# Medical/trauma patient assessment help



## Kmuggee (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I wanted to give it a try 

I am currently studying for my EMT-B license and I would like some advice on how to do a medical/trauma patient assessment.

Written steps or perhaps a suggested YouTube video would help me a lot!
Out of all the skills for the skill testing, I am most nervous for the assessments.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!


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## TheGodfather (Feb 22, 2012)

Medical Assessment


Trauma Assessment


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## mycrofft (Feb 22, 2012)

*Read your textbook and ask your instructor?*

.........:unsure:


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## Kmuggee (Feb 22, 2012)

Well, I meant additional help. 
I go to class 8 hours every week and I was wanting someone to break down the steps in their own way. Everyone that I see doing a patient assessment does it slightly out of order or adds additional details. What works for you?


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## Kmuggee (Feb 22, 2012)

Looks similiar to the grading sheet in my class. Thank you, though.


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## TheGodfather (Feb 22, 2012)

Kmuggee said:


> Well, I meant additional help.
> I go to class 8 hours every week and I was wanting someone to break down the steps in their own way. Everyone that I see doing a patient assessment, does it slightly out of order or adds additional details. What works for you?



Assessment in the field varies from patient to patient. With that said, assessment in the classroom/NR setting should stick to a systematic and orderly fashion... It would be wise to memorize both of those entire sheets (in order) and then once you get a job out in the field, break it down based on patient condition. (ABCDE should still always be performed in order, on every patient -- it may take 30 seconds, or 30 minutes... either way, it needs to be done)


(i memorized both of those sheets when i went through EMT and i still can recite them, in order, hitting every point)... it's just a good tool to remember.


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## Kmuggee (Feb 22, 2012)

I'll give that a try. I'm just wanting to be more prepared for a real life assessmemt but in the meanwhile, a more organized and systematic way is probably for the best while I'm still a student in a classroom setting. I saved the files to my computer. Thank you!


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## Maine iac (Feb 22, 2012)

It is hard to be more prepared than those sheets.... For every point say what you are looking for and treatments.

These tests are actually testing the amount of verbal diarrhea you have.... Say everything and go systematically down the body.

In real life just go slow and be systematic. Develop a system that works for you, most systems will follow those sheets. You should be thinking about if the situation changes what can I do.


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## Kmuggee (Feb 22, 2012)

Maine iac said:


> It is hard to be more prepared than those sheets.... For every point say what you are looking for and treatments.
> 
> These tests are actually testing the amount of verbal diarrhea you have.... Say everything and go systematically down the body.
> 
> In real life just go slow and be systematic. Develop a system that works for you, most systems will follow those sheets. You should be thinking about if the situation changes what can I do.



Haha, verbal diarrhea indeed. I can do that no problem. I've been in my EMT class for 3 weeks, so I'm not freaking out yet about how I haven't got the assessments quite down. I got a few more months left and I have very basic training from EMR. Thanks for you advice.


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## mycrofft (Feb 23, 2012)

I was serious. They want things a certain way, learn it that way to pass the test.


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## JPINFV (Feb 23, 2012)

The problem with the NREMT is that they use those God-forsaken sheets like a bible when in real life everyone has their own way of doing an assessment. Provided you hit the things that will spell imminent death (e.g. ABCs), the rest is more of a personal preference. No one is going to care the order you ask about history, allergies, and medications (or is it medications, allergies, history, or...) or if you ask for the quality of pain before what provokes the pain.


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## mycrofft (Feb 23, 2012)

I care but I'm not the examiner, and you can't argue with the ump.


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