chbare Posted November 10, 2013 Posted November 10, 2013 You are dispatched to a "child with difficulty breathing."
Eydawn Posted November 10, 2013 Posted November 10, 2013 What's my setting- school, playground, home, etc? Age and gender of child? Let's start there.... Wendy CO EMT-B RN-ADN
Eydawn Posted November 10, 2013 Posted November 10, 2013 I see how this is going to go. ;-) What ethnicity is the child? Who else is home? Is my scene safe? What are the child's respirations? Can I hear breath sounds walking in, without a stethoscope? What are my baseline vitals, including BP, RR, temp (if I can get one), SaO2? What are my breath sounds, depth and quality of respirations? Where is the child in the home? Wendy CO EMT-B RN-ADN Nota Bene: man, you know I'm stuck and bored when my post count rockets...
chbare Posted November 10, 2013 Author Posted November 10, 2013 Yep, LOL. You guys are typically so spot on, I struggle to make a scenario last more than a few posts before everybody has it figured out. You note no overt scene hazards. The child's parents are home and you can insert any ethnic or apparent ethnic background you want. The child is sitting on the floor quickly moving his head in a lateral (side to side), repetitive manner. He appears to be breathing about 30 times a minute with a few periods of irregularity. SPO2 is reading 97% on room air. Your partner is pulling equipment for the baseline vital sign assessment.
scubanurse Posted November 10, 2013 Posted November 10, 2013 Any medical/social hx on the kiddo? Developmental issues, psych, etc? Allergies and the likes. Parents demeanor? Are the calm or are they freaking the f**** out? Does the kid make eye contact with you, your partner, or your parents?
chbare Posted November 10, 2013 Author Posted November 10, 2013 No past medical or developmental problems noted. Parents appear very concerned but not overly dramatic. The patient does not maintain eye contact and appears to be interacting with stimuli that are not present.
Caduceus Posted November 10, 2013 Posted November 10, 2013 Hm. Um, not any kind of EMS responder here, but do either of the parents smoke? Even if they're not when you arrive? Could it be asthma? (Just guessing don't get mad. . .)
scubanurse Posted November 11, 2013 Posted November 11, 2013 I'm hoping my partner has figured out what the vitals are and a quick 3-lead?
chbare Posted November 11, 2013 Author Posted November 11, 2013 No history of smoke exposure from the parents. 138/80, 158, 44. Three lead shows sinus tachycardia.
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