1-1.
WHAT ARE "VITAL SIGNS"?
Following the initial assessment and control of any immediate life threats, you will
begin a more thorough assessment of your patient. Two essential elements of this
assessment will be measuring vital signs and obtaining a medical history. Vital signs
are measurable life signs. The term "vital signs" usually refers to the patient's
temperature, pulse, breathing, and blood pressure. Because they reflect the patient's
condition, you must take them early and repeat them often. The medical history
includes information about the present medical problem and facts about the patient that
existed before the patient required emergency medical response. This information can
affect the treatment you give. It is called a SAMPLE history because the letters in the
word SAMPLE stand for elements of the history.
1-2.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT AND SAMPLE HISTORY
a. A thorough, properly sequenced rapid assessment is essential to identifying a
patient's needs and providing proper emergency care. To assess a patient, the combat
medic must gather, evaluate, and record key information including the patient's vital
signs, injuries, and symptoms and the conditions leading to the illness or injury. The
combat medic must learn the history of what happened before and since the accident or
medical problem occurred and learn the patient's past medical history and overall health
status. Assessment is a process which must be taught in steps in order to establish
good assessment habits and a systematic approach in order to avoid missing important
injuries or illnesses. In the field, many aspects of the patient assessment may be done
simultaneously.
b. Assessment is one of the most complex skill's that must be learned to be an
effective combat medic. During the assessment, the combat medic must use his eyes,
ears, nose, hands, and a few basic medical instruments to obtain essential information
about the patient.
1-3.
ESTABLISH PATIENT CONTACT
a. After assessing the scene for safety and determining the need for additional
help, the number of patients, the mechanism of injury or nature of illness, and
considering the need for cervical spine immobilization, the combat medic must make
contact with the patient. The patient is assessed for ABC's and his level of
consciousness; then you can begin questioning your patient for vital information about
the current medical problem with which you are concerned. This is the "chief
complaint."
MD0531
1-2