EMT Class... Continued

So I had my 2nd test a couple days ago. I missed one very minor point on the practical exam: I forgot to test the suction of the device before using it. Not exactly a life threatening issue but I still wish I hadn't missed it. On the written portion I got 95/100. Again, the best in the class that I know of.

So now we have moved onto the meat of the class: patient assessment. And let me tell you, it is a doozy! In the 'trauma' and 'medical' portion combined there are about 4 to 5 times as many steps to get down for the practical. In fact, this Saturday there is an 8 hour lab! 8 hours, that's right haha... It should be interesting.

Patient assessment is actually one of my favorite topics because it is the way that we get the big picture of what's going on in the patient's body. This includes the scene size-up, initial assessment, focused physical exam and patient history (SAMPLE history as well as OPQRST), rapid trauma exam, detailed physical exam, and on-going exams, etc. All this with vital signs and changing conditions smashed in between all of that. Even if you know all the medical stuff in the world you won't be able to solve the problem if you can't find it in the first place, which is why I like this stuff so much.

Anyways, have to go to bed!

Goodnight,
Daniel