EMT Chapters 1-3

Health promotion and prevention is accomplished by health department personnel​ through:

vaccination programs.

As an​ EMT, your role in quality improvement includes all of the following​ EXCEPT:

withholding important information from your CQI officer because it pertains to your partner.

Levels of EMT

1.EMR 2. EMT 3 EMT Advanced 4. Paramedic

According to the U.S. Public Health Service, most contaminants can be removed from the skin with _________.

10 to 15 seconds of vigorous hand washing

Burnout

A condition resulting from chronic job stress, characterized by a state of irritability and fatigue that can markedly decrease effectiveness.

Defusing

A session held prior to a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) for emergency service personnel most directly involved to provide an opportunity to vent emotions and get information before the CISD.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

A federal law enacted in 1996 that protects the privacy of patient health care information and gives the patient control over how the information is distributed and use.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A federal law passed in 1990 that protects individuals with a documented disability from being denied initial or continued employment based on their disability.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ACT (COBRA)

A federal regulation that ensures the public's access to emergency health care regardless of ability to pay.

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)

A federal regulation that ensures the public's access to emergency health care regardless of ability to pay. Also known as the "anti-patient-dumping statute," forbidding turning a patient away at the door or sending him to a public hospital because of inability to pay.

Good Samaritan Law

A law that provides immunity from liability for acts performed in good faith to assist at the scene of a medical emergency unless those acts constitute gross negligence.

Living will

A legal document that delineates the signer's wishes about general health care issues such as the use of long-term life support measures.

Durable power of Attorney

A legal document that designates a person who is legally empowered to make health care decisions for the signer of the document if he is unable to do it himself. Also called a health care proxy.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order

A legal document, usually signed by the patient and his physician, that indicates to medical personnel which, if any, life- sustaining measures should be taken when the patient's heart and respiratory functions have ceased.

Standard Precautions

A method of preventing infection by diseases organisms based on the premise that all blood and body fluids are infectious. Formerly called body substance isolation.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

A session usually help with 24 to 72 hours of a critical incident, where a team of peer counselors and mental health professionals help emergency service personnel work through emotions that normally follow a critical incident.

An organ donor is...

A person who has signed a legal document to allow their organs and tissues to be harvested for transplantation to another person.

Quality Improvement (QI)

A system of internal reviews and adults of an EMS system to ensure a high quality of care. Also known as continuous quality improvement (CQI)

Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) tuberculin test

A test to determine the presence of a tuberculosis infection based on a person's positive reaction to tuberculin, a substance prepared from the tubercle bacillus.

Assault

A willful threat to inflict harm on a person

Intentional Tort

A wrongful act, injury, or damage that is committed knowingly

Tort

A wrongful act, injury, or damage. See also intentional tort.

Critical Incident

Any situation that causes unusually strong emotions that interfere with the ability to function.

Why is​ evidence-based medicine that was conducted in the emergency department not directly applicable to the prehospital​ environment?

Because there are variables in the prehospital setting that are absent in the emergency department.

How are airborne pathogens spread?

By tiny droplets sprayed during breathing, coughing, or sneezing.

Which of these activities would carry the highest risk of patient injury if the EMT were to perform it​ incorrectly?

Carrying and moving patients.

I patient must be ______ to refuse care

Compatent

Informed Consent

Consent for treatment that is given by a competent based on full disclosure of possible risks and consequences

Involuntary Consent

Consent that is assumed when the patient is either mentally incompetent or legally not permitted to make his own medical decisions.

What is one aspect of quality improvement in which every EMT can​ participate?

Continuing education

Five stages of Grief are...

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

On-Line Medical Direction

Direct orders from a physician to a prehospital care provider given by radio or telephone

Standard of Care

Emergency care that would be expected to be given to a patient by any trained EMT under similar circumstances.

Prehospital Care

Emergency medical treatment given to patients before they are transported to a hospital or the facility. Also called out-of-hospital care.

Personal Protective equipment (PPE)

Equipment worn to protect against injury and disease

What is the MOST common destination facility to which an EMT will be transporting​ patients?

Hospital emergency department

What does an Enhanced​ 9-1-1 system allows the emergency dispatcher to​ perform?

Immediately access the phone number and address from which the call is being made

Disinfecting

In addition to cleaning, this process involves using a disinfectant such as alcohol or bleach to kill many of the microorganisms that may be present on the surface of an object.

Advance Directive

Instructions, written in advance, such as a do not resuscitate (DNR) order, a living will, or a durable power of attorney.

Which of the choices is the MOST important reason why documentation is an important part of any CQI​ program?

It allows for better interpretation of the care rendered.

Why would the failure of a CQI program to advise EMTs within the system about the​ system's overall performance be a risk to future​ patients?

It may lead to patient care errors from lack of knowledge about treatment protocols if they are being interpreted incorrectly.

What was the effect of the publication of Accidental Death and​ Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society on​ modern-day EMS?

It served as a catalyst for improving ambulance systems.

Who has to give consent when dealing with children and mentally incompetent adults?

Legal Guardian or Law enforcement

The person who is ultimately responsible for the clinical and patient care aspects of the EMS system is the

Medical Director.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a set of recommended standards for EMS systems called the Technical Assistance Program Assessment Standards. These ten standards include which one of the​ following?

Medical direction

What is the official name for the physician who assumes responsibility for all patient care aspects within a specific EMS​ system?

Medical director

Medical Direction

Medical policies, procedures, and practices that are available to EMS providers either off-line or on-line.

Off-Line medical direction

Medical policies, procedures, and practices that medical direction has established in written guidelines.

Evidence-based Medicine

Medical practice based on scientific evidence that certain procedures, medications, and equipment improve patient outcome.

Pathogens

Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that causes disease.

A single incident in which there are multiple patients

Multiple Casualty

What should an EMS personnel who is treating a patient who is suspected of having TB wear?

N-95 respirator

Failure to provide the standard of care is one of the elements that must be proved in a case involving a charge of _______

Negligence against an EMT

Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST)

Orders that identify the desired level of life-sustaining treatment in patients with a terminal or life-threatening illness who are not likely to survive.

Minor Consent

Permission obtained from a parent or legal guardian from emergency treatment of a minor or a mentally incompetent adult.

Expressed consent

Permission that must be obtained from every conscious, mentally competent adult before emergency treatment may be provided.

EMS system (Emergency Medical Services system)

Permits patient care to begin at the scene of the injury or illness, and EMS is part of a continuum of patient care that extends from the time of injury or illness until rehabilitation or discharge.

If a bystander summons EMS using a mobile​ phone, and the EMS dispatcher is able to view the​ caller's latitude and longitude​ coordinates, what FCC rules has this wireless provider​ utilized?

Phase II enhanced​ 9-1-1

Medical Director

Physician who is legally responsible for the clinical and patient care aspects of an EMS system

Standing Orders

Preauthorized treatment procedures; a type of treatment protocol. See also off-line medical direction, protocols.

Safe patient lifting and moving techniques​ include:

Safe patient lifting and moving techniques​ include:

Which of the following is NOT one of the ten greatest public health initiatives in the 20th​ century?

Safety gear for sporting events

Which step in the​ evidence-based medicine process focuses on the concept of determining what we already know about a particular intervention or​ situation?

Search medical literature.

The strict form of infections control for emergency personnel is known as ___________.

Standard Precaution

Proximate Cause

The act of deviating from an accepted standard of care through carelessness, inattention, disregard, inadvertence, or oversight, which results in further injury to the patient.

Negligence

The act of deviation from an accepted standard of care through carelessness, inattention, disregard, inadvertence, or oversight, which results in further injury to the patient.

Abandonment

The act of discontinuing emergency care without ensuring that another health care professional with equivalent or better training will take over.

Libel

The act of injuring a person's reputation or good name in writing or through the mass media with malicious intent or reckless disregard for the falsity of those statements.

Slander

The act of injuring a person's reputation or good name through spoken statements with malicious intent or reckless disregard for the falsity of those statements.

Scope of Practice

The actions and care that an EMT is legally allowed to perform, as typically defined by state laws.

Implied Consent

The assumption that, in a true emergency where a patient who is unresponsive or unable to make a rational decision is at significant risk of death, disability, or deterioration of condition, that patient would agree to emergency treatment. Also called the emergency doctrine.

False imprisonment

The intentional and unjustifiable detention of a person without his consent or other legal authority.

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)

The level of EMS practitioner who is likely to be the first person on the scene with emergency care training.

Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)

The level of EMS practitioner who performs the responsibility of an EMT with the addition of the use of advanced airway devices, monitoring of blood glucose levels, initiation of intravenous and intraosseous infusions, and administration of a select number of medications.

Paramedic

The level of EMS practitioner who provides the highest level of prehospital care, including advanced assessments and care, formation of a field impression, and invasive and drug interventions.

Medical Oversight

The medical director's broad responsibilities, including all clinical and administrative functions and activities necessary to exercise ultimate responsibility for the emergency care provide by individual personnel and the entire EMS system.

Duty to Act

The obligations to care for a patient who requires it.

Protocols

The policies and procedures for all components of an EMS system. Also called orders or standing orders.

Sterilization

The process by which an object is subject to certain chemical or physical substances (typically, superheated steam in an autoclave) that kill all microorganisms on the surface of an object.

Cleaning

The process of washing a soiled object with soap and water

Although​ evidence-based research is very desirable for​ EMS, what is its biggest​ obstacle?

There is too little research on which to base decisions.

Defamation

an intentional false communication that injures another person's reputation or good name.

What public health initiative has shown beneficial in the reduction of HIV and other sexually transmitted​ diseases?

Use of barrier devices during sexual contacts.

Which of the following roles would NOT be considered a function of the local or state health​ department?

Vehicle rescue training

The only time that confidential information about a patient may be disclosed is when the patient has signed a ___________

Written release form

Your CQI officer sends you a request for additional information regarding a patient you had six months ago who subsequently died. How should you respond to this​ request?

You should respond to this request to the best of your ability given your memory of the call

According to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model​, an Advanced EMT should be trained​ to:

administer medications intravenously.

To receive the highest quality of​ care, some patients need to be transported to special​ facilities, such as patients who​ have:

been critically burned or had a stroke.

An Emergency Medical Responder​ (EMR) is generally trained to provide the following​ care:

bleeding​ control, airway​ management, and automated external defibrillation.

A term for treatments backed by research that proves interventions have positive effects in patient care​ is

evidence-based medicine.

The NHTSA Technical Assistance Program Assessment Standards for EMS systems address the resource management component by stating that each state​ must:

have central control of EMS resources so that each locality and all patients have equal access to acceptable emergency care.

The EMT gains the authority to render care from​ the:

medical director.

Maintaining and recertifying your EMT certification or licensure​ is:

part of your role as an EMS professional.

Consent

permission that must be obtained before care is rendered

The​ EMT's FIRST and MOST important priority​ is:

personal safety.

Treatment that is given to patients before they are transported to a hospital or other facility is​ called:

prehospital care.

​Integrity, empathy, and effective time management are examples of an​ EMT's:

professional behaviors

When applying for a new job as an EMT with a local EMS​ provider, you had to take a quick test that involved watching a videotaped scenario and then completing a prehospital care report and giving an oral patient​ hand-off report. This interview activity was designed to​ assess:

the expected ability to maintain good verbal and written communication skills.

All of the following are examples of steps to prevent errors that may jeopardize the​ patient's safety,​ EXCEPT:

use intuition and judgment rather than protocols.

Emergency medical care has developed from the days when the local funeral home provided ambulance service to the​ current, modern EMS system. Major improvements in emergency medical care over the years include all of the following​ EXCEPT:

use of faster driving speeds during an emergency response to the calls.