Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Course Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Course Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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EMS 479 - Trauma

Credits: 5
Lecture Hours: 5
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Work Experience: 0
Course Type: Voc/Tech
This course covers Module IV of the DOT National Standard Curriculum for EMT Paramedics. Students will predict the likelihood of injuries to the trauma patient based on mechanism of injury. Skills and management of soft tissue and burn injuries, as well as head, neck, chest and abdominal injuries, are included. 
Prerequisite OR Corequisite: EMS 477  
Competencies
 

  1. Differentiate between penetrating trauma and blunt trauma.
    1. Determine the treatment for penetrating trauma.
    2. Determine the treatment for blunt trauma.
    3. Discuss the percentages of patients with each type of trauma.
  2. Describe the incident and scope of traumatic injuries and death.
    1. Identify and describe the different roles within a trauma system.
    2. Describe the different levels of trauma centers.
    3. List the differences between ground and air transport.
  3. Formulate the treatment plan for shock or hemorrhage.
    1. Discuss how to assess the patient in shock.
    2. Determine how to decrease internal hemorrhage.
    3. Determine how to stop external hemorrhage.
  4. Critique the history, etiology and physical findings of external bleeding.
    1. Predict hemorrhage on the basis of a patient’s injury.
    2. Distinguish between controlled and uncontrolled bleeding.
    3. Develop a treatment plan for controlled and uncontrolled bleeding.
    4. Demonstrate the various techniques for bleeding control.
  5. Analyze the incidence, mortality and morbidity rates of soft tissue injuries.
    1. Identify the layers of the skin.
    2. Discuss the pathophysiology of soft tissue injuries.
    3. Distinguish between open and closed soft tissue injuries.
    4. Develop a treatment plan for soft tissue injuries.
  6. Formulate a treatment plan for soft tissue trauma.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  7. Evaluate the history, etiology and physical findings of burn injuries.
    1. Learn the anatomy and physiology associated with burn injuries.
    2. Describe the different types of burn injuries.
    3. Formulate a treatment plan for burn injuries.
  8. Formulate the treatment plan for a suspected head injury.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  9. Formulate the treatment plan for a suspected spinal cord injury.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  10. Assess the incidence, mortality and morbidity of spinal injuries.
    1. Learn the anatomy and physiology of the spinal cord.
    2. Predict spinal injuries on the basis of mechanism of injury.
    3. Explain traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.
    4. Learn the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
  11. Formulate a treatment plan for a thoracic injury.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  12. Explain the relevance of thoracic injuries in the trauma patient.
    1. Discuss the types of thoracic injuries.
    2. Assess the pathophysiology of thoracic injuries.
    3. Predict thoracic injuries on the basis of mechanism of injury.
    4. Formulate a treatment plan for thoracic injuries.
  13. Evaluate the incidence, mortality and morbidity of abdominal trauma.
    1. List the anatomy and physiology of organs and structures related to abdominal trauma.
    2. Predict abdominal trauma based on mechanism of injury.
    3. Explain the pathophysiology of abdominal trauma.
    4. Develop a treatment plan for abdominal injuries.
  14. Formulate the treatment plan for a musculoskeletal injury.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  15. Assess the incidence, mortality and morbidity of musculoskeletal trauma.
    1. Predict musculoskeletal injuries on the basis of mechanism of injury.
    2. Explain the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal trauma.
    3. List the anatomy and physiology of organs and structures related to musculoskeletal trauma.
    4. Formulate a treatment plan for musculoskeletal trauma.
  16. Evaluate the incidence of head, facial and neck injuries.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  17. Assess head and facial trauma.
    1. Describe common mechanisms of injury associated with facial trauma.
    2. Explain the anatomy and physiology of the head and face.
    3. Develop a treatment plan for head and facial trauma.
    4. Demonstrate the proper removal of a helmet from a head or facial trauma patient.
  18. Formulate a treatment plan for a head, neck or facial injury.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  19. Assess the incidence, mortality and morbidity of environmental emergencies.
    1. Define environmental emergencies.
    2. Discuss the various types of environmental emergencies.
    3. Describe the anatomy and physiology of the body with environmental emergencies.
    4. Develop a management plan for environmental emergencies.
  20. Identify common mechanisms of injury in the farm setting.
    1. Recognize organophosphate poisoning.
    2. Explain the urgency of caring for a patient with injuries in the farm setting.
    3. Identify the hazards associated with confined spaces.
  21. Define and describe wilderness medicine and wilderness EMS.
    1. Describe a wilderness EMS system.
    2. Discuss the different protocols used in wilderness EMS.
    3. Identify current wilderness EMS systems in the United States.
    4. Identify challenges facing wilderness EMS systems.
  22. Assess assessment of seriously and non-seriously injured trauma patients.
    1. Assess the patient.
    2. Determine a plan of care.
    3. Initiate a treatment plan.
  23. Evaluate the value of research for trauma patients.
    1. Determine types of research.
    2. Interpret a research article on trauma.
    3. Discuss how research has changed trauma care.
  24. Explain the “Golden Hour” concept.
    1. Discuss factors such as response time to the incident.
    2. Describe time needed to extricate a patient.
    3. Define the “golden hour”.
  25. Examine the laws of inertia.
    1. Define inertia.
    2. Define motion.
    3. Describe conservation of energy.
  26. Describe kinetic energy.
    1. Define mass.
    2. Define velocity.
    3. Describe how increasing mass directly increases kinetic energy.
  27. Explain common blast injuries.
    1. Describe primary blast injuries.
    2. Describe secondary blast injuries.
    3. Describe tertiary blast injuries.
  28. Describe special considerations of blast injury assessment.
    1. Recognize pulmonary blast trauma as life threatening.
    2. Explain the sudden compression and decompression in the abdomen.
    3. List the problems associated with the ears and blast wave forces.
  29. Document the essential elements of trauma assessment.
    1. Document patient’s past medical history.
    2. Document patient’s physical exam findings.
    3. Document patient’s history of illness.
    4. Document treatment provided.
  30. Demonstrate assessment of patients experiencing trauma.
    1. Perform a pediatric trauma assessment.
    2. Perform a geriatric trauma assessment.
    3. Perform an assessment on all genders.
  31. Demonstrate assessment of trauma patients in a variety of scenarios.
    1. Demonstrate assessment during extrication.
    2. Demonstrate assessment in a confined space.
    3. Demonstrate assessment when hazardous materials are present.
  32. Implement a management plan based on field impression.
    1. Implement a management plan on a pediatric patient.
    2. Implement a management plan on a geriatric patient.
    3. Implement a management plan on all genders.
  33. Demonstrate assessment of patients experienceing soft tissue injuries.
    1. Perform a pediatric trauma assessment.
    2. Perform a geriatric trauma assessment.
    3. Perform an assessment on all genders.
  34. Implement a management plan based on soft tissue injury field impression.
    1. Implement a management plan on a pediatric patient.
    2. Implement a management plan on a geriatric patient.
    3. Implement a management plan on all genders.
  35. Prepare a written EMS trauma report.
    1. Utilize correct medical terminology.
    2. Utilize correct medical abbreviations.
  36. Accurately document all pertinent data.

Competencies Revised Date: 2019



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