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Health care careers. Therapeutic services. Emergency medical services. Emergency medical technicians…. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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An emergency medical technician, or EMT, works as part of the emergency medical services system.
Each state has their own certifications, but all types of technicians respond to calls for help…
from gunshot
wounds to workplace injuries, to childbirth.
The ‘first responder’ is the first to arrive at a scene. They have received approximately 40 hours in an approved training program, and usually work for
industry, police, or fire departments.
The first responder has 4 major responsibilities:
1.They safely gain access to the client, using hand tools if necessary2.They identify what is wrong…the cause of the injury or the nature of the illness3.They determine the number of clients4.They request additional help when necessary
The first responder does not move or lift a client
unless required, and then must do so without causing
further injury.
There are three levels of emergency medical technicians: basic, intermediate, and paramedic.
The “EMT – Basic” has received a
minimum of 120 hours of approved training,
including an internship. They are
sometimes the first on the scene; they
sometimes arrive in response to a call
from first responders.
The EMT-B is the minimum level of certification for ambulance personnel. They are certified to provide basic life support…
the use of oral and nasal airways, applying a cervical spine immobilization collar,
use of an automatic external defibrillator,
assisting a client in taking their own medications
(such as nitroglycerine, Epi-pen, or inhaler) and
immobilization of injuries to arms and legs
The EMT-B has 6 major responsibilities:
1.Ensuring the safety of everyone in the area2.Examining and interviewing the client3.Provides basic client care
4. Lifting, moving, and transporting the client to a medical facility
5. Transferring care of client to medical facility
6. Speaking on behalf of the client by reporting concerns/ findings to receiving medical staff
The “EMT – Intermediate” has received a minimum of 300-400 hours of approved training, including an internship. They perform all the same life support
services as the EMT-B, and more.
The EMT – I can perform tasks above and beyond what the EMT-B is trained to do:
1. They can start an IV2. They can perform
advanced airline techniques
3. They can use a manual defibrillator to provide shocks to the heart
4. They can administer medications beyond those at the EMT-B level
The EMT – I can evaluate and manage clients that have been involved in accidents, cardiac,
respiratory, and other medical emergencies.
They have completed
1,000 or more hours of
classroom, clinical,
practical, and internship
training. They may have an
associate degree.
The paramedic is the highest level of EMS professional.
The paramedic can administer oral, intravenous, subcutaneous, and intramuscular medications.
They can use monitors and more complex medical equipment.
The paramedic uses all local communication tools to coordinate services, and has a thorough
understanding of policies and procedures.
They can assign care priorities, and develop an action
plan. They possess strong leadership
and decision-making skills.
As the EMT arrives at the scene, they must assess safety for the provider, other responders, the
client, and any bystanders in the area.
The EMT must follow body substance
isolation precautions. This includes the use of any personal protective
equipment deemed necessary, such as
gloves, face shields, eye protection, or protective
gowns.
The EMT must note the mechanism of injury. What caused the injuries or illness? A bomb? A
gun? A car? No use of a seatbelt?
The nature of the illness is also
assessed by the EMT. What is the
problem? Shortness of
breath? Abdominal pain?
Chest pain? Wounds?
The EMT must determine the number of clients needing assistance, and then determine whether additional resources and personnel are needed.
Once the scene has been evaluated, the EMT must 1. Form a general impression of the client’s
condition and 2. Determine their level of responsiveness.
Can they talk? Are there abnormalities in skin color? What is
their facial expression? Are they in pain? How old are they? What are their
living conditions like?
3. Determine if the airway open? In an unconscious or nearly unconscious person, the tongue may fall back
and block the airway. There are two types of airway adjuncts (Ǎ junkts)(aids) that help maintain an airway.
The oropharyngeal adjunct is inserted in the unresponsive client (with
no gag reflex).
The nasopharyngeal
adjunct is inserted in the client who might gag on the oropharyngeal
airway.
4. Determine if the client breathing adequately? If breathing is not present, the client will need
breathing assistance.
Oxygen therapy
Bag-Valve-Mask Assistance
5. Assess circulation: pulse and bleeding
A defibrillator detects an abnormal heart rhythm
and shocks it back into a good rhythm.
If there is no pulse, the EMT would start chest compressions.
If there is heavy external bleeding, apply direct pressure
and dressings.
6. The EMT must lastly assess priority. They must determine the urgency of the client’s condition and
arrange for the immediate transport to a medical facility.
The EMT might use the mnemonic ‘SAMPLE’ to take a patient’s history:
S… signs and symptomsA… allergiesM… medicationsP… pertinent past medical historyL… Last oral intakeE…Event preceding
The EMT must continue to assess the client’s
condition until they are transferred to receivers at the medical facility.It may not be until the
patient is loaded into an ambulance that the EMT
can re-evaluate vital signs and take a more
thorough history.
The EMT must communicate with both the client and their families at a time of crisis.
1. Know and use the client’s first and last name.
2. Be respectful.3. Try to be at eye-level. Watch
body language.4. Use eye contact.5. Be honest. Tell the patient
and family what procedures you are doing and if they are going to be painful.
6. Listen.
EMT’s do paperwork as documentation of
information and actions. They must provide written
reports that include the name, age, and address of
the client. They must describe any information they gained by examining
the client, any medications given,
procedures performed, and vital signs.
The EMT may need many special skills to deal with many special
situations, such as:
Emergency childbirth
Spinal injury accidents
Water & Diving
accidents