Transcript Emergency Situations

Emergency Situations
Your responses to unexpected changes in
patient status DO affect patients’
outcomes. You MUST respond
immediately and appropriately.
Emergency Changes in
Patient Status

Patient Status
Glasgow Coma Scale (pg161)
 Eyes open; Motor Response;
Verbal Response


Code Team

Equipment/Crash Cart
Equipment and Supplies On
Code Cart





Medications
Airway Equipment
Circulation Equipment
Protective Equipment
Miscellaneous Supplies
SHOCK

Compensatory Stage





Progressive Stage





Skin cold/clammy
Respirations increase
BP normal
Anxiety
BP falls
Respirations rapid/shallow
Tachycardia (150 beats/min)
Mental status: confusion; lethargy; unconscious
Irreversible Stage
Shock



Hypovolemic
Cardiogenic
Distributive Shock:
Neurogenic
 Septic
 Anaphylactic

Care For Shock





Lie patient down.
Check for open airway
Control any bleeding.
Maintain normal body temp.
Elevate legs 30 degrees unless
spine injuries or broken bones
Altered Level of
Consciousness

Seizures
Partial (Simple)
 Petit Mal (Complex)
 Grand Mal (Generalized)


Fainting
Fainting

Prevention
Lie down
 Sit with head level with knees
 Spirits of ammonia 6” away


Cure
Lie patient down
 Loosen tight clothing
 Elevate legs

Hemorrhage







External:
Capillary - cuts
Venous – dark red, steady flow
Arterial – bright red, spurting
Epistaxis –Head forward; pinch
10 min
Internal:
Treat same as shock
Diabetic Emergencies


Diabetes defined as the “inability of
the body to properly convert sugar
from food into energy.”
Diabetes Mellitus





Type I – Insulin dependent
Type II – Insufficient quantity of insulin
Hyperglycemia
Hypoglycemia
Ketoacidosis