Rescue Techniques & Emergency Response Flashcards
7 cards from real ASC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Rescue Techniques & Emergency Response flashcards as text
What is 'companion rescue' and why is it statistically the most effective form of avalanche rescue?
Answer: Rescue performed by surviving members of the same group within the first critical minutes before external help arrives
Companion rescue by survivors on-scene in the first 15 minutes provides the best survival odds because professional rescue typically arrives after the critical burial window.
When performing CPR on an avalanche victim with suspected hypothermia, what modification to standard CPR protocol applies?
Answer: CPR is continued until the patient is rewarmed to at least 30°C or definitive care is available
The principle 'not dead until warm and dead' requires continuing CPR until rewarming at a hospital because hypothermic hearts can recover from prolonged arrest.
What information should be relayed to emergency dispatch when calling for help after an avalanche?
Answer: Location (GPS or landmark), number of victims, burial status, your phone number, and current hazard conditions
Dispatch needs location, victim count and status, callback number, and hazard conditions to deploy the correct resources and guide rescuers safely to the scene.
What is the recommended action if a victim is found in full cardiac arrest with a core temperature below 28°C in the field?
Answer: Initiate CPR, protect from further heat loss, and arrange urgent evacuation to a hospital with ECMO capability
Profound hypothermia cardiac arrest patients have been resuscitated with ECMO rewarming in hospital — field CPR and rapid evacuation are the correct interventions.
What is 'probing in a grid pattern' and when is it used in avalanche rescue?
Answer: A systematic line of probers advancing in parallel rows used when no beacon is present or to confirm beacon-located victims
Organized grid probing is the standard method when victims have no beacon or as confirmation after a beacon fine search narrows the location.
How should rescuers manage their own avalanche beacon during a rescue to avoid interfering with the search?
Answer: Switch to receive mode and keep it away from other electronic devices to reduce interference
All rescuers switch to receive mode and keep the beacon clear of radios and phones to ensure clean signal reception during the search.
What is the significance of an air pocket around a buried victim's face in terms of survival?
Answer: It extends survival time by providing breathable air, but CO2 buildup still limits survival to roughly 90 minutes
An air pocket can extend survival time significantly, but CO2 builds up as oxygen depletes, making rapid rescue still critical even with an air pocket present.