Medical Emergencies Flashcards

While monitoring the ECG, you observe a sustained run of ventricular tachycardia. The patient is awake but complains of chest pain and dizziness. What is the technologist's most appropriate immediate action?

Answer: Activate the facility's emergency response system.

Ventricular tachycardia is a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia that can rapidly deteriorate into cardiac arrest. The technologist's primary responsibility is to activate the facility's emergency response system (e.g., call a code, call 911) to get immediate advanced medical help for the patient.

A patient is observed to have a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. The technologist's first priority is to:

Answer: Protect the patient from injury and maintain an open airway.

During a seizure, the immediate priority is to prevent physical injury. The technologist should protect the patient from falling or hitting hard objects and, if possible, gently roll them onto their side to maintain a clear airway and prevent aspiration. All other actions, like annotating the record or calling a physician, are secondary to immediate patient safety.

You observe a flat line (asystole) on the ECG channel. What is the very first step you should take?

Answer: Check the patient for responsiveness and verify lead connections.

Before initiating a full emergency response for asystole, it is critical to rule out a technical cause, which is very common. The first step is to immediately assess the patient for responsiveness (e.g., call their name, shake their shoulder) while simultaneously checking that the ECG electrodes are properly attached. This confirms if the event is clinical or technical.

A patient on CPAP titration develops severe, sustained oxygen desaturation to 78% with visible cyanosis. The patient is difficult to arouse. Which action should be taken first?

Answer: Remove the CPAP mask and activate the emergency response system.

A patient who is unresponsive and cyanotic with severe desaturation is in critical distress. The first step is to remove the PAP interface to rule it out as a source of obstruction and to facilitate assessment of spontaneous breathing. This should be followed immediately by activating the emergency response system.

You hear a loud thud and find that your patient has fallen on the way to the restroom. The patient is conscious but complains of severe pain in their right hip and cannot get up. What is the proper response?

Answer: Do not move the patient; make them comfortable and call for emergency medical assistance.

A fall with a suspected hip fracture is a serious medical situation. The patient should not be moved, as this could worsen the injury. The technologist's role is to make the patient as comfortable as possible without moving them, ensure their safety, and immediately call for emergency medical assistance per facility protocol.

Shortly after applying electrodes using a new brand of conductive paste, the patient develops wheezing, shortness of breath, and hives on their chest and neck. This is most likely:

Answer: An anaphylactic reaction.

The rapid onset of respiratory symptoms (wheezing, shortness of breath) and skin manifestations (hives) after exposure to a potential allergen is the classic presentation of anaphylaxis. This is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate emergency medical intervention.