Patient Assessment and Emergency Action Principles
What the exam tests
This domain covers the primary assessment, calling for help, secondary assessment, and the emergency action principles that keep assessment systematic and safe.
Core rules
- Primary assessment: check responsiveness, airway, breathing, circulation, and major bleeding, then assess disability and expose for injury while protecting privacy and warmth.
- Use AVPU for consciousness: Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive.
- Use SAMPLE for history: Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last meal, Events leading to the incident.
- Use OPQRST for pain: Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time.
- Call EMS early when breathing is absent or abnormal, consciousness is impaired, chest pain is present, or major trauma is suspected. Reassess after every intervention.
Worked example
A worker is found slumped in a chair. The first aider ensures scene safety, checks response, and finds the worker responds only to voice. Airway is open, breathing is slow, and no major bleeding is seen. The first aider calls EMS, monitors breathing, and places the worker in a recovery position because vomiting occurs. SAMPLE history is gathered from a co-worker, and findings are recorded.
Traps that cost marks
- Skipping scene safety to begin assessment.
- Using only pain score and ignoring airway or breathing.
- Moving a patient before assessing for spinal or fracture risk.
- Failing to reassess after helping the patient into a different position.
Key points
- Primary assessment finds and treats immediate threats.
- AVPU and SAMPLE structure the consciousness and history checks.
- Call EMS early for abnormal breathing, impaired consciousness, or major trauma.
- Reassess after every intervention.
- Record findings objectively and in sequence.