Question

In performing a secondary assessment on a trauma patient for whom no critical findings were identified in the primary assessment, in what order should the EMT complete the steps?

1) Modified secondary assessment, baseline vital signs, history
2) History, baseline vitals, medical history
3) SAMPLE and OPQRST, modified secondary assessment, baseline vitals
4) Baseline vitals, rapid secondary assessment, medical history

Answer 1

In a secondary assessment of a trauma patient, the EMT should conduct a rapid secondary assessment, gather a detailed patient history using mnemonics like SAMPLE and OPQRST, and then measure baseline vital signs.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) performs a secondary assessment on a trauma patient after no critical findings have been identified in the primary assessment, the steps should generally be in the following order:

1. Perform a rapid secondary assessment to quickly identify any injuries that were not apparent during the primary survey.
2. Gather a patient history, which might include the SAMPLE (Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, Events leading to illness/injury) and OPQRST (Onset, Provocation, Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, and Time) mnemonics.
3. Measure baseline vital signs such as temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation.

Given the options provided by the student, the correct order would be closest to 3) SAMPLE and OPQRST, modified secondary assessment, baseline vitals. However, it's important to note that practices can vary slightly depending on protocols and training, but generally, the history and a more detailed examination are done after a rapid secondary assessment to expand on the patient's condition before proceeding with baseline vitals.