Emergency Medicine

Abigail Bergman, Independent Study Mentorship- Spring 2018, Mrs. Kristi Click
 Disclaimer:
Some information and visuals may
come from outside sources and
will be cited at the end of this
presentation
Mentor

• Erika Sanchez, RN

• ER Nurse at the UTMB Victory Lakes campus in League City

since 2016

• Registered Nurse since 2014

• 4 years of nursing

• Has a bachelors in both science and nursing

What is ISM?
• Independent Study Mentorship

• Designed to make students take charge of their own learning

• Must visit mentorship site at least 3 hours per week

• An advance academic course

• Allows students the freedom to engage themselves in an environment they

are interested in after high school
Why?
• Mentorship is in Emergency Room

• Has a large variety of different cases that can be seen during a shift

• Getting to see new illnesses and injuries allows for a wider expansion of
learning
• Is a lot more interesting that just focusing on one topic alone

• Allows for more room to expand my range of knowledge and research things
that I’ve never seen before I came to the ER
Common Patients
Flu and Cold-
• Issue urine test (and pregnancy test if female)
• Take vitals
• Issue any medicine needed for illness
• Give patient IV fluids if needed
• Discharge patient with medicine if needed

Lacerations-
• Receive statement from patient
• Administer tetanus shot if needed
• Inject lidocaine in and around the laceration site
• Irrigate the wound with saline solution and water
• Clean with gauze and tissues
• Suture laceration closed if needed
• Bandage and discharge patient
Common Patients Cont.
Chest pain-
• Ask for patient history
• Ask patient a series of questions
• Get an EKG on patient to look for any signs of a heart attack, arr
hythmia’s, or STEMI’s (ST elevated myocardial infarction)
• Draw blood on the patient to send to lab for testing
• If needed, patient may be given pain medication
• If needed, patient may be put on oxygen
IV Starts
Contents:
• Gauze
• Tape
• Alcohol prep wipe
• Adhesive bandage
• Latex-free tourniquet
• Needle

• Tie the tourniquet around the upper arm

• Clean the area with the alcohol wipe or the chlorowipe
• Insert the needle to start the IV
• Retract needle and secure the IV to the arm with tape
Equipment
Bag valve mask:
• Difficulty breathing or not breathing at all
• Gives better rescue breathing than mouth-to-mouth

Vitals monitor:
• Used to take patients vitals
• Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels

EKG machine:
• Used to detect heart arrhythmias
• Used on chest pain patients
Level 1 Patients
• Chest pains- Can be a symptom of a heart attack or may indicate some
greater health hazard

• Life-threatening illness or injury- May need immediate action for life or death

• Seizures- Can cause neurological damage

• Shock- Number 1 cause of death in accidents

• Resuscitation- If not helped immediately, patient will die

Severity and Emergency
• Triage

• Patients undergo a series of questions

• The illness or injury is assessed by nurse

• Assessed by the primary care provider

• Sent for any testing or labs that need to be completed

Artifacts
Current Event
• Snowboarder Markus Schairer
breaks neck in scary crash at the
Winter Olympics

• Broke his 5th cervical vertebrae

• Sustained whiplash

• Was not paralyzed

• Did not sustain prolonged damage

• Was able to finish race in 4th place

Research
How to read an X-ray

• Different shades to an x-ray-

- Gas, fat, water, minerals, soft tissue, and bone
• Comparing old and new films are essential as well as comparing left and right
in order to look for all possible abnormalities
• Look for shortened bone, height differences, or rotations that could indicate
gaps or dislocations
• Follow the outline of the bone to look for any abnormalities, cracks, or breaks
in the bone
• Getting post-op images are important for determining the rate of healing and
effectiveness of a splint or cast
Product
Online Weebly Portfolio
https://abbybergmanism.weebly.com/
Conclusion
• How to take out an IV

• How to assess and diagnose certain illnesses and injuries

• Proper patient care

• How to draw blood and take urine samples

• Greater knowledge for emergency medicine

Thank You
• Mrs. Erika Sanchez, RN, my mentor

• Mrs. Kristi Click, my ISM teacher

• Ms. Vanessa Seghers, my AP Biology teacher

• Mrs. Claire Bartlett, my French teacher

Work Cited
Kevin Skiver Feb 15, 2018 . “Snowboarder Markus Schairer Breaks His Neck in Scary Crash at Winter Olymp
ics.” CBSSports.com, 16 Feb. 2018, www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/snowboarder-markus-schairer-bre
aks-his-neck-in-scary-crash-at-winter-olympics/.

“IV Start Kits w/Tegaderm by Trinity Sterile.” Medline Industries, Inc., www.medline.com/product/IV-Start-K
its-w/Tegaderm-by-Trinity-Sterile/Z05-PF38834.

“Sentinel-V 3025i Veterinary Vital Signs Monitor from Leading Edge.” Apexx, apexx-equipment.com/veterina
ry-mfg/leading-edge/sentinel-v-3025i-veterinary-vital-signs-monitor-from-leading-edge.

“Bag Valve Mask-How To.” Common Cents EMS Supply, www.savelives.com/product/ambu-spur-child-infant-

bvm-with-neonate-mask-7827.cfm.