Drill of the Month Drill of the Month

Drill of the Month

Developed by Gloria Bizjak
Helmet Removal
2
Drill of the Month
Helmet Removal
Student Performance Objective:
Given information, resources, and opportunity for
discussion and practice, EMTs will be able to:
List helmet types, features, and purpose
List the standards that cover helmets
Explain what types of helmets are removed or left in place
after a trauma incident and why
Demonstrate assessment steps and emergency care
EMTs will follow acceptable Maryland medical
practice and Maryland Medical Protocols for
Emergency Medical Providers.
3
Drill of the Month
Altered Mental Status: Assessing
and Managing Seizure Patients
Overview
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Helmet standards
Helmets: Remove or Leave in Place
Assessment and Care Procedures
Practice
4
Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Types: Non-motor or sports helmets
Typically open in front
Some may have chin guards
Have easy access to ABCs
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Types: Non-motor sports helmets
Horseback riding, polo
Bicycle riding, mountain biking
Inline skating, skateboarding
Skiing, snowboarding
Hockey, football, lacrosse (high-impact
contact sports)
Baseball
6
Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Types: Motor sports helmets
Have different protection features than non-
motor sports helmets
Include
Motorcycle riding
Motocross racing
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Features and Purpose
Outer shell: hard plastic (polystyrene)
protects head from impact of fall, crash,
collision
Padding: a Styrofoam-type liningcushions
impact
Other lining: inflatable lining, cloth comfort
liningfor better fit, snugness, comfort
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Features and Purpose
Face shield, chin guard: depending on sport
and position played (football); preference
(motorcycle)offers further protection to
facial areas, e.g., jaw, mouth, eyes
Chin strap: retention systemholds helmet in
place
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
Features and Purpose
Other safety features: Motocross racing
requires Eject Removal Systeminflatable
bladder to remove helmet, requires tools,
training; helmets must have chin bar
Label: Must show DOT, Snell, ANSI, ASTM,
Eject system, or other standard label
Size and types:
Sized for children in some sports (bicycling)
Three types of motorcycle helmets
Full size; three-quarter size, half size
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Drill of the Month
Standards
All helmets must meet one or more of many
rigid standards
Some standards are written specifically to a
particular helmet and its use
All helmets meet standards for:
Impact and penetration
Retention
Surface contour
Lining
May have requirements for:
Peripheral vision (motorcycles specifically)
Labeling (e.g., DOT, Snell, Eject equipped,
etc.)
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Drill of the Month
Standards
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC)benchmark for bicycle helmets
American Standard for Testing Materials
(ASTM)
Snell Helmet testing standards
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)
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Drill of the Month
Standards
Central European Norm (CEN)easiest
standard to meet for skiing, snowboarding
(better helmets meet Snell, ASTM)
National Operating Committee Standards
(NOCS) for athletic equipmentindustry
accepted standard (football)
Safety Equipment Institute (football)
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Drill of the Month
Standards
Department of Transportation (DOT)
required for all motorcycle helmets
American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)
requires Eject Helmet Removal System
(motocross racing)
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Remove or Leave In Place?
Leave the helmet on IF :
The patient is conscious
It does not interfere with assessing or
reassessing ABCs
There are no airway or breathing problems
The helmet fits snugly and does not move
around on patients head
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Remove or Leave In Place?
Leave the helmet on IF:
The patient is wearing shoulder pads
Removal will cause further injury
The patients head can remain in a neutral,
in-line position during transport on a spine
board
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Remove or Leave In Place?
Remove the helmet
Generally IF:
It is easy to remove
It has a removable chin bar and/or face
shield or just a chin strap
One other person is available to maintain
head stabilization until immobilization is
complete
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Drill of the Month
Helmets: Remove or Leave In Place?
Remove the helmet
Specifically IF:
You cannot assess ABCs
It interferes with providing oxygen
Removing face shield still interferes with providing
oxygen
The patient is in respiratory or cardiac arrest
The helmet does not fit snugly and allows head
movement inside helmet
You cannot immobilize patient on a spine board in
a neutral, in-line position
If you remove helmet, remove shoulder pads
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Assessment: Perform General Patient
Care (Maryland Protocols, pp 25-34, 124, 126, 128, 132)
Size up scene, gather information
Stabilize head with helmet on
Perform initial assessment
ABCs, oxygen as necessary
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Assessment: Perform General Patient
Care (Maryland Protocols, pp 25-34, 124, 126, 128, 132)
Determine disability and whether to
remove or leave on helmet
Check distal pulses and sensory motor
function
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Assessment: Perform General Patient
Care (Maryland Protocols, pp 25-34, 124, 126, 128, 132)
Provide cervical spine immobilization if:
Patient was or is unconscious
Patient is disoriented or shows change in
mental status (person, place, time)
You suspect patient of substance
abuse/use
Patient has midline cervical
pain/tenderness
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Assessment: Perform General Patient
Care (Maryland Protocols, pp 25-34, 124, 126, 128, 132)
Provide cervical spine immobilization if:
Patient shows decrease of or no function
in a part of the body (focal neurological
deficit)
Patient has other major painful trauma
Patient is less than 8 years of age
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Assessment: Perform General Patient
Care (Maryland Protocols, pp 25-34, 124, 126, 128, 132)
Expose patient to assess injuries
Perform focused history and physical
exam
Follow treatment protocols
Communicate with hospital or other
response personnel
Determine priority and mode of
transport and where (trauma center)
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Emergency care: Helmet removed (Brady
Emergency Care 10th ed., pp 713-714, Brady First Responder 7th
ed. pp 410-411)
First rescuer stabilizes helmet and head;
second rescuer cuts chin strap
Second rescuer grasps and stabilizes
mandible with one hand and occipital area
with other hand
Second rescuer grasps lower edges of
helmet, pulls sides away from ears, slowly
slides helmet upward over patients head
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Emergency care: Helmet removed
First rescuer resumes head
stabilization until immobilization is
complete
Second rescuer measures and applies
collar; with assistance moves patient
to spine board; secures patient
If you remove helmet, remove shoulder
pads OR
If you do not remove pads, place
padding to maintain neutral, in-line spine
position
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Emergency care: Helmet removed
Rescuers reassess patient
Retake vital signs
Recheck injury treatments
Recheck medical status
Rescuers transport/transfer/transition
patient and information
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Drill of the Month
Assessment and Care Procedures
Emergency care: Helmet left in place
First rescuer stabilizes helmet and head
Second rescuer measures and applies collar;
with assistance moves patient to spine
board; secures patient
Rescuers reassess patient
Retake vital signs
Recheck injury treatments
Recheck medical status
Rescuers transport/transfer/transition
patient and information
27
Drill of the Month
Helmet Removal
Student Performance Objective:
Given information, resources, and opportunity for
discussion and practice, EMTs will be able to:
List helmet types, features, and purpose
List the standards that cover helmets
Explain what types of helmets are removed or left in place
after a trauma incident and why
Demonstrate assessment steps and emergency care
EMTs will follow acceptable Maryland medical practice
and Maryland Medical Protocols for Emergency
Medical Providers.
28
Drill of the Month
Helmet Removal
Practice . . .
Review:
Helmets: Types, Features, Purpose
List several types of helmets
Name several features of helmets in general
State the purpose of helmets

Helmet Standards
List several of the well-known standards for helmets
Explain why you think standards were developed for
the variety of activities for which helmets should be
worn
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Drill of the Month
Helmet Removal
Review:
Helmets: Remove or Leave in Place
Explain when helmets should be left in place
Explain when helmets should be removed

Assessment and Care Procedures
Describe the steps of assessment
Describe the steps for care when the helmet is
removed
Describe the steps for care when the helmet is left in
place