SOLUTIONS REVIEW PACK
◉ An EMT documenting the assistance to a patient for taking a
medication without the approval of medical direction is an example
of what type of error?
A.
Abandonment
B.
Commission
C.
Permission
D.
Omission
Answer: Commission
An error of commission occurs when the EMT does something he
should not have done. If an error of omission or commission occurs,
the EMT should not try to cover it up on the PCR. Instead, the EMT
should document exactly what did or did not happen and what steps
(if any) were taken to correct the situation. False information may
lead to suspension or revocation of EMT certification or license and,
potentially, to criminal charges. Essentially, if you write something
that is not true, you are falsifying the document.
,◉ A 24-year-old man was the driver in a car crash. The skin over his
collarbone is red and swollen, but he tells you that it doesn't hurt.
This is best described as a:
A.
pertinent negative.
B.
distracting injury.
C.
missing complaint.
D.
spinal injury.
Answer: pertinent negative.
In questioning a patient, be alert for pertinent negatives. These are
signs or symptoms that might be expected on the basis of the chief
complaint but that the patient denies having. A pertinent negative
might be a patient's denial of pain after an automobile crash or a
lack of difficulty in breathing in a case of chest pain. By noting the
absence of pertinent signs and symptoms, you will provide the
medical team that takes over care of the patient a fuller picture of his
condition. A distracting injury is one that keeps the patient from
realizing that another area of the body is injured. A spinal injury is
just that (but not the correct answer), and a missing complaint is a
fictitious name that is incorrect.
,◉ Which of the following is an example of a pertinent negative in a
patient who is complaining of chest pain?
A.
The patient has a low blood pressure.
B.
The patient is not short of breath.
C.
The patient does not have blurred vision.
D.
The patient does not have a headache.
Answer: The patient is not short of breath.
In questioning a patient, be alert for pertinent negatives. These are
signs or symptoms that might be expected on the basis of the chief
complaint but that the patient denies having. A pertinent negative
might be a patient's denial of pain after an automobile crash or a
lack of difficulty in breathing in a case of chest pain. By noting the
absence of pertinent signs and symptoms, you will provide the
medical team that takes over care of the patient a fuller picture of
her condition. Typically, headaches, blurred vision, and low blood
pressure are not common findings with chest pain, but respiratory
distress is (so its absence is a pertinent negative in this patient).
, ◉ You encounter a conscious and competent patient who now
refuses treatment and transport. What should you do?
A.
Tell the patient he will die.
B.
Document the patient's refusal thoroughly and obtain necessary
signatures.
C.
Simply leave the scene.
D.
Forcibly treat him.
Answer: Document the patient's refusal thoroughly and obtain
necessary signatures.
There are certain circumstances in which the standard PCR will not
be appropriate. If, for example, the patient refuses care or transport,
the EMT will have to document what attempts EMS made to get the
patient to comply, and what the responses were to those attempts.
Refusal forms, as they are called generically, are typically written in
addition to a PCR.
◉ What is a primary difference in the type of information found in
the administrative section and in the patient information section of
the PCR?