ChartFlow Team
As part of our Free EMT Course, check out our 2nd Scenario covering an emergency scenario at an elementary school where a student is having trouble breathing.
Here at ChartFlow, one of our staff writers was also a licensed EMT-B for quite some time. She found that during her EMT classes, the most intimidating subject was medications. While there’s not much given at the BLS level, the idea of giving someone a medication incorrectly was terrifying for her considering the permanency of the intervention. You can just undo a sling if you do it wrong, but you can’t suck a med out of someone’s blood. Because of that, we’ve tried to make some free tools to help ease people’s medication related anxiety.
Log into ChartFlow.io for free patient scenarios related to medication administration. We’ve posted scenarios previously and will continue to post more in the future. Feel free to practice this at home in your imagination, or out loud with a friend or family member.
Once you read the scenario, use a FREE student account on ChartFlow.io to chart what you would do and what changes you would expect post-intervention in the "Patient Complaint and History" and the "Procedures and Interventions" sections.
After you’ve completed the chart, just like you would on a real run report or pass-on report, scroll down to the small text at the bottom of this page for scenario solutions and information.
If you already have an account from the previous scenario, go to ChartFlow.io and login with your same account.
If not, here’s how you can create a new account and access these scenarios:
- Go to ChartFlow.io
- Click to create a “New Student Account”
- Enter Access Code: 77c3c26294
Make sure to enter the Access Code on the first page when you create an Account. If you miss this step, you’ll need to contact ChartFlow’s Support.
Once you’ve created your account, you should see the following screen with activities available.
Scenario 2
Scene:
You arrive onsite to an elementary school. The office secretary leads you to the nurse's room, but the nurse left 15 minutes ago for her lunch break and is not answering her phone. An 8 year old black male is sitting on a chair in a tripod position.
At first glance he is audibly wheezing and only looks up when you enter the room but does not move to greet you. When you ask him what’s happening he answers between labored breaths “I… can’t… breathe”. In his hands is an albuterol inhaler.
The secretary explains, “his parents say he just got diagnosed with asthma. He’s supposed to come to the nurse for help if he has an attack, but she won’t be back for another 15 minutes and I’ve never used an inhaler. I only know how to do CPR and put on bandaids.”
Patient findings:
BP: 110/60
Pulse: 115 bpm
Respiratory Rate: 20 breaths per minute, wheezing on exhale, shallow breathing. Wheezing heard bilaterally on auscultation.
Oxygen stats: 90%
LOC and orientation: Responds appropriately in conversation. Tells you his name, day of the week, school name for location, and explains he was playing basketball in gym class when he started to have a hard time breathing.
Head-to-toe: Pupils equally responsive to light. No injuries, blood, or wounds present.
Known allergies: None
Known Medical History: Asthma
Simulation solution below. Do not read until the activity is complete.
Scenario Solution
This patient is having an asthma exacerbation. Because both the secretary and the child know the child has asthma and needs his inhaler, it should be clear what’s happening. Assist the child in taking his inhaler by following these steps:
- Shake well and remove cap. Attach spacer device if available.
- Breathe out completely
- Place the mouthpiece between teeth and seal lips around it
- Press the canister down one time and inhale slowly and deeply
- Hold breath for 10 seconds before breathing out
Other possible interventions include giving the child oxygen through a nonrebreather mask and contacting his parents or transporting him to a hospital to monitor symptoms.
If you’re an EMS instructor, contact us at sales@chartflow.io for information about our extremely affordable Run Report that you can use to create additional patient scenarios and grade the ones we already have.
-The ChartFlow Team
More posts like this
