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Referencing the content of EMT-Basic training and emergency patient care

EMT Basic · Chapter 27

Soft-Tissue Injuries

Learning objectives (23)

  1. Define superficial, partial-thickness, and full-thickness burns; include the characteristics of each burn — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  2. Demonstrate how to control bleeding from an open soft-tissue injury — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  3. Demonstrate how to stabilize an impaled object. (pp 979, Skill Drill 27-1) 6. Demonstrate how to care for a burn. (p 990, Skill Drill 27-2) 7. Demonstrate the emergency medical car — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  4. Demonstrate the emergency medical care of an open abdominal wound — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  5. Demonstrate the emergency medical care of an open chest wound — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  6. Demonstrate the emergency medical care of closed soft-tissue injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  7. Describe the anatomy of the skin; include the layers of the skin — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  8. Describe the emergency management of chemical, electrical, thermal, inhalation, and radiation burns — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  9. Describe the steps of the emergency treatment of small animal bites, human bites, and rabies — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  10. Describe the types of closed soft-tissue injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  11. Describe the types of open soft-tissue injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  12. Explain how the seriousness of a burn is related to its depth and extent — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  13. Explain patient assessment of closed and open injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  14. Explain patient assessment of closed and open injuries in relation to airway management — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  15. Explain the emergency medical care for an impaled object — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  16. Explain the emergency medical care for an open wound to the abdomen — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  17. Explain the emergency medical care for burn injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  18. Explain the emergency medical care for closed and open injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  19. Explain the emergency medical care for neck injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  20. Explain the primary assessment of a patient with a burn — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  21. Know the functions of sterile dressings and bandages — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 962); confirm wording in your course copy.
  22. Know the major functions of the skin — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.
  23. Name the three types of soft-tissue injuries — Knowledge/skills objective (printed page 961); confirm wording in your course copy.

Vocabulary (13)

Abrasion
A superficial wound in which the outer layer of skin is scraped away, exposing capillaries and minor blood and serous fluid oozing.
Laceration
A jagged or smooth cut through the skin and underlying tissues caused by a sharp object or blunt force.
Avulsion
A tearing or separation of a flap of skin or other tissue from its attachment.
Contusion
A bruise — bleeding into tissue beneath intact skin from blunt trauma.
Hematoma
A localized collection of blood outside the blood vessels, usually clotted, within tissue.
Crush injury
Tissue damage caused by prolonged compression, with risks of compartment syndrome and release of toxins when pressure is relieved.
Tourniquet
A constricting band or device applied to a limb above a wound to control severe extremity bleeding.
Superficial (first-degree) burn
A burn involving only the epidermis, producing redness, mild swelling, and pain — like most sunburns.
Partial-thickness (second-degree) burn
A burn involving the epidermis and part of the dermis, characterized by blisters, severe pain, and a moist red or white appearance.
Full-thickness (third-degree) burn
A burn through all layers of skin and possibly into underlying tissue; appears white, brown, or charred and may be painless in the burned area due to nerve destruction.
Rule of Nines
A method for estimating the percent of body surface area burned in adults by assigning 9% (or multiples) to each major body region.
Pressure dressing
A bandage applied with enough force to compress an underlying wound and control bleeding while preserving circulation distally.
Evisceration
The protrusion of internal organs through an open abdominal wound.

Sequence practice (2 puzzles on Quiz Me)

Controlling external hemorrhage

Order the standard hemorrhage-control escalation for an extremity bleed.

  1. Apply direct pressure with a gloved hand and gauze
  2. Apply a pressure dressing over the wound
  3. If bleeding continues, apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound
  4. Tighten the tourniquet until bleeding stops; note the time
  5. Reassess and prepare for rapid transport
Initial burn-care steps

Order the field care for a significant thermal burn.

  1. Stop the burning process (remove from source, smother flames)
  2. Remove burned clothing and jewelry not stuck to the skin
  3. Cover the burn with a dry, sterile dressing
  4. Keep the patient warm and treat for shock
  5. Transport — do not apply ointments or ice

Quick fire sample (13 of 13 on Quiz Me)

A superficial wound in which the outer layer of skin is scraped away, exposing capillaries and minor blood and serous fluid oozing.
  1. Hematoma
  2. Abrasion
  3. Pressure dressing
  4. Rule of Nines
A jagged or smooth cut through the skin and underlying tissues caused by a sharp object or blunt force.
  1. Contusion
  2. Abrasion
  3. Laceration
  4. Hematoma
A tearing or separation of a flap of skin or other tissue from its attachment.
  1. Avulsion
  2. Laceration
  3. Contusion
  4. Partial-thickness (second-degree) burn
A bruise — bleeding into tissue beneath intact skin from blunt trauma.
  1. Full-thickness (third-degree) burn
  2. Contusion
  3. Tourniquet
  4. Hematoma
A localized collection of blood outside the blood vessels, usually clotted, within tissue.
  1. Abrasion
  2. Superficial (first-degree) burn
  3. Hematoma
  4. Avulsion
Tissue damage caused by prolonged compression, with risks of compartment syndrome and release of toxins when pressure is relieved.
  1. Full-thickness (third-degree) burn
  2. Superficial (first-degree) burn
  3. Crush injury
  4. Hematoma
A constricting band or device applied to a limb above a wound to control severe extremity bleeding.
  1. Crush injury
  2. Evisceration
  3. Tourniquet
  4. Pressure dressing
A burn involving only the epidermis, producing redness, mild swelling, and pain — like most sunburns.
  1. Superficial (first-degree) burn
  2. Hematoma
  3. Full-thickness (third-degree) burn
  4. Avulsion
A burn involving the epidermis and part of the dermis, characterized by blisters, severe pain, and a moist red or white appearance.
  1. Partial-thickness (second-degree) burn
  2. Abrasion
  3. Avulsion
  4. Evisceration
A burn through all layers of skin and possibly into underlying tissue; appears white, brown, or charred and may be painless in the burned area due to nerve destruction.
  1. Avulsion
  2. Hematoma
  3. Rule of Nines
  4. Full-thickness (third-degree) burn
A method for estimating the percent of body surface area burned in adults by assigning 9% (or multiples) to each major body region.
  1. Pressure dressing
  2. Rule of Nines
  3. Laceration
  4. Tourniquet
A bandage applied with enough force to compress an underlying wound and control bleeding while preserving circulation distally.
  1. Tourniquet
  2. Pressure dressing
  3. Avulsion
  4. Abrasion
The protrusion of internal organs through an open abdominal wound.
  1. Rule of Nines
  2. Evisceration
  3. Abrasion
  4. Full-thickness (third-degree) burn

Some topics in this course differ across field references. See when sources disagree on Quiz Me before you teach from this sheet alone.

Full scored drills are on Quiz Me at /courses/nm-emt-b/chapters/27/print/. Answers are not marked on this sheet.