Evaluating a Patient

After establishing a scene is safe to enter, responders must evaluate the victim(s).

First, determine if the patient is ill (medical) or injured (trauma). If it is unclear, treat the issue as an injury, which means being cautious with moving the victim.

Then, assess the patient's responsiveness. If they are completely unresponsive, contact EMS immediately.

After determining responsiveness, assess the victim's airway and breathing patterns. Next, assess the victim's circulation by checking the radial pulse of conscious victims. In unconscious victims, use the carotid pulse to assess circulation.

Responsiveness, breathing, circulation as well as skin color, temperature, and condition should all be monitored on an on-going basis after the initial assessment.

In order to improve the treatment of the patient, it is helpful to have information ready for EMS upon arrival. This information includes the DOTS and SAMPLE assessment methods.

DOTS

DOTS is a mnemonic that makes it easy to assess signs of injury. It stands for:

• Deformities
• Open injuries
• Tenderness
• Swelling

When using this method, responders should assess the body of a victim using the following order of importance:

• Head
• Neck
• Chest
• Abdomen
• Pelvis
• All four limbs

SAMPLE

SAMPLE is a mnemonic helpful for creating a background history for the patient. SAMPLE stands for:

• Signs and Symptoms
• Allergies (food, environmental, medications)
• Medications taken by the ill and injured person
• Pertinent past history of medical issues
• Last oral intake (liquids and solids)
• Events that may have led to the illness or injury

To learn more about Workplace First Aid visit our Workplace First Aid Online Training web page.