Nursing 2nd Semester: Common Medical Emergencies

Common Medical Emergencies

• A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain.
• Interventions for seizure activity:
• Turn the patient to the side to reduce the risk of choking.
• Loosen clothing from the neck, chest, or abdominal areas.
• If the patient is standing or sitting, move them gently to the floor.
• Move furniture to provide adequate space for the patient.
• Support their head with a pillow to reduce the risk of head injury.
• Provide supplemental oxygen if the patient is struggling to breathe.
• Administer drug therapy (usually benzodiazepines) to control seizures.

Cardiac Arrest

• Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping.
• What to do in case of cardiac arrest:
• Give the patient CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• CPR is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies where someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped.

Care of Unconscious Patient

• What to do when a patient is unconscious:
• Maintain the patient's airway.
• Protect the patient from falling off the bed.
• Maintain fluid balance and manage nutritional needs.
• Maintain skin integrity.
• Prevent urinary retention.
• Incontinence care.
• Provide sensory stimulation.

First Aid Box

• Items in a first aid box:
• Plasters: to cover minor wounds.
• Eyewash: for first-aid treatment.
• Bandages: to cover and protect wounds from infection.
• Antiseptic sprays or wipes: to clean and disinfect wounds.
• Dressings: to help stop bleeding and protect wounds.
• Pain relief medication: to help relieve pain or discomfort.
• Burn relief cream: to help soothe the pain of burned skin.
• Scissors and tweezers: to cut dressings or remove splinters from the skin.
• First-aid creams: to help speed up the healing process.
• Disposable gloves: to protect first-aid providers from exposure to bodily fluids.

Vocabulary

• Disposable gloves: gloves used one time and then thrown away.
• Bandage: a piece of material used to support a medical device or provide support for the movement of a part of the body.
• Morphine: an opioid oral solution (liquid) medicine prescribed for severe pain.
• Aspirin: a medication that stops the production of certain natural substances that cause fever, pain, swelling, and blood clots.
• Hypodermic needles: a very thin, hollow tube with one sharp tip used to enter the skin.
• Adhesive tapes: a combination of a material and an adhesive film used to bond or join objects together.

Vocabulary Exercise

• Treatments for blisters:
• Sterilize a clean sharp needle with alcohol.
• Make sure there is no glass or other foreign body in the wound.
• Use the needle to puncture the blister.
• Don't remove burnt clothing.
• Squeeze the blister to remove fluid.
• Keep the injured person lying down.
• Immobilize the injured body part once the bleeding has stopped.
• Treat the injured person for shock.

Grammar

• The imperative is used to tell someone what to do or not to do.
• Positive: (infinitive) Ex: Check for signs of circulation.
• Negative: (Do not (Don't) + infinitive) Ex: Don't remove burnt clothing.

Reading

• A British taxi driver, Clive Lawrence, helped a passenger give birth to a baby in the back of his taxi.
• The mother, Asha Gemechu, was on her way to the hospital when she realized the baby was coming too fast.
• Clive Lawrence followed the instructions of a nurse over the taxi radio and helped deliver the baby.
• The mother and baby are both doing well, and the baby is named Mohammed Clive.