Question

You arrive at the scene of an incident involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian. Law enforcement officers are present, but the paramedic unit will not arrive for another 5 minutes. Your patient, who was struck by the vehicle, is a 16-year-old girl. She is unconscious and has severe bleeding from her head. You should:

A. begin immediate treatment and ask a law enforcement officer to attempt to contact the child's parents.
B. keep curious bystanders away from the patient until the paramedic unit arrives at the scene.
C. contact the child's parents and obtain phone consent before rendering any emergency medical care.
D. ask a law enforcement officer to sign a statement that you are providing care without parental consent.

Answer 1

When arriving at the scene of an incident involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, the priority is to assess and provide immediate treatment to the injured person. In this case, the unconscious 16-year-old girl with severe bleeding from her head requires immediate medical attention. Option A, begin immediate treatment, is the correct choice.

Step-by-step explanation:

When arriving at the scene of an incident involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, the priority is to assess and provide immediate treatment to the injured person. In this case, the unconscious 16-year-old girl with severe bleeding from her head requires immediate medical attention. Option A, begin immediate treatment, is the correct choice. It is important to stabilize the girl's condition and stop the bleeding to prevent further harm.

While it may be important to inform the child's parents about the situation, the immediate focus should be on providing emergency medical care. Contacting the child's parents and obtaining phone consent, as mentioned in option C, can be done once the injured person's condition is stable. Similarly, asking a law enforcement officer to sign a statement for care without parental consent, as mentioned in option D, should not be a priority at this moment.

It is also important to ensure the safety and well-being of the injured person by keeping curious bystanders away from the patient until the paramedic unit arrives at the scene, as mentioned in option B. However, providing immediate treatment takes precedence over managing bystanders.