AMLS Chapter 1
Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) Assessment Pathway - ANS -A dependable framework
to support the reduction of morbidity and mortality by using an assessment-based approach to
determine a differential diagnosis and effectively manage a broad range of medical
emergencies.
Assessment-based patient management - ANS -Utilizing the patient's cardinal presentation;
historical, diagnostic, and physical exam findings; and one's own critical thinking skills as a
healthcare professional to diagnose and treat a patient.
Blood Pressure - ANS -The tension exerted by blood on the arterial walls. Blood pressure is
calculated using the following equation: Blood pressure= Flow x Resistance.
Cardinal presentation - ANS -The patient's primary presenting sign or symptom; often this is the
patient's chief complaint, but it may be an objective finding such as unconsciousness or
choking.
Clinical decision making - ANS -The ability to integrate assessment findings and test data with
experience and evidence-based recommendations to make decisions regarding the most
appropriate treatment.
Clinical reasoning - ANS -The second conceptual component underpinning the AMLS
assessment pathway, which combines good judgement with clinical experience to make
accurate diagnoses and initiate proper treatment. This process assumes the provider has a
strong foundation of clinical knowledge.
Differential diagnosis - ANS -The possible causes of the patient's cardinal presentation.
Pattern recognition - ANS -Relating the healthcare provider's knowledge of disease
pathophysiology to the patient's presenting signs ans symptoms and recognizing if the patient
presentation fits a particular pattern.
Pharmacokinetics - ANS -The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of
medications.
Primary survey - ANS -The process of initially assessing the airway, breathing, circulation, and
perfusion status to identify and manage life-threatening conditions and establish priorities for
further assessment, treatment, and transport.
,Pulse pressure - ANS -The difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure; normal
pulse pressure is 30-40 mmHG
Secondary survey - ANS -An in-depth systematic evaluation of the patient's history, physical
exam, vital signs, and diagnostic information used to identify additional emergent and
nonemergent conditions and modify differential diagnoses and management strategies.
Signs - ANS -Objective evidence that a healthcare professional observes, feels, sees, hears,
touches or smells
Symptoms - ANS -The S in SAMPLER; the patient's subjective perception of what they feel,
such as nausea, or have experienced, such as a sensation of seeing flashing lights.
Therapeutic communication - ANS -A communication process in which the healthcare provider
uses effective communication skills to obtain information about the patient and their condition,
including the use of the four E's:
Engagement,
Empathy,
Education
Enlistment.
Working diagnosis - ANS -The presumed cause of the patient's condition, arrived at by
evaluating all assessment information thus far obtained while conducting further diagnostic
testing to definitively diagnose the illness.
Chief complaint is lower back pain, what additional questions should you ask? - ANS -1. Have
you recently sustained any injuries?
2. Are you having weakness or numbness in one or both legs?
3. Have you had a fever?
4. Does the pain seem to move around or radiate anywhere?
5. What makes it better or worse?
AMLS assessment pathway supports assessment based patient management, what does that
mean? - ANS -AMLS pathway recognizes that although all components of the assessment
process are important to patient care, they are implemented based on the patient's unique
presentation.
What is an important principle of AMLS assessment? - ANS -The cardinal presentation must be
identified and the primary survey must be performed initially so that any life-threatening medical
emergencies can be identified and managed without delay.
What is the ability to modify a systematic approach to assessment reliant on? - ANS -Clinical
reasoning, pattern recognition and decision-making skills.
, What are the 6 R's that help the provider put it all together and make better judgement under
pressure? - ANS -Read the patient
Read the scene
React
Reevaluate
Revise management plan
Review performance
When we "read the patient", what do we do? - ANS -Assess patient's condition
Take patient's vital signs
Treat life threats
Review chief complaint
Record my general impression
When we "read the scene", what do we do? - ANS -Observe environmental conditions
Observe safety hazards
Observe likely mechanisms of injury
When we "react", what do we do? - ANS -Manage life threats (ABCs) in order in which they are
discovered.
Treat patient based on his or her cardinal presentation.
When we "reevaluate", what do we do? - ANS -Reassess vital signs
Reconsider the patient's initial medical management
When we "revise the management plan", what do we do? - ANS -On the basis of your
reevaluation and additional historical data, physical examination findings, diagnostic test results,
and the patient's response to early interventions, revise your management plan to accord with
the patient's new clinical picture.
When we "review performance", what do we do? - ANS -Critiquing your run gives you a chance
to reflect on your clinical decision making and target areas in which more advanced skills or a
deeper level of knowledge are needed.
What is the foundation of the AMLS assessment pathway? - ANS -Effective therapeutic
communication skills
Keen clinical reasoning abilities
Expert clinical decision making
Therapeutic communication - what is it? - ANS -A dynamic process that can help:-
Gather accurate historical information
Inform the patient of the risks and benefits of interventions
Obtain consent to perform a physical exam and provide medical treatment or transport.
Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) Assessment Pathway - ANS -A dependable framework
to support the reduction of morbidity and mortality by using an assessment-based approach to
determine a differential diagnosis and effectively manage a broad range of medical
emergencies.
Assessment-based patient management - ANS -Utilizing the patient's cardinal presentation;
historical, diagnostic, and physical exam findings; and one's own critical thinking skills as a
healthcare professional to diagnose and treat a patient.
Blood Pressure - ANS -The tension exerted by blood on the arterial walls. Blood pressure is
calculated using the following equation: Blood pressure= Flow x Resistance.
Cardinal presentation - ANS -The patient's primary presenting sign or symptom; often this is the
patient's chief complaint, but it may be an objective finding such as unconsciousness or
choking.
Clinical decision making - ANS -The ability to integrate assessment findings and test data with
experience and evidence-based recommendations to make decisions regarding the most
appropriate treatment.
Clinical reasoning - ANS -The second conceptual component underpinning the AMLS
assessment pathway, which combines good judgement with clinical experience to make
accurate diagnoses and initiate proper treatment. This process assumes the provider has a
strong foundation of clinical knowledge.
Differential diagnosis - ANS -The possible causes of the patient's cardinal presentation.
Pattern recognition - ANS -Relating the healthcare provider's knowledge of disease
pathophysiology to the patient's presenting signs ans symptoms and recognizing if the patient
presentation fits a particular pattern.
Pharmacokinetics - ANS -The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of
medications.
Primary survey - ANS -The process of initially assessing the airway, breathing, circulation, and
perfusion status to identify and manage life-threatening conditions and establish priorities for
further assessment, treatment, and transport.
,Pulse pressure - ANS -The difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure; normal
pulse pressure is 30-40 mmHG
Secondary survey - ANS -An in-depth systematic evaluation of the patient's history, physical
exam, vital signs, and diagnostic information used to identify additional emergent and
nonemergent conditions and modify differential diagnoses and management strategies.
Signs - ANS -Objective evidence that a healthcare professional observes, feels, sees, hears,
touches or smells
Symptoms - ANS -The S in SAMPLER; the patient's subjective perception of what they feel,
such as nausea, or have experienced, such as a sensation of seeing flashing lights.
Therapeutic communication - ANS -A communication process in which the healthcare provider
uses effective communication skills to obtain information about the patient and their condition,
including the use of the four E's:
Engagement,
Empathy,
Education
Enlistment.
Working diagnosis - ANS -The presumed cause of the patient's condition, arrived at by
evaluating all assessment information thus far obtained while conducting further diagnostic
testing to definitively diagnose the illness.
Chief complaint is lower back pain, what additional questions should you ask? - ANS -1. Have
you recently sustained any injuries?
2. Are you having weakness or numbness in one or both legs?
3. Have you had a fever?
4. Does the pain seem to move around or radiate anywhere?
5. What makes it better or worse?
AMLS assessment pathway supports assessment based patient management, what does that
mean? - ANS -AMLS pathway recognizes that although all components of the assessment
process are important to patient care, they are implemented based on the patient's unique
presentation.
What is an important principle of AMLS assessment? - ANS -The cardinal presentation must be
identified and the primary survey must be performed initially so that any life-threatening medical
emergencies can be identified and managed without delay.
What is the ability to modify a systematic approach to assessment reliant on? - ANS -Clinical
reasoning, pattern recognition and decision-making skills.
, What are the 6 R's that help the provider put it all together and make better judgement under
pressure? - ANS -Read the patient
Read the scene
React
Reevaluate
Revise management plan
Review performance
When we "read the patient", what do we do? - ANS -Assess patient's condition
Take patient's vital signs
Treat life threats
Review chief complaint
Record my general impression
When we "read the scene", what do we do? - ANS -Observe environmental conditions
Observe safety hazards
Observe likely mechanisms of injury
When we "react", what do we do? - ANS -Manage life threats (ABCs) in order in which they are
discovered.
Treat patient based on his or her cardinal presentation.
When we "reevaluate", what do we do? - ANS -Reassess vital signs
Reconsider the patient's initial medical management
When we "revise the management plan", what do we do? - ANS -On the basis of your
reevaluation and additional historical data, physical examination findings, diagnostic test results,
and the patient's response to early interventions, revise your management plan to accord with
the patient's new clinical picture.
When we "review performance", what do we do? - ANS -Critiquing your run gives you a chance
to reflect on your clinical decision making and target areas in which more advanced skills or a
deeper level of knowledge are needed.
What is the foundation of the AMLS assessment pathway? - ANS -Effective therapeutic
communication skills
Keen clinical reasoning abilities
Expert clinical decision making
Therapeutic communication - what is it? - ANS -A dynamic process that can help:-
Gather accurate historical information
Inform the patient of the risks and benefits of interventions
Obtain consent to perform a physical exam and provide medical treatment or transport.
