EMT A150 Emt-1/Basic Acute condition- lifestyle Origin Orange Coast College

Origin Orange Coast College

EMT A150 Emt-1/Basic Acute condition- lifestyle Origin Orange Coast College

Block 3
Migraine Headache
● Definition: Migraines occur when blood vessels change in size near the base of the brain. Patients of any
age can experience migraines, whether they are young or old.
● Risk Factors:
○ Acute condition- lifestyle origin
○ Structural
■ Females
○ Metabolic
■ History of migraines
● Signs & Symptoms
○ Pain in the head
■ Pounding
■ Throbbing
■ Pulsating
○ Nausea
○ Vomiting
○ Flashing lights
○ Partial vision loss
○ Symptoms can last from a few hours, to multiple days
● Field Treatment
○ Be sure to reassess patient for serious underlying conditions
○ High flow oxygen via nonrebreather mask
○ Dark, quiet environment
■ Do NOT use lights and sirens when transporting patient
■ Patients are sensitive to sound and light
○ Immediate transport via position of comfort
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
● Definition: A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a temporary blood clot that gets lodged in the brain,
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lOMoARcPSD|5960618which decreases blood supply to brain tissue. Usually these symptoms will disappear within 24 hours,
but as an EMT, you may not be able to judge between a TIA and a stroke. Transient Ischemic Attacks
(TIA) are often called mini strokes, because they present the symptoms of a stroke, however they go
away after the clot dissolves or gets dislodged. Since these symptoms are temporary, the patient’s brain
tissue is not damaged. Though a TIA is not necessarily a dangerous condition, a TIA is usually a
warning sign for a future stroke.
● Risk Factors:
○ Acute Condition- lifestyle origin
○ Structural
■ Geriatric patients
○ Metabolic
■ Atherosclerosis
● Signs & Symptoms
○ Facial drooping
○ Sudden weakness on one side of the body
○ Lack of muscle coordination
○ Loss of balance
○ Loss of sensation and movement on one side of the body
○ Vision loss; blurred or double vision
○ Difficulty swallowing
○ Decreased level of responsiveness
○ Speech disorders
○ Aphasia (speech difficulty)
○ Acute severe headache
○ Confusion, dizziness, combativeness, restlessness
○ Tongue deviation
○ coma
○ Symptoms that last for 24 hours or less
● Field Treatment
○ Strict airway maintenance
○ High flow oxygen via nonrebreather mask ONLY if patient is experiencing hypoxia or
respiratory distress
○ Aspirin
○ Restraint (protection from injury) if patient has paralysis of extremities
○ Verbal comfort
○ Immediate transport
Concussion
● Definition: Concussions occur after mild traumatic brain injury, such as some sort of blow to the head.
In a concussion, there shouldn’t be any visible trauma to the head, rather a temporary loss or altered
function of the brain. Concussions range from mild to serious, depending on the mechanism of injury.
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lOMoARcPSD|5960618● Risk Factors
○ Acute Condition- Traumatic Origin
○ Structural
■ Athletes
○ Metabolic
● Signs & Symptoms
○ Loss of consciousness (10% of patients)
○ Inability to breathe for a short time
○ Amnesia
■ Retrograde amnesia (remembers event)
■ Anterograde (posttraumatic) amnesia (does not remember event)
○ Dizziness
○ Weakness
○ Visual changes
○ Nausea or vomiting
○ Ringing in ears
○ Slurred speech
○ Inability to focus vision
○ Lack of coordination
○ Delay of motor functions
○ Inappropriate emotional responses
○ Temporary headache, disorentation
○ “Seeing stars”
● Field Treatment
○ Use jaw-thrust maneuver to open up airway
■ If you cannot maintain an open and clear airway, you can use head tilt chin lift technique
only as a last resort
○ OPA or NPA as needed
○ High flow oxygen via nonrebreather mask
○ Emotional support
○ In-line stabilization
○ Immediate transport via supine position in a long backboard
Generalized Seizure
● Definition: Also known as a convulsion is a temporary alteration in consciousness. Characterized by
unconsciousness and a generalized severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that lasts several
minutes or longer. This type of seizure results from abnormal discharges from large areas of the brain,
usually involving both hemispheres.
● Risk Factors

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