Emergency Response Procedures Flashcards

A patient with a known seizure disorder has a generalized tonic-clonic seizure lasting 6 minutes. This meets the definition of status epilepticus. First-line treatment is:

Answer: Lorazepam 0.1 mg/kg IV or diazepam 0.2 mg/kg IV

Benzodiazepines (lorazepam or diazepam) are the first-line treatment for status epilepticus per Neurocritical Care Society guidelines.

During an OSCE scenario, you are asked to perform a primary survey using ATLS principles. The correct order is:

Answer: Airway with C-spine, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure

ATLS primary survey follows ABCDE: Airway with cervical spine protection, Breathing, Circulation with hemorrhage control, Disability (neuro), Exposure/Environment.

A patient in hemorrhagic shock from a penetrating abdominal wound arrives in the ED. Which resuscitation strategy is currently recommended?

Answer: Damage control resuscitation with balanced blood products (1:1:1 ratio of pRBC:FFP:platelets)

Damage control resuscitation uses packed red cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets in a 1:1:1 ratio to address the lethal triad of coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis.

An examiner asks you to demonstrate the 'two-thumb encircling hands' technique during infant CPR. This technique is preferred over two-finger compression because:

Answer: It generates higher coronary perfusion pressures and is used with two rescuers

The two-thumb encircling technique produces superior coronary perfusion pressure and cardiac output and is the preferred method when two rescuers are available for infant CPR.

A patient with a gunshot wound to the neck has active arterial bleeding. Direct pressure fails to control it. The next best maneuver in the pre-operative setting is:

Answer: Wound packing with hemostatic gauze and sustained direct pressure

Wound packing with hemostatic gauze (e.g., Combat Gauze) and sustained pressure is the accepted technique for compressible junctional hemorrhage when standard direct pressure fails.

In a hospital code blue, the team leader delegates roles. Which role is responsible for documenting all interventions and timestamps?

Answer: The recorder/scribe

The recorder (scribe) tracks all interventions, medications, and their timestamps during a code, providing real-time data for the team leader's decision-making.

A patient is intubated for respiratory failure. After the tube is placed and the stylet removed, which is the GOLD STANDARD for confirming correct endotracheal tube placement?

Answer: Waveform capnography showing end-tidal CO2 ≥35 mmHg

Continuous waveform capnography is the gold standard for confirming ET tube placement because it detects CO2 only if the tube is in the trachea; CXR confirms position but not patency.