Core Concepts¶
These are the frameworks, scoring tools, and physical laws that underpin everything else. You'll reference these constantly — learn them before you hit the assessment and clinical sections.
Prerequisites: Foundations
Articles¶
| Article | Description |
|---|---|
| avpu | Four-level consciousness scale: Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive |
| glasgow-coma-scale | 15-point neurological scoring for eye, verbal, and motor responses |
| sample-opqrst | History-taking frameworks: symptoms, allergies, meds, pertinent history, last oral intake, events; onset, provocation, quality, radiation, severity, time |
| dcap-btls | Physical exam mnemonic: deformity, contusions, abrasions, punctures, burns, tenderness, lacerations, swelling |
| vital-signs | Baseline assessment: BP, pulse rate/quality, respirations, skin, pupils, SpO2 |
| pulse-oximetry | SpO2 measurement, normal ranges, limitations, and when the number lies |
| six-rights | Medication administration checklist: patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation |
| shock-physiology | Cellular hypoperfusion, compensated vs. decompensated, shock types and progression |
| kinematics-of-trauma | Energy transfer, blunt vs. penetrating mechanisms, predictable injury patterns |
| rule-of-nines | Body surface area estimation for burns: head 9%, each arm 9%, each leg 18% |
| cincinnati-stroke-scale | Three-finding stroke screen: facial droop, arm drift, speech — any positive = stroke |
| apgar-score | Neonatal assessment at 1 and 5 minutes: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respirations |
| start-triage | Mass casualty triage: 30-2-can-do sorting into immediate, delayed, minor, deceased |
| load-and-go-vs-stay-and-play | Is the thing killing this patient fixable in the field? 10-minute scene time target; conditions that mandate immediate transport |
Up next: AVPU