Questions and Answers Case: Four utility workers are assessing damage to a high-voltage power line transformer. One worker drops a wrench, creating an arc flash, with resultant flash of light and explosion. They are thrown. EMS arrives 7 minutes after…
Questions and Answers Heat-Related Illness 1 What is the definition of a heat-related illness? An illness resulting from inadequate acclimatization, impaired heat dissipation, increased heat production, and/or an elevated wet bulb globe temperature. 2 How does the human body respond…
Questions and Answers Dysbarisms 1 What are dysbarisms? A collection of illnesses resulting from changes in ambient air pressure, to which an individual cannot readily adapt. Dysbarisms include barotrauma, decompression sickness (DCS), arterial gas embolism (AGE), nitrogen narcosis, and oxygen…
Questions and Answers 1 A 60-year-old man was sweeping the floor of his garden shed when he was bitten by a large spider. He has managed to trap the spider under a glass jar. On arrival to his Houston, Texas,…
Questions and Answers 1 What is wilderness medicine? Wilderness medicine is, in general, as defined by Hawkins in Wilderness EMS , “medical care and problem-solving in circumstances where the surrounding environment, has more power over our well-being than does the…
Questions and Answers 1 How has emergency medical services been involved in disasters in the past? Emergency medical services (EMS) has been involved with disaster response as part of their routine responses. During a disaster, EMS will typically be called…
Questions and Answers 1 What is search and rescue (SAR)? SAR is comprised of search functions and rescue functions. This is an important point not only because of differences in the skills and resources involved between these two types of…
Questions and Answers 1 Describe the origin of Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS). The concept of TEMS was born at a series of national conferences in 1989 and 1990 with representatives from EMS, law enforcement, and emergency medicine. The National…
Questions and Answers Initial Response Considerations 1 What is the best way to plan for potential hazardous material (HAZMAT) incidents in a particular region or community? Management of HAZMAT incidents begin well before the alarm goes off. Every organization involved…
Questions and Answers 1 Why is this chapter important and what is the chance that an EMS provider will see injuries from a blast or explosion? The frequency of blast injuries due to military conflict and terrorist activities has increased…