- Prehospital Trauma Life Support Scene Assessment and Safety Flashcards

During scene size-up, what should the prehospital provider determine about the mechanism of injury?

Answer: The forces involved, body areas potentially affected, and number of patients

Understanding the mechanism helps providers estimate energy transfer, predict injury patterns, and make appropriate triage and transport decisions.

What does PHTLS identify as the most common hazard that injures or kills emergency responders at scene?

Answer: Traffic-related incidents at roadway scenes

Traffic-related incidents, including being struck by passing vehicles, are the leading cause of line-of-duty injuries and deaths for emergency responders.

When should a prehospital provider NOT enter a trauma scene?

Answer: When active hazards exist that have not been controlled

Providers should never enter a scene with uncontrolled hazards as becoming a victim reduces available resources.

What information should be relayed to dispatch during the scene size-up that may change the response?

Answer: Number of patients, apparent severity, special hazards, and resource needs

Early communication about patient count, severity, hazards, and resource needs allows dispatch to send appropriate additional resources.

According to PHTLS, how should a prehospital provider approach a trauma patient at a crime scene?

Answer: Provide patient care while minimizing disturbance to potential evidence

Patient care is the priority, but providers should minimize evidence disturbance when possible.

What role does environmental assessment play in the PHTLS scene size-up?

Answer: It identifies weather, terrain, lighting, and conditions that affect patient care and provider safety

Environmental conditions including weather, terrain, lighting, temperature, and accessibility all affect patient care and provider safety.

During a mass casualty incident, what triage system does PHTLS reference for initial field triage?

Answer: START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment)

The START triage system allows rapid categorization of multiple patients into immediate, delayed, minor, and expectant categories.

What is the significance of the 'mechanism of injury' step in the CDC Field Triage Decision Scheme?

Answer: It is Step Three, used when physiologic and anatomic criteria are not met but high-energy mechanism suggests occult injury

Step Three captures patients who appear stable but have high-energy mechanisms suggesting potential for serious occult injuries.

How does PHTLS recommend managing multiple patients at a scene when resources are limited?

Answer: Triage all patients, prioritize those most likely to survive with intervention, and request additional resources

PHTLS teaches triaging all patients to identify those who will benefit most from immediate intervention, maximizing the number of survivors.

What personal protective equipment does PHTLS recommend as minimum standard for trauma scene operations?

Answer: Gloves and eye protection at minimum, with additional PPE based on scene hazards

PHTLS recommends gloves and eye protection as minimum PPE, with additional protection added based on specific scene hazards.

According to PHTLS, what should a provider do if scene conditions deteriorate during patient care?

Answer: Reassess safety, consider withdrawing if conditions become unsafe, and protect the patient if possible

Scene safety is dynamic. If conditions deteriorate, providers must reassess and may need to rapidly relocate or withdraw.

Why does PHTLS emphasize determining the number of patients during scene size-up?

Answer: To determine resource needs, triage requirements, and whether to declare a mass casualty incident

Patient count determines whether available resources are sufficient and how to prioritize care.