Download Chapter 22

Ch. 22-Pediatric and Geriatric
Emergencies
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22.1 Assessing the Child
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Special Assessment Techniques
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Does the child look sick?
Is the child in shock?
Is the child in extreme pain?
How is the child breathing?
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Obtaining a History
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Do not let upset parents and a screaming child unnerve
you; take the time you need to get the information you
need.
Get information from parents or other witnesses, not the
child.
Ask when symptoms developed, how they progressed, and
what care has already been given.
If there was an accident, determine the details of the
accident, the mechanism of injury, and what first aid care
has already been given.
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Taking Vital Signs
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Respirations
Pulse
Temperature
Neurological assessment
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. When assessing a child, you should position yourself
____________.
(above the child/below the child/at the child’s eye level)
2. During assessment, check the most painful part ____________.
(quickly/last/first)
3. You should check a child’s vital signs more ____________ than
you do an adult’s. (frequently/thoroughly/quickly)
4. A child breathes ____________ than an adult.
(slower/faster/more deeply)
5. Check a child’s respiratory rate by placing your hand on the child’s
____________. (chest/stomach/back)
6. Take an infant’s pulse at the ____________ pulse.
(carotid/radial/brachial)
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Vocabulary
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Croup- A viral infection that causes swelling beneath the
glottis and progressive narrowing of the airway
Epiglottitis- A bacterial infection that causes swelling of
the epiglottis and blocking of the airway
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)- Sudden death
of an apparently healthy infant, usually while asleep
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Asthma care includes:
1. Allow the child to assume the position of greatest comfort—
almost always sitting or semisitting. Additionally, give an
asthma victim plenty of fluids, which help loosen and thin
mucus in the air passages.
2. Be calm and reassuring.
3. Activate the EMS system or take the child to a medical
facility.
4. If allowed as part of your training, assist the patient with
his/her inhaler. Even retrieving an inhaler and bringing it to
the patient is valuable.
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Cardiac Arrest
The signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest in a child
include:
 Unresponsiveness
 Seizure (early in onset of arrest due to hypoxia)
 Gasping or absent respiratory sounds
 Absence of chest movement
 Pale or blue skin
 Absent pulse
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Seizures
1. Turn the child onto his or her side to prevent the
tongue from relaxing and shifting backward,
blocking the air passage.
2. Do not hold the child down, but place the child
where he or she will not fall or strike something. A
rug on the floor is excellent; so is a crib with
padded sides.
3. Loosen tight or restrictive clothing.
4. Sponge a feverish child with lukewarm water.
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Shock
The signs and symptoms of shock in a child include:
 Paleness
 Cold, moist skin
 Low blood pressure
 A rapid, thready pulse
 Lack of vitality
 Extreme anxiety
 Unconsciousness
*To care for shock, activate the EMS system, have
the child lie flat, keep the child warm and as calm as
possible, and monitor vital signs frequently.
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. Injuries of the extremities in a child can also damage the ____________.
(bone marrow/growth plates/large ball-and-socket joints)
2. An infant has a proportionally large ____________, which can block the
airway. (tongue/epiglottis/larynx)
3. Most children involved in trauma have an enlarged ___________, which
can interfere with breathing. (tongue/larynx/stomach)
4. A characteristic “seal bark” cough is a sign of ____________.
(asthma/croup/epiglottitis)
5. A child who is drooling, having difficulty speaking, and having difficulty
swallowing probably has _________. (asthma/croup/epiglottitis)
6. Seizures in a child can be caused by _________, which rarely causes
seizures in an adult. (head injury/oxygen deficiency/fever)
7. ____________, which does not usually cause shock in older
victims, can cause shock in an infant.
(Blood loss/Loss of body heat/Major trauma)
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
1. Even if the child is obviously dead, have someone activate
the EMS system and immediately begin infant CPR.
2. Be aware of the parents’ extreme distress; the best first aid
is to make them feel that everything possible has been done
for their child. Leave no room for “ifs” and “maybes.”
Parents will often feel guilt. Be careful not to make
judgmental statements that add to guilt.
3. After the ambulance arrives, encourage the parents to
accompany their baby in the ambulance and arrange for
someone to stay with other children at the home.
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Identifying Child Abuse
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The child is fretful, frightened of parents, afraid to go home, wary
of adults, or apathetic (a child who does not cry, despite injuries)
Abrasions, lacerations, incisions, bruises, broken bones, or
multiple injuries in various stages of healing
Injuries on both the front and the back or on both sides
Unusual wounds, such as circular burns
Injuries to the head, back, and abdomen, including the genitals
Pain, itching, bruises, or bleeding in the genital, vaginal, or anal
areas
Injuries that do not match the mechanisms of injury described by
the parents or caregivers
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First Aid Care for Child Abuse
1. Calm the parents; let them know by your actions that you are
there to help and render first aid care. Speak in a low, firm voice.
2. Focus attention on the child; speak softly to the child, using the
first name. Never ask the child to recreate the situation while in
the crisis environment or with the suspected abuser still present.
3. Conduct a thorough, head-to-toe exam; care for injuries
appropriately.
4. It is not your responsibility to confront any adult with the charge
of child abuse; be supportive and nonjudgmental while at the
scene.
5. Always report your suspicions of child abuse to the proper
authorities, and maintain total confidentiality with others
regarding the incident.
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. Sudden infant death syndrome occurs when an apparently
____________ infant dies while sleeping. (distressed/healthy/ill)
2. Even if a victim of SIDS is obviously dead, you should
____________.
(begin infant CPR/treat for shock/do a primary survey)
3. An abuser often shows ____________ toward the child.
(compassion/guilt/hostility)
4. Suspect child abuse if the child is ____________.
(frightened of parents/clinging to parents/affectionate to parents)
5. If you suspect child abuse, you should _________.
(confront the parents at the scene/report your suspicions to
authorities/ask the child to confirm your suspicions)
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Differing Signs and Symptoms
In myocardial infarction:
 Pain is less common.
 Aching shoulders and indigestion are common.
 The most common symptoms are shortness of breath,
fatigue, and anxiety.
In congestive heart failure:
 Little or no dyspnea is present.
In pneumonia:
 Fever is usually absent (it is a classic sign of
pneumonia in other age groups).
 Chest pain is much less common.
 Cough is much less common.
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Special Assessment Considerations
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The elderly become debilitated much more rapidly; a minor
problem can become major within a few hours.
The victim may be taking a number of medications.
As many as one in four elderly have psychiatric disorders, which
can be the cause of some symptoms (such as clouding of
consciousness).
It can be difficult to separate the effects of aging from the
consequences of disease.
The victim’s chief complaint may seem trivial.
The victim may fail to report important symptoms.
The geriatric victim is likely to suffer from more than one disease
at a time.
Aging may change the victim’s response to illness and injury,
causing you to underestimate the severity of the victim’s
condition.
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Special Examination Considerations
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The victim may be fatigued easily.
The victim may be wearing several layers of clothing.
You need to explain actions clearly before assessing the
elderly victim.
The victim may minimize or deny symptoms out of fear of
being bedridden or institutionalized or of losing a sense of
self-sufficiency.
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Special Trauma Considerations
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They may have slower reflexes, failing eyesight and hearing,
arthritis, less elastic blood vessels, and fragile tissues and
bones.
They are at higher risk for trauma from criminal assault.
They are prone to head injury, even from relatively minor
trauma; signs and symptoms of brain compression develop
more slowly, sometimes over days or weeks.
They often have a significant degree of degenerative disease
of the cervical vertebrae, which can gradually compress the
roots of nerves to the arms or possibly to the spinal cord itself.
Sudden neck movement, with or without fracture, can cause
spinal cord injury.
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. ____________ is less common in elderly victims of myocardial
infarction. (Pain/Indigestion/Shortness of breath)
2. There is usually little or no ____________ in elderly victims of
congestive heart failure. (edema/cyanosis/dyspnea)
3. ____________, a classic sign of pneumonia, is usually absent in
the elderly. (Weakness/Pain/Fever)
4. Signs or symptoms may be masked in elderly victims because
they usually ____________. (take multiple medications/
are immobile/have failing eyesight)
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