 
54. List the general signs and symptoms of stroke, and identify those symptoms that manifest if the left hemisphere of the brain is affected, if the right hemisphere of the brain is affected, and if there is bleeding in the brain. 
55. Discuss three conditions with symptoms that mimic stroke and the assessment techniques the AEMT may use to identify them. 
56. Define a generalized seizure, partial seizure, and status epilepticus, including their effects on a patient and how they differ from each other. 
57. Describe the different phases of a seizure. 
58. List the different types of seizures and their possible causes.
59. Explain why it is important for the AEMT to recognize when a seizure is occurring or whether one has already occurred in a patient and to identify other problems that may be associated with the seizure.
60. Describe the postictal state and the specific patient care interventions that may be necessary to assist the patient. 
61. Define altered mental status, its various possible causes, and the patient assessment considerations that apply to each. 
62. Discuss the special considerations required for pediatric patients who exhibit altered mental status. 
63. Discuss scene safety considerations when responding to a patient with a neurologic emergency.
64. Describe the steps involved in performing a primary assessment of a patient who is experiencing a neurologic emergency and the necessary interventions that may be required to address all life threats. 
65. Describe the process of history taking for a patient who is experiencing a neurologic emergency, and explain how this process varies depending on the nature of the patient’s illness. 
66. Discuss how to use a stroke assessment tool to identify a stroke patient rapidly, giving examples of two commonly used tools. 
67. List the key information an AEMT must obtain and document for a stroke patient during assessment and reassessment. 
68. Explain why a patient who is suspected of having a stroke is placed on stroke alert and requires treatment within the first 3 to 6 hours after the stroke begins. 
69. Discuss special considerations for geriatric patients who are experiencing a neurologic emergency. 
70. Describe the management, treatment, and transport of patients who are experiencing headaches, stroke, seizure, and altered mental status. 
71. Understand the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal system. 
72. Define the term acute abdomen. 
73. Explain the concept of referred pain. 
74. Understand that abdominal pain can arise from other body systems. 
75. Discuss the various potential causes of acute abdomen, including diverticulitis, cholecystitis, appendicitis, perforated gastric ulcer, aortic aneurysm, hernia, cystitis, kidney infection, renal calculi (kidney stone), pancreatitis, urinary tract infection (UTI), and, in women, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammation. 
76. Define peritonitis and list its potential signs and symptoms. 
77. Describe the assessment process for patients with acute abdomen. 
78. Discuss general management of a patient with acute abdomen. 
79. Describe the procedures to follow in managing a patient with shock associated with abdominal emergencies. 
80. Understand the anatomy and physiology of the renal system. 
81. Discuss the various types of urologic pathophysiology, including UTIs, kidney stones, acute renal failure, and chronic renal failure. 
82. Explain the purpose of renal dialysis. 
83. Describe potential complications of dialysis or a missed dialysis treatment. 
84. Describe the assessment process for patients with urologic emergencies. 
85. Discuss general management of a patient with a urologic emergency. 
86. Discuss assessment and management of specific urologic emergencies, including UTIs, kidney stones, acute renal failure, and chronic renal failure. 
87. Describe the purpose of the immune system. 
88. Discuss the process that begins when a foreign substance is detected in the body (primary response). 
89. Explain the role of basophils and mast cells in the immune response process. 
90. Explain the roles of the chemical mediators, histamines and leukotrienes, in the immune response process. 
91. Describe the process that occurs when the body undergoes a secondary response. 
92. Understand and define the terms allergic reaction and anaphylaxis. 
93. Explain the difference between local and systemic responses to allergens. 
94. List and compare the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction with those of anaphylaxis.
95. Describe the assessment process for a patient with an allergic reaction. 
96. Explain the importance of managing the ABCs of a patient who is having an allergic reaction.
97. Review the process for providing emergency medical care to a patient who is experiencing an allergic reaction. 
98. List the types of insect stings that may cause an allergic reaction, and describe specific treatment of patients with such stings. 
99. Explain the factors involved when making a transport decision for a patient having an allergic reaction. 
100. Explain the rationale, including communication and documentation considerations, when determining whether to administer epinephrine to a patient who is having an allergic reaction.
101. Demonstrate how to remove the stinger from a bee sting and proper patient management following its removal. 
102. Demonstrate how to use an EpiPen auto-injector. 
103. Demonstrate how to use a Twinject auto-injector. 
104. Differentiate between medical emergencies and trauma emergencies, remembering that some patients may have both. 
105. Name the various categories of common medical emergencies and give examples. 
106. Describe the evaluation of the nature of illness (NOI). 
107. Discuss the assessment of a patient with a medical emergency. 
108. Explain the importance of transport time and destination selection for a medical patient. 
109. Define “infectious disease” and “communicable disease.” 
110. Describe the routes of transmission for an infectious disease. 
111. Discuss the pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and management of a patient with HIV or acquired immunodefiniency syndrome. 
112. Discuss precautions to protect oneself against exposure to HIV. 
113. Discuss the pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and management of a patient with hepatitis.
114. Discuss precautions to protect oneself against exposure to hepatitis.
115. Discuss other diseases of special concern and their routes of transmission, including herpes simplex, syphilis, meningitis, tuberculosis, whooping cough, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hantavirus, West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian flu, and H1N1 virus (swine flu). 
116. Demonstrate the process of history taking to obtain more information related to a patient’s chief complaint based on a case scenario. 
117. Demonstrate how to use the OPQRST assessment to obtain more specific information about a patient’s breathing problem. 
118. Demonstrate how to assist a patient with the administration of a metered-dose inhaler.
119. Demonstrate how to assist a patient with the administration of a small-volume nebulizer.
120. Demonstrate how to assess and provide emergency medical care for a patient with chest pain or discomfort. 
121. Demonstrate the administration of nitroglycerin. 
122. Demonstrate the administration of aspirin to a patient with chest pain. 
123. Demonstrate how to perform maintenance of an AED. 
124. Demonstrate how to perform AED and CPR. 
125. Demonstrate how to use a stroke assessment tool such as the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale to test a patient for aphasia, facial weakness, and motor weakness. 
126. Demonstrate the assessment of a patient’s abdomen.