Download Critical Points Learning Checklist

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Nuts and Bolts, at the end of each
chapter, contains Critical Points, a
detailed Learning Checklist, Key Terms
with definitions, and the National
Standard Curriculum (NSC) Objectives.
This one-stop student refresher area
makes studying quick and easy.
Critical Points
Cardiac events can be considered true emergencies for the patient and the prehospital provider.
An essential part of caring for a patient with cardiac disease is acting quickly to assess your patient and determine the nature of the chest pain.
As an emergency medical technician, you must
know your protocols and must be proficient at
skills required in managing a cardiac emergency.
Cardiac events are emergencies in which emergency medical services truly can make a difference in the patient’s outcome.
Learning Checklist
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❑ Sudden cardiac arrest accounts for more
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than 300,000 deaths per year, with up to
half of those deaths occurring in the prehospital setting. Sudden cardiac arrest is often
the first warning sign a person displays of
cardiac disease.
Cardiac events are true medical emergencies.
The circulatory system is a transport system
for the body. This system includes the heart
and arterial and venous systems.
The circulatory system transports oxygen and
nutrients to the body and removes waste
from the tissues.
The heart is made up of two sides: the right
side and the left side. Both sides have an
atrium and a ventricle.
The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood
from the body.
The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor
blood to the lungs to replenish oxygen.
The left atrium receives oxygenated blood
from the lungs. The left ventricle pumps the
oxygenated blood out to the body.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from
the heart.
Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the
heart.
Capillaries are vessels in which the exchange
of oxygen for carbon dioxide occurs.
The largest artery in the body is the aorta.
The aorta divides into the iliac arteries.
The pulmonary artery originates in the right
ventricle of the heart and delivers blood to
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the lungs to be oxygenated. The pulmonary
artery is the only artery in the body that
carries deoxygenated blood.
Carotid arteries supply the head with blood.
Femoral arteries supply the lower body with
blood.
Radial arteries supply the lower arm and
hand with blood.
Brachial arteries most commonly are used to
obtain a patient’s blood pressure reading.
Tibial pulses are located near the inside of
the ankle.
Dorsalis pedis pulse can be felt on the top of
the foot.
Pulses are felt when an artery runs along a
bony prominence.
The primary function of the veins is to carry
deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
The pulmonary vein carries blood to the left
atrium of the heart from the lungs.
The pulmonary vein is the only vein in the
body that carries oxygenated blood.
The venae cavae are the major veins of the
body and consist of two branches: the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava.
The superior vena cava carries oxygendepleted blood from the head and arms. The
inferior vena cava carries oxygen-depleted
blood from the lower extremities and the
torso.
Blood consists of red blood cells, white
blood cells, plasma, and platelets.
Signs and symptoms of shock are pale, cyanotic, cool, clammy skin; weak, rapid pulse;
rapid, shallow breathing; restlessness,
anxiety, or mental dullness; nausea or vomiting; and decreased or low blood pressure.
Cardiac chest pain may not be described as
pain but as an ache, pressure, tightness, or
squeezing sensation. The pain also may radiate
into the jaw, arms, back, or epigastric region.
Sudden onset of diaphoresis may be the
only significant symptom of cardiac compromise. Anxiety, restlessness, and dyspnea also
can be associated with cardiac emergencies.
Angina, ischemia, or myocardial infarct can
produce similar symptoms.
Initial assessments for cardiac emergencies
are the same as they are for any other type of
emergency.