Medical Emergencies¶
Medical emergencies are calls where the problem is internal — no mechanism of injury, but something is going wrong inside the body. Apply the assessment framework from the previous section to each condition here.
Prerequisites: Pharmacology
Articles¶
| Article | Description |
|---|---|
| acs-chest-pain | Aspirin 324 mg, nitroglycerin criteria, STEMI advance notification |
| respiratory-distress | Intervention ladder: position → O2 → BVM; silent chest = impending arrest |
| asthma-copd | Albuterol 5 mg nebulized; ipratropium adjunct; hypoxic drive caution in COPD |
| stroke | Cincinnati/FAST, last known well time, Stroke Center transport; no ASA |
| diabetic-emergencies | Oral glucose if alert and can swallow; glucometry; IV dextrose = ALS scope |
| anaphylaxis | Epinephrine 0.3 mg IM; systemic vs. localized; biphasic reaction risk |
| seizure | Airway protection, lateral positioning, glucometry, status epilepticus = ALS |
| altered-loc | Glucometry first; differential: hypoglycemia, OD, stroke, trauma, cardiac |
| shock | Recognize early (AMS + tachy + poor perfusion); O2, position, IV, priority transport |
| overdose-poisoning | Naloxone for opioid OD; scene safety; Poison Control 800-222-1222 |
| behavioral-psychiatric | Scene safety, de-escalation, one provider; chemical restraint = ALS |
| abdominal-pain | NPO, position of comfort, transport; AAA + hypotension = priority |
| syncope | All syncope requires hospital; check BGL, cardiac monitor, rule out hemorrhage |
| environmental-emergencies | Heat stroke: mist + fan; hypothermia: 60-sec pulse check, gentle handling; drowning: ABC |
| nausea-vomiting | Lateral position; identify underlying cause; anti-emetics = ALS |
Up next: ACS / Chest Pain