Basic Terms

Good Samaritan Law - states that a person acting in good faith, rendering reasonable first aid, will not be held accountable for damages to that person unless gross willful misconduct is used.

Consent - a person allowing you to give first aid.

Informed Consent - you informing the patient of consequences, and then the patient giving permission for you to give first aid.

Implied Consent - when a patient is unconscious, it is given that if the person were conscious, they would request care.

Abandonment - initiating care and then stopping without ensuring that the person has the same level or higher care being rendered.

Negligence - when you have a duty to respond and you fail to provide care or give inappropriate care, and your failure to provide care or inappropriate care uses injury or harm.

Universal Precautions - using gloves, masks, gowns, etc. for every patient every time when there is a possibility of coming in contact with body fluids.

Clinical Death - the moment breathing and heartbeat stop. Typically, a person has a high likelihood of being revived without much cellular damage when clinically dead for approximately 0-6 minutes. Within 6-10 minutes, brain cell damage is highly likely.

Biological Death - irreversible damage to brain cells and tissues. If a person has been clinically dead for 10 minutes or more, there will be irreversible cell damage. Resuscitation is unlikely but not impossible.

THE FIVE FEARS

1. FEAR OF DISEASE

   Solution: Universal precautions. Whenever the possibility of coming in contact with bodily fluids exists, wear personal protective equipment for every patient, every time.

2. FEAR OF LAWSUITS

   Solution: Good Samaritan Laws. States have laws that protect people from legal action who act in good faith to provide reasonable first aid when the rescuer does not have a legal duty to respond.

3. FEAR OF UNCERTAINTY

   Solution: Emphasis is placed on the role of CPR not merely on the number sequences. Even if numbers are forgotten, remember to push hard and push fast. This emphasizes the simplicity of basic life support.

4. FEAR OF HURTING A PATIENT

   Solution: Patients who are clinically dead can only be helped, not made worse with resuscitation efforts.

5. FEAR OF UNSAFE SCENE

   Solution: Never enter an unsafe scene! Rescuers are no use to patients if they become patients themselves.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States. The Center for Disease Control reports that in the United States, over 650,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease.

Controllable Risk Factors

• cigarette smoking

• high blood pressure

• obesity

• lack of exercise

• high blood cholesterol levels

• uncontrolled diabetes

• high fat diet

• high stress

Uncontrollable Risk Factors

• race

• heredity

• sex

• age

HEART ATTACK

Signs and symptoms may include:

• chest discomfort, tightness, that may indicate to the jaw and arms

• nausea

• sweating

• shortness of breath

• denial

• feeling of weakness

Women present more with shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, or flu-like symptoms. About a third of women experience no chest pain.

Treatment: Recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, activate EMS, have patient remain in a position of comfort, offer 1 adult dose aspirin, and keep the patient calm and quiet.

STROKE

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes can be one of two types:

Ischemic - a clot in a blood vessel that restricts or obstructs blood flow to the brain

Hemorrhagic - a blood vessel that ruptures and prevents blood flow to the brain

Signs and symptoms may include:

• numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body

• confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• severe headache with no known cause

Remember this acronym:

F - facial droop

A - arm drift

S - speech

T - time

Treatment: Recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke, activate EMS, give nothing to drink or eat, and keep the patient calm and quiet. Monitor the patient and be prepared to start CPR if necessary.