AMLS Chapter 1
Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) Assessment Pathway - answerA dependable
framework to support the reduction of morbibity and mortality by using an assessment-
based approach to determine a differential diagnosis and effectively manage a broad
range of medical emergencies.
Assessment-based patient management - answerUtilizing the patient's cardinal
presentation; historical, diagnostic, and physical exam findings; and one's own critical
thinking skills as a healthcare professional to diagnose and treat a patient.
Blood Pressure - answerThe tension exerted by blood on the arterial walls. Blood
pressure is calculated using the following equation: Blood pressure= Flow x Resistance.
Cardinal presentation - answerThe patient's primary presenting sign or symptom; often
this is the patient's chief complaint, but it may be an objective finding such as
unconsciousness or choking.
Clinical decision making - answerThe ability to integrate assessment findings and test
data with experience and evidence-based recommendations to make decisions
regarding the most appropriate treatment.
Clinical reasoning - answerThe second conceptual component underpinning the AMLS
assessment pathway, which combines good judgement with clinical experience to make
accurate diagnoses and initiate proper treatment. This process assumes the provider
has a strong foundation of clinical knowledge.
Differential diagnosis - answerThe possible causes of the patient's cardinal
presentation.
Pattern recognition - answerRelating the healthcare provider's knowledge of disease
pathophysiology to the patient's presenting signs ans symptoms and recognizing if the
patient presentation fits a particular pattern.
Pharmacokinetics - answerThe absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of
medications.
Primary survey - answerThe process of initially assessing the airway, breathing,
circulation, and perfusion status to identify and manage life-threatening conditions and
establish priorities for further assessment, treatment, and transport.
Pulse pressure - answerThe difference between the systolic and diastolic blood
pressure; normal pulse pressure is 30-40 mmHG
,Secondary survey - answerAn in-depth systematic evaluation of the patient's history,
physical exam, vital signs, and diagnostic information used to identify additional
emergent and nonemergent conditions and modify differential diagnoses and
management strategies.
Signs - answerObjective evidence that a healthcare professional observes, feels, sees,
hears, touches or smells
Symptoms - answerThe S in SAMPLER; the patient's subjective perception of what they
feel, such as nausea, or have experienced, such as a sensation of seeing flashing
lights.
Therapeutic communication - answerA communication process in which the healthcare
provider uses effective communication skills to obtain information about the patient and
their condition, including the use of the four E's:
Engagement,
Empathy,
Education
Enlistment.
Working diagnosis - answerThe presumed cause of the patient's condition, arrived at by
evaluating all assessment information thus far obtained while conducting further
diagnostic testing to definitively diagnose the illness.
Chief complaint is lower back pain, what additional questions should you ask? -
answer1. Have you recently sustained any injuries?
2. Are you having weakness or numbness in one or both legs?
3. Have you had a fever?
4. Does the pain seem to move around or radiate anywhere?
5. What makes it better or worse?
AMLS assessment pathway supports assessment based patient management, what
does that mean? - answerAMLS pathway recognizes that although all components of
the assessment process are important to patient care, they are implemented based on
the patient's unique presentation.
What is an important principle of AMLS assessment? - answerThe cardinal presentation
must be identified and the primary survey must be performed initially so that any life-
threatening medical emergencies can be identified and managed without delay.
What is the ability to modify a systematic approach to assessment reliant on? -
answerClinical reasoning, pattern recognition and decision-making skills.
What are the 6 R's that help the provider put it all together and make better judgement
under pressure? - answerRead the patient
, Read the scene
React
Reevaluate
Revise management plan
Review performance
When we "read the patient", what do we do? - answerAssess patient's condition
Take patient's vital signs
Treat life threats
Review chief complaint
Record my general impression
When we "read the scene", what do we do? - answerObserve environmental conditions
Observe safety hazards
Observe likely mechanisms of injury
When we "react", what do we do? - answerManage life threats (ABCs) in order in which
they are discovered.
Treat patient based on his or her cardinal presentation.
When we "reevaluate", what do we do? - answerReassess vital signs
Reconsider the patient's initial medical management
When we "revise the management plan", what do we do? - answerOn the basis of your
reevaluation and additional historical data, physical examination findings, diagnostic test
results, and the patient's response to early interventions, revise your management plan
to accord with the patient's new clinical picture.
When we "review performance", what do we do? - answerCritiquing your run gives you
a chance to reflect on your clinical decision making and target areas in which more
advanced skills or a deeper level of knowledge are needed.
What is the foundation of the AMLS assessment pathway? - answerEffective
therapeutic communication skills
Keen clinical reasoning abilities
Expert clinical decision making
Therapeutic communication - what is it? - answerA dynamic process that can help:-
Gather accurate historical information
Inform the patient of the risks and benefits of interventions
Obtain consent to perform a physical exam and provide medical treatment or transport.
What is LADDER? - answerSix stage process for dealing assertively with problems.
Look at your rights and what you want, and understand your feelings about the situation
Arrange a meeting with the other person to discuss the situation
Define the problem specifically
Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) Assessment Pathway - answerA dependable
framework to support the reduction of morbibity and mortality by using an assessment-
based approach to determine a differential diagnosis and effectively manage a broad
range of medical emergencies.
Assessment-based patient management - answerUtilizing the patient's cardinal
presentation; historical, diagnostic, and physical exam findings; and one's own critical
thinking skills as a healthcare professional to diagnose and treat a patient.
Blood Pressure - answerThe tension exerted by blood on the arterial walls. Blood
pressure is calculated using the following equation: Blood pressure= Flow x Resistance.
Cardinal presentation - answerThe patient's primary presenting sign or symptom; often
this is the patient's chief complaint, but it may be an objective finding such as
unconsciousness or choking.
Clinical decision making - answerThe ability to integrate assessment findings and test
data with experience and evidence-based recommendations to make decisions
regarding the most appropriate treatment.
Clinical reasoning - answerThe second conceptual component underpinning the AMLS
assessment pathway, which combines good judgement with clinical experience to make
accurate diagnoses and initiate proper treatment. This process assumes the provider
has a strong foundation of clinical knowledge.
Differential diagnosis - answerThe possible causes of the patient's cardinal
presentation.
Pattern recognition - answerRelating the healthcare provider's knowledge of disease
pathophysiology to the patient's presenting signs ans symptoms and recognizing if the
patient presentation fits a particular pattern.
Pharmacokinetics - answerThe absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of
medications.
Primary survey - answerThe process of initially assessing the airway, breathing,
circulation, and perfusion status to identify and manage life-threatening conditions and
establish priorities for further assessment, treatment, and transport.
Pulse pressure - answerThe difference between the systolic and diastolic blood
pressure; normal pulse pressure is 30-40 mmHG
,Secondary survey - answerAn in-depth systematic evaluation of the patient's history,
physical exam, vital signs, and diagnostic information used to identify additional
emergent and nonemergent conditions and modify differential diagnoses and
management strategies.
Signs - answerObjective evidence that a healthcare professional observes, feels, sees,
hears, touches or smells
Symptoms - answerThe S in SAMPLER; the patient's subjective perception of what they
feel, such as nausea, or have experienced, such as a sensation of seeing flashing
lights.
Therapeutic communication - answerA communication process in which the healthcare
provider uses effective communication skills to obtain information about the patient and
their condition, including the use of the four E's:
Engagement,
Empathy,
Education
Enlistment.
Working diagnosis - answerThe presumed cause of the patient's condition, arrived at by
evaluating all assessment information thus far obtained while conducting further
diagnostic testing to definitively diagnose the illness.
Chief complaint is lower back pain, what additional questions should you ask? -
answer1. Have you recently sustained any injuries?
2. Are you having weakness or numbness in one or both legs?
3. Have you had a fever?
4. Does the pain seem to move around or radiate anywhere?
5. What makes it better or worse?
AMLS assessment pathway supports assessment based patient management, what
does that mean? - answerAMLS pathway recognizes that although all components of
the assessment process are important to patient care, they are implemented based on
the patient's unique presentation.
What is an important principle of AMLS assessment? - answerThe cardinal presentation
must be identified and the primary survey must be performed initially so that any life-
threatening medical emergencies can be identified and managed without delay.
What is the ability to modify a systematic approach to assessment reliant on? -
answerClinical reasoning, pattern recognition and decision-making skills.
What are the 6 R's that help the provider put it all together and make better judgement
under pressure? - answerRead the patient
, Read the scene
React
Reevaluate
Revise management plan
Review performance
When we "read the patient", what do we do? - answerAssess patient's condition
Take patient's vital signs
Treat life threats
Review chief complaint
Record my general impression
When we "read the scene", what do we do? - answerObserve environmental conditions
Observe safety hazards
Observe likely mechanisms of injury
When we "react", what do we do? - answerManage life threats (ABCs) in order in which
they are discovered.
Treat patient based on his or her cardinal presentation.
When we "reevaluate", what do we do? - answerReassess vital signs
Reconsider the patient's initial medical management
When we "revise the management plan", what do we do? - answerOn the basis of your
reevaluation and additional historical data, physical examination findings, diagnostic test
results, and the patient's response to early interventions, revise your management plan
to accord with the patient's new clinical picture.
When we "review performance", what do we do? - answerCritiquing your run gives you
a chance to reflect on your clinical decision making and target areas in which more
advanced skills or a deeper level of knowledge are needed.
What is the foundation of the AMLS assessment pathway? - answerEffective
therapeutic communication skills
Keen clinical reasoning abilities
Expert clinical decision making
Therapeutic communication - what is it? - answerA dynamic process that can help:-
Gather accurate historical information
Inform the patient of the risks and benefits of interventions
Obtain consent to perform a physical exam and provide medical treatment or transport.
What is LADDER? - answerSix stage process for dealing assertively with problems.
Look at your rights and what you want, and understand your feelings about the situation
Arrange a meeting with the other person to discuss the situation
Define the problem specifically
