UCLA PARAMEDIC Block 1 STUDY
GUIDE CLASS 55 Questions and Answers
100% Correct
Crime scene conservation Never let scene conservation prevent or hinder patient care
-Do not touch/move/alter anything i.e. place victim's clothes in paper bags.
Criminal law Criminal prosecution is an action taken by the government against a person
the prosecutors feel has violated criminal laws.
Critical incident, CISM, CISD Critical incident is one that overwhelms the ability of an
EMS worker or an EMS system to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later.
Critical incident stress management is a resource available for emergency personnel who
have been involved in particularly traumatic calls or incidents. CISM is a process that was
developed to address acute stress situations and potentially decrease the likelihood that PTSD
will develop after such an incident.
,Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is usually coordinated by one or more professional
counselors 24 to 72 hours after an incident, when it becomes clear that the incident has had a
serious impact and is causing persistent symptoms among the crew.
Defense mechanisms Denial is when patients often ignore or diminish the seriousness of
the situation. May use dismissive language for symptoms with words such as "only" or "a little."
You may have to seek out others for reliable information in these cases.
Regression is a return to an earlier age level of behavior or emotional adjustment. Children often
exhibit this when under stress because of the fear of "getting in trouble."
Projection is attributing your own (sometimes unacceptable) feelings, motives, desires, or
behavior to others. Patient who express vehement indignation or anger can unconsciously be
denying their own "bad" behavior by attributing it to other people.
Displacement occurs when someone redirects an emotion from the original cause of the emotion
(like a cardiac problem) to a more immediate substitute (like a paramedic). Often the operative
mechanism when patients express anger at the paramedic, but in reality, patients are angry at
someone else—themselves, a family member, fate, or just the situation.
Defusing a potentially hostile situation A position statement by the National Association
of EMS Physicians in December 2003 outlined for the first time an official endorsement of the
rights to safety not only of patients but also of their field caregivers. If the element of hostility is
known or can be anticipated in advance, EMS crews and their responders should never be
,allowed to arrive on scene first. Keep yourself on "yellow alert" any time you are on duty.
Specifically, beware any call dispatched as a fight, stabbing, shooting, domestic disturbance,
"person down," or "unknown medical aid." Every one of these calls is suspicious and warrants an
initial response by police. Once you are in contact with a hostile patient, try hard to listen a lot
more than you talk, and do not argue or ridicule. Concentrate on de-escalating the patient's
emotions. Many hostile patients who started out unwilling to go to the hospital became willing
because of a crew member's patience, tactful reasoning, and reassurance. Volatile patients in their
home environment are much more dangerous there than anywhere else—especially in poor
lighting.
Deontological -Fulfill your duty, regardless of the outcome
DOT EMT-Paramedic curriculum
Duplex A network that uses two different frequencies at the same time, to permit
simultaneous transmission and reception (like a telephone), is referred to as Duplex.
Elements of a quality written report All sections should show that you have completed
them.
Legible and written in ink. Neat and easily read by others.
, Be free of jargon, slang, and opinions of the EMS provider. Avoid libel. Only true and accurate
statements, or exact quotes indicating who made them and place the exact words in quotation
marks on the report.
All reports should be reviewed by the paramedic who authored them before submitting them.
Always review for completeness, accuracy, grammar, spelling, and proper use of medical
terminology and abbreviations.
Empathy v. sympathy Empathy: show your patients, their families, and other health care
professionals that you identified and understand their feelings. It is okay to show emotions to
some extent.
Sympathy: Phrases showing you can relate to the patients feelings.
Ethical tests (impartiality, interpersonal justifiability, etc.)
Impartiality Test: Asks whether you would be willing to undergo this procedure or action if you
were in the patient's place.
-Interpersonal Justifiability Test - asks whether you can defend or justify your actions to others.
It helps to ensure that an action is appropriate by asking the paramedics to consider whether
other people would think the action reasonable.
GUIDE CLASS 55 Questions and Answers
100% Correct
Crime scene conservation Never let scene conservation prevent or hinder patient care
-Do not touch/move/alter anything i.e. place victim's clothes in paper bags.
Criminal law Criminal prosecution is an action taken by the government against a person
the prosecutors feel has violated criminal laws.
Critical incident, CISM, CISD Critical incident is one that overwhelms the ability of an
EMS worker or an EMS system to cope with the experience, either at the scene or later.
Critical incident stress management is a resource available for emergency personnel who
have been involved in particularly traumatic calls or incidents. CISM is a process that was
developed to address acute stress situations and potentially decrease the likelihood that PTSD
will develop after such an incident.
,Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is usually coordinated by one or more professional
counselors 24 to 72 hours after an incident, when it becomes clear that the incident has had a
serious impact and is causing persistent symptoms among the crew.
Defense mechanisms Denial is when patients often ignore or diminish the seriousness of
the situation. May use dismissive language for symptoms with words such as "only" or "a little."
You may have to seek out others for reliable information in these cases.
Regression is a return to an earlier age level of behavior or emotional adjustment. Children often
exhibit this when under stress because of the fear of "getting in trouble."
Projection is attributing your own (sometimes unacceptable) feelings, motives, desires, or
behavior to others. Patient who express vehement indignation or anger can unconsciously be
denying their own "bad" behavior by attributing it to other people.
Displacement occurs when someone redirects an emotion from the original cause of the emotion
(like a cardiac problem) to a more immediate substitute (like a paramedic). Often the operative
mechanism when patients express anger at the paramedic, but in reality, patients are angry at
someone else—themselves, a family member, fate, or just the situation.
Defusing a potentially hostile situation A position statement by the National Association
of EMS Physicians in December 2003 outlined for the first time an official endorsement of the
rights to safety not only of patients but also of their field caregivers. If the element of hostility is
known or can be anticipated in advance, EMS crews and their responders should never be
,allowed to arrive on scene first. Keep yourself on "yellow alert" any time you are on duty.
Specifically, beware any call dispatched as a fight, stabbing, shooting, domestic disturbance,
"person down," or "unknown medical aid." Every one of these calls is suspicious and warrants an
initial response by police. Once you are in contact with a hostile patient, try hard to listen a lot
more than you talk, and do not argue or ridicule. Concentrate on de-escalating the patient's
emotions. Many hostile patients who started out unwilling to go to the hospital became willing
because of a crew member's patience, tactful reasoning, and reassurance. Volatile patients in their
home environment are much more dangerous there than anywhere else—especially in poor
lighting.
Deontological -Fulfill your duty, regardless of the outcome
DOT EMT-Paramedic curriculum
Duplex A network that uses two different frequencies at the same time, to permit
simultaneous transmission and reception (like a telephone), is referred to as Duplex.
Elements of a quality written report All sections should show that you have completed
them.
Legible and written in ink. Neat and easily read by others.
, Be free of jargon, slang, and opinions of the EMS provider. Avoid libel. Only true and accurate
statements, or exact quotes indicating who made them and place the exact words in quotation
marks on the report.
All reports should be reviewed by the paramedic who authored them before submitting them.
Always review for completeness, accuracy, grammar, spelling, and proper use of medical
terminology and abbreviations.
Empathy v. sympathy Empathy: show your patients, their families, and other health care
professionals that you identified and understand their feelings. It is okay to show emotions to
some extent.
Sympathy: Phrases showing you can relate to the patients feelings.
Ethical tests (impartiality, interpersonal justifiability, etc.)
Impartiality Test: Asks whether you would be willing to undergo this procedure or action if you
were in the patient's place.
-Interpersonal Justifiability Test - asks whether you can defend or justify your actions to others.
It helps to ensure that an action is appropriate by asking the paramedics to consider whether
other people would think the action reasonable.
