Question

You are dispatched for a 35-year-old male complaining of chest pain. You arrive on scene at a residential address in a very run-down section of town. You approach the scene carefully, and upon entering, you find that the patient has been shot in the chest. What should you do?

1) Exit the scene and call for law enforcement.
2) Call for law enforcement and then begin care.
3) Provide treatment of immediate life threats only.
4) Provide treatment of immediate life threats and then leave the scene.

Answer 1

When on a scene with a gunshot victim, the first step is to exit the scene and call for law enforcement. Providing medical care, such as CPR, begins only after the scene is secured and continues until the patient recovers or is pronounced deceased by medical authorities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Responding to a Gunshot Victim

When you are dispatched to a scene involving a patient with chest pain and upon arrival discover the individual has been shot in the chest, the priority is to ensure your own safety while calling for additional help. The correct course of action would be to:

Exit the scene and call for law enforcement immediately. Providing care in an unsafe environment could endanger your life.

Once law enforcement has secured the scene, provide treatment to the patient for any immediate life threats.

While waiting for the scene to be secured, it is imperative not to engage in medical care which could compromise your safety. However, once the area is safe, you may begin to administer necessary medical attention, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), if the patient is in cardiac arrest and requires it. This care should continue until the patient shows signs of spontaneous circulation or is declared deceased by qualified medical personnel.