Question

office, your un you teach patients about first du u respond to emergencies, the better equipped they will to handle accidental injuries and illnesses. Emergencies in ing as a medical assistant. Patients may Cum facility with an acute illness or an injury. You may have to handle a phone call from a patient who has an ur gent physical or psychological problem. Additionally, you could experience a disaster-anything from a sim ple office fire to a bomb threat or bioterrorism. As a health professional you must be prepared to determine the urgency and handle any emergency that arises. Re- member to stay calm and think through each situation in order to respond appropriately and create the best outcome Preparing for Medical Emergencies prepared you are for an emergency can mear the difference between life and death for a patient va CASE STUDY While you are working as a health professional in a busy office practice, the following three things occur at the same time: 1. You have a telephone call waiting for you; a woman wants to speak to you regarding her 4-year-old daughter. According to the administrative assistant who took the call, the daughter has a fever of 103°F. and the mother wants to know how much acetaminophen or aspirin she can give her. 2. A 56-year-old male in room 2 comes out of the room to tell you that his chest is hurting and he is having difficulty breathing. 3. Three patients are waiting to be seen, and you have only the patient in room 2 ready for the physician, The other two exam rooms are empty. As you read this chapter, consider each situation and determine the order in which you will respond. Explain your decisions. Understanding Medical Emergencies ble you to handle must be able to perform procedures quickly and come Keeping your skills up-to-date will enable you to medical emergencies effectively. Just as important is your ability to ensure that cal office where you work is ready to handle whate gencies arise. This preparedness will depend on you ganizational skills and knowl A medical emergency is any situation in which a person suddenly becomes ill or sustains an injury that requires immediate help by a health-care professional. Your prompt action in a medical emergene could nreuant narmann ire that the med le whatever emer on your own or umes

Answer 1

The first priority is given to the 56-year-old patient in room 2 because he is in medical emergency and complaints of hurting of the chest. Delay in responding to this patient may lead to a chance of complications. First should assess the patient complaints and proceed with the emergency treatment based on the assessment. Meanwhile, inform the administrative assistant to hold a call for a minute. Once this patient is settled, attain the phone call and answer her enquires. The last priority gives to the waiting patients to occupy the examination rooms. There is no emergency in the waiting patients, so the priorities are given based on the emergency needs and situation.