You arrive on the scene of a two-car motor vehicle collision. The patient was the unrestrained driver of a car that struck another from behind at 25 mph. In the course of the collision, the patient flew forward and struck the windshield with his head. No airbags were deployed. The patient extricated himself and is not complaining of any head, neck, or back pain; however, you do note a small cut on his hand, which occurred as he was getting out of the car. When asked about preexisting medical problems he tells you that he did have herniated disks in his lumbar spine repaired several years ago. Which one of the following should provide the AEMT with the strongest reason to immobilize this patient to the long spine board?
A) Self-extrication of the patient
B) History of back surgery
C) Mechanism of injury
D) Laceration to the hand
Question 2
When assessing a patient's pulse, you note that it is irregular. To get an accurate heart rate, the AEMT should:
A) feel the carotid pulse for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
B) count the number of beats that occur in one minute.
C) listen to the pulse with a stethoscope.
D) double the number of beats obtained in 30 seconds.
Patient teaching: ear assessment
Utagawa Hiroshige, Hamamatsu: Winter Scene, plate 30 from The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, ...
Testing motor function of cranial nerve VII - Smile
Testing motor function of cranial nerve VII - Close both eyes
A Motor Neuron