Question

You are dispatched to a state park for a young female experiencing an allergic reaction. Your assessment reveals that her breathing is severely labored and her blood pressure is very low. You carry epinephrine auto-injectors on your ambulance and have been trained and approved by your medical director to administer them. As your partner gives the patient supplemental oxygen, you attempt to contact medical control but do not have a signal from your cell phone. You should ________.

1) Administer the epinephrine auto-injector immediately
2) Continue to attempt to contact medical control
3) Wait for the patient's condition to improve on its own
4) Call for backup assistance

Answer 1

In this scenario, the immediate priority should be to administer the epinephrine auto-injector to the young female experiencing an allergic reaction. The severe labored breathing and low blood pressure indicate a potentially life-threatening situation, and epinephrine can counteract these symptoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this scenario, the immediate priority should be to administer the epinephrine auto-injector to the young female experiencing an allergic reaction. The severe labored breathing and low blood pressure indicate a potentially life-threatening situation, and epinephrine can counteract these symptoms. Since you are unable to contact medical control due to the lack of a signal on your cell phone, it is crucial to administer the epinephrine while your partner provides supplemental oxygen.

Keywords: epinephrine auto-injector, labored breathing, low blood pressure, anaphylaxis, allergic reaction, administer