Airway Mnemonic
General Assessment
Once EMS personnel arrive at the scene, an assessment must be performed so that each injury can be sufficiently addressed. The ABCDE mnemonic is used to assess the condition of the patient. The patient is assessed as follows:
A – Airway
B – Breathing
C – Circulation
D – Disability
E – Exposure.
When assessing the airway, EMS personnel should look for the rise and fall of the chest. If the chest does not rise and fall consistent with a good airway and normal breathing, then EMS personnel must check for breath sounds by auscultation, which can indicate that the patient is breathing. It is possible that some type of obstruction is preventing normal breathing in the patient. When assessing circulation, the radial and/or femoral …show more content…
For instance, atelectasis, or the collapse of lung tissue, can occur because of crepitus, or a grating of bone upon bone. Respiratory or diaphragmatic splinting are causes of complications from broken ribs. Several types of sounds can be heard upon auscultation, including stridor, wheezing, crackles, and rhonchi. Stridor is usually heard upon inspiration but may occur during exhaling, and is characterized by a high-pitched breath sound, often because of an obstruction in the airway. Stridor can be heard without a stethoscope. Wheezing can be mild, moderate, or severe, and is most often heard during exhalation; this breath sound is commonly present in patients with asthma. Crackles are defined as short sounds that may be indicative of emphysema. Rhonchi are heard in conditions such as pneumonia, when there are thick secretions that hinder normal …show more content…
A pneumothorax can be either open or closed. An open pneumothorax can be the result of a ruptured emphysematous vesicle on the surface of a lung, an open chest wound that allows air inside, or a severe case of coughing; some happen without any apparent reason. This type of pneumothorax often produces a sucking or gurgling sound. A closed pneumothorax indicates that the presence of air is in the pleural space. This type of injury may be caused by broken ribs or may occur with no broken bones. A tension pneumothorax occurs when air that has entered the thoracic cavity cannot get out. This condition can also cause death quickly if it is not recognized soon enough to
Once EMS personnel arrive at the scene, an assessment must be performed so that each injury can be sufficiently addressed. The ABCDE mnemonic is used to assess the condition of the patient. The patient is assessed as follows:
A – Airway
B – Breathing
C – Circulation
D – Disability
E – Exposure.
When assessing the airway, EMS personnel should look for the rise and fall of the chest. If the chest does not rise and fall consistent with a good airway and normal breathing, then EMS personnel must check for breath sounds by auscultation, which can indicate that the patient is breathing. It is possible that some type of obstruction is preventing normal breathing in the patient. When assessing circulation, the radial and/or femoral …show more content…
For instance, atelectasis, or the collapse of lung tissue, can occur because of crepitus, or a grating of bone upon bone. Respiratory or diaphragmatic splinting are causes of complications from broken ribs. Several types of sounds can be heard upon auscultation, including stridor, wheezing, crackles, and rhonchi. Stridor is usually heard upon inspiration but may occur during exhaling, and is characterized by a high-pitched breath sound, often because of an obstruction in the airway. Stridor can be heard without a stethoscope. Wheezing can be mild, moderate, or severe, and is most often heard during exhalation; this breath sound is commonly present in patients with asthma. Crackles are defined as short sounds that may be indicative of emphysema. Rhonchi are heard in conditions such as pneumonia, when there are thick secretions that hinder normal …show more content…
A pneumothorax can be either open or closed. An open pneumothorax can be the result of a ruptured emphysematous vesicle on the surface of a lung, an open chest wound that allows air inside, or a severe case of coughing; some happen without any apparent reason. This type of pneumothorax often produces a sucking or gurgling sound. A closed pneumothorax indicates that the presence of air is in the pleural space. This type of injury may be caused by broken ribs or may occur with no broken bones. A tension pneumothorax occurs when air that has entered the thoracic cavity cannot get out. This condition can also cause death quickly if it is not recognized soon enough to