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You and your partner Pepe arrive on scene to find a man in his early twenties with a large gash on his forearm that is spurting blood. You immediately apply pressure with your gloved hand as Pepe hands you a trauma dressing. The patient is pale with a weak rapid pulse and respirations of 30 breaths per minute. As you are finishing your initial assessment and bandaging the wound the PT tells you to "get away" from him. Your best course of action would be to do what?

A. Have Pepe wrestle him onto the stretcher

B. Explain the patient that you are almost finished bandaging the wound and you will leave him alone then

C. Stop bandaging the wound and call for police assistance in restraining the patient in transport

D. Tell the patient you cannot leave him until the wound is bandaged and the restrain him to the stretcher

User Lucas Holt
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Final answer:

In a medical emergency with a severely injured patient who resists treatment, continue to provide necessary care while explaining the importance of the treatment to the patient, and seek additional support if needed. Ensure documentation of all events and actions.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you arrive on a scene and find someone with a severe, life-threatening injury such as a spurting wound, your first priority is to provide immediate medical assistance. In the scenario where you apply pressure and a trauma dressing to a man's arm while he's experiencing signs of shock (pale skin, weak rapid pulse, and high respiration rate) and the patient then tells you to "get away," you must quickly weigh the urgency of the medical intervention against the patient's autonomy.

Medical ethics and emergency response protocols generally stipulate that life-saving interventions can be justified even if a competent patient is initially resistant, especially if the patient's mental state could be compromised due to shock or injury. Therefore, in this case, you should calmly explain the necessity of the treatment and continue to care for the patient, while avoiding any unnecessary restraint unless the patient poses a risk to themselves or others. Always follow protocol to ensure patient safety and legal compliance.

If the situation escalates or the patient continues to refuse care after being informed of the risks, it's important to call for additional support from law enforcement or a higher medical authority. Documentation of the patient's condition, your actions, and his refusal of care are essential in such a situation.

User Andrew McGuinness
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