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Assessing Someones Medical Condition

Assessing Someones Medical Condition Process Description Writing Workshop 3 Amy Vu TECM 1700 University of North Texas

Assessing Someones Medical Condition Assessing Someones Medical Condition Process Description: Writing Workshop 3 Assessing a medical condition is important for many reasons. If it is a life threatening emergency, then there are many steps that should to be done in order to save the individual in

need. Any person providing assistance should know how to quickly assess situations properly as well as perform procedures that go along with the problem. You have a responsibility to yourself and your coworkers to know first aid. Remember, your quick actions may save someones life. The first step in providing proper medical assistance is to assess the medical situation. By doing this, the individuals in need will be properly cared for without any extra injuries and you will prevent any injuries towards yourself as well. To assess a situation, be sure to pay attention to the following: 1. Decide if emergency help is necessary. If it is, call 911 first. 2. Where is the person? Is he or she close to a fire or a power line or lying in an open field? 3. Is it safe to approach the person? Do not approach the person until you know the environment is safe. In following these steps, you can be of most assistance to the injured individual, to yourself, and to medically trained personnel by not diving into dangerous situations and harming yourself. If you become injured while trying to help another person because your assessment of the situation is done poorly, then the situation may become more fatal and difficult to solve. Once correct assessment of the situation has been done, be sure to assess the injured persons medical condition as well. Some indications that you may need to analyze are: Decide if the person is severely injured, scared, or shaken.

Assessing Someones Medical Condition Is the person able to speak? If so, ask him or her to describe his or her

condition. In this case, sometimes the only thing you will be able to do is offer some comfort. If the person is unconscious, use the ABC method to check the person airway, breathing, circulation.

Is the Victim Breathing? One of the first and most important assessments you can make when trying to help an individual is to check if the person is still breathing. You can decide by looking to see if the chest is going up and down, putting your cheek next to his or her nose to see if you can feel any breath, or you put your ear to the victims chest and listen. If the person is breathing and coughing, let the person cough. Coughing is the best way to clear the airway. However, if the person is clutching his or her throat, turning blue, beginning to pass out, or is evidently not able to breathe, begin providing the person with artificial respiration.The ABC method can help with your assistance towards the victim in need. To perform the ABC method properly, follow the following steps from the American College of Emergency Physicians How to Perform CPR manuel: 1. Airway: Lay the person down on his or her back Put your hand under the persons neck and tilt the head so air can go down the throat. However, if you suspect a neck injury, do not perform this step. If a person already has his or her head tilted back and is not breathing, insert your index finger down the airway to make sure nothing is blocking it.

Assessing Someones Medical Condition 2. Breathing (Rescue Breathing) Be sure the individual is not breathing on his or her own Begin artificial respiration for the person Pinch the persons nose with your forefinger and thumb Keep your hand on their forehead to keep the head tilted Seal your mouth with the victims mouth Immediately give two full breaths while maintaining an air-tight seal with your mouth on the persons mouth Each breath should be one second in duration and should make the victims chest rise If the chest does not rise, person the head tilt-chin lift a second time Avoid giving too many breaths that may be excessive or forceful

3. Circulation (Chest Compressions) Take the persons pulse Put your two first fingers on the artery next to the voice box. This artery is called the carotid. Do you feel the pulse beating? If yes, continue breathing. If not, begin chest compressions To do a chest compression, get on your hands and knees and place the heel of your hands on the sternum of the chest and press downward, hard and fast. Use 30 chest compressions for every two breaths Continue breathing and chest compressions until professional help arrives

Assessing Someones Medical Condition

Figure 1

Conclusion Helping a victim with a life threatening emergency can be frightening. You are not a trained medical personnel, therefore you must be careful but quick-thinking at the same time. It is always better to wait for medically trained personnel, but it is also good to know proper procedures or helping another person to avoid causing harm to yourself and even more harm to the victim. Be sure to always assess the situation first and the victim second. If the victim is in a life-threatening situation, try with the best of your ability to help but also not get injured yourself. Know the ABC Method to help keep a

Assessing Someones Medical Condition

person alive but also be weary of the consequences of jumping into a hazardous situation. You are no help to anyone if your attempt to save someone else but get severely injured in the process.

Assessing Someones Medical Condition References American College of Emergency Physicians (2013). Emergency Manuel. How to Perform CPR.

Retrieved http://www.emergencycareforyou.org/EmergencyManual/HowToPerformCPR McKesson Health Solutions (2005). CPR. Retrieved from: http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/tfavero/images/cpr.gif

Assessing Someones Medical Condition

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