EMT Chapter 30 Environmental Emergencies

Hymenoptera

-a family of insects that includes bees, wasps, ants, and yellow jackets

Air Embolism

-air bubbles in the blood vessels

A person's ability to shiver is lost when his or her body temperature falls below:

-90 degrees Farenheit (32 degrees Celcius)

Hypothermia

-a condition in which the body core temperature falls below 95 degrees Farenheit (35 degrees Celcius) after exposure to a cold environment

Hyperthermia

-a condition in which the body core temperature rises to 101 degrees Farenheit (38.3 degrees Celcius) or more

Heat Exhaustion

-a form of heat injury in which the body loses significant amounts of fluid and electrolytes because of heavy sweating -also called heat prostration or heat collapse

Heatstroke

-a life-threatening condition of severe hyperthermia cause by exposure to excessive natural or artificial heat, marked by warm, dry skin -severely altered mental status -often irreversible coma

Decompression Sickness

-a painful condition seen in divers who ascend too quickly, in which gas, especially nitrogen, forms bubbles in blood vessels and other tissues -also called "the bends"

Antivenin

-a serum that counteracts the effect of venom from an animal or insect

Breath-holding syncope is caused by a decreased stimulus to breathe and occurs when:

-a swimmer hyperventilates prior to entering the water

SCUBA

-a system that delivers air to the mouth and lungs at various atmospheric pressures, increasing with the depth of the dive -stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

Reverse Triage

-a triage process in which efforts are focused on those who are in respiratory and cardiac arrest, and different from conventional triage where such patients would be classified as deceased -used in triaging multiple victims of a lightning strike

Dysbarism Injuries

-any signs and symptoms caused by the difference between surrounding atmospheric pressure and the total gas pressure in various tissues, fluids, and cavities of the body

Hypothermia can worsen internal bleeding secondary to:

-blood clotting abnormalities

Evaporation

-conversion of water or another fluid from a liquid to a gas

Frostbite

-damage to tissues as the result of exposure to cold -frozen body parts

Drowning is MOST accurately defined as:

-death from suffocation after submersion in water

Which of the following statements regarding drowning is correct?

-laryngospasm following submersion in water makes rescue breathing difficult

Which of the following statements regarding lightning strikes is correct?

-lightning often results in a brief period of asystole that resolves spontaneously

Breath-Holding Syncope

-loss of consciousness caused by a decreased breathing stimulus

Heat Cramps

-painful muscle spasms usually associated with vigorous activity in a hot environment -if a patient with a sudden onset of abdominal cramps has been exercising vigorously in a hot environment, you should suspect heat cramps

Factors Affecting Exposure

-physical condition -age -nutrition and hydration -environmental conditions

Diving Reflex

-slowing of the heart rate caused by submersion in cold water

Turgor

-the ability of the skin to resist deformation -tested by gently pinching skin on the forehead or back of the hand -in dehydration, with poor skin turgor, the skin will remain tented after pinching

Respiration

-the loss of body heat as warm air in the lungs is exhaled into the atmosphere and cooler air is inhaled

Convection

-the loss of body heat caused by air movement -e.g., breeze blowing across the body

Conduction

-the loss of heat by direct contact -e.g., when a body part comes into contact with a colder object

Drowning

-the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid

Core Temperature

-the temperature of the central part of the body (e.g., the heart, lungs, and vital organs)

Ambient Temperature

-the temperature of the surrounding environment

Radiation

-the transfer of heat to colder objects in the environment by radiant energy, for example heat gain from a fire

Most of the serious injuries associated with scuba diving are caused by:

-too rapid of an ascent

Signs of late heatstroke include:

-weak, rapid pulse