West Coast EMT Block 4 Study Guide Rated A+

West Coast EMT Block 4 Study Guide Rated A+ Know what cavitation is Results from rapid changes in tissue and fluid pressure that occur with the passage of the projectile, can result in serious injury to internal organs distant to the actual path of the bullet. Know Newton's First Law of Motion The first law states that objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Kinetic Energy The energy of a moving object. Reflects the relationship between the mass (weight) of the object and the velocity (speed) at which it is traveling. Potential Energy The product of mass (weight), force of gravity, and height and is mostly associated with the energy of falling objects. The energy stored within an object. Know the 3 collisions that occur in a car accident. First Collision: The collision of the car against another car, a tree, or other objects. Does not directly affect patient care except making extrication difficult The damage to the car can indicate how severe the patient's injury is and help determine the mechanism of injury. Know the 3 collisions that occur in a car accident. Second Collision: The collision of the passenger against the interior of the car. This damage is caused by the kinetic energy produced by the passenger's mass and velocity is converted into the work of stopping the passenger's body. It can cause severe traumatic injury that can be apparent during the scene size up or primary assessment. The most dramatic injury occurs when the passenger is not restrained. Know the 3 collisions that occur in a car accident. Third Collision: The collision of the passenger's internal organs against the solid structures of the body. These injuries may not be as obvious as external injuries but they are often the most life-threatening. When the car hits an object, the internal organs also hit the inside structure of the body which can result in compression or stretching (tearing). What to assume with the death of an occupant in the same vehicle as another person? Suspect that the other person has sustained serious injuries even if the injuries are not obvious. Treat life-threatening injuries and provide rapid transport to a trauma center. These passengers have likely experienced the same amount of force that caused the death of the other. What is the purpose of airbags? What happens if airbags don't deploy + what should you do? Air bags gently cushions the occupant as the body slows and decelerates to decrease the severity of the impact of the second and third collision. If the airbags did not inflate during the accident, there is a chance they will deploy during extrication which can cause severe injury to the EMT. Extreme caution must be used when extricating a patient whose airbags did not deploy. What is the purpose of a head rest? What can it prevent? Headrests decrease the extension of the head and neck during a crash and help reduce injury (mainly whiplash injury). Arteries A blood vessel, consisting of three layers of tissue and smooth muscle, that carries blood away from the heart. Arterioles The smallest branch of arteries leading to the vast network of capillaries. Capillaries The smallest blood vessels that connect arterioles and venules; various substances pass through capillary walls, into and out of the interstitial fluid, and then on to the cells. Venules Small, thin-walled blood vessels of the veins. Veins Blood vessels that carry blood from the tissues to the heart. What affects the ability of the blood to clot? Movements, disease process, certain medications (blood thinners), removal of bandages, the external environment, or body temperature What happens after soft tissue has been damaged? (*hint, look up the wound healing process) The wound healing process starts. First stage is to stop bleeding through blood clotting in order to maintain homeostasis. Second stage, inflammation, additional cells move into the damaged area to begin repair. White blood cells migrate to the area to combat pathogens that have invaded the exposed tissue. Next stage is to replace the damaged soft-tissue with a new layer of cells so cells can multiply quickly and redevelop across the edges of the wound. In cases of large wounds or injuries, scar tissue may form which is a structural protein that reinforces the damaged tissue. Last stage of the wound healing process, new blood vessels form as the body attempts to bring oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissue. At last collage, a tough fibrous protein, provides stability to the damaged tissue and joins wound borders closing the open tissue. Know how long organs can tolerate inadequate perfusion Heart: Needs constant perfusion to function optimally. Without it the cells within the brain and spinal cord die within 4-6 minutes. Lungs: Without adequate perfusion the lungs can only survive 15-20 minutes. Kidney: Damage occurs after 45 minutes without adequate perfusion. Skeletal muscles: Demonstrate damage after 2-3 hours of inadequate perfusion. Gastrointestinal tract: