Anesthesia Key

PROCEDURES SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION Subcutaneous (just below the skin) injection of epinephrine is used to manage a severe allergic reaction. The injection may be performed with a preloaded syringe (already containing…

WILD PLANT AND MUSHROOM POISONING Toxic plants and mushrooms may be eaten by curious children, or by hikers and amateur herbalists who mistake their selections for edible species. Never eat…

TRANSPORT OF THE INJURED VICTIM 1. Never move a victim unless you know where you are going. If you are lost and caring for an injured victim (or yourself), prepare…

SKIN DISORDERS SUNBURN The solar radiation that strikes the earth includes 50% visible light (wavelength 400 to 760 nanometers [nm]), 40% infrared (760 to 1,700 nm), and 10% ultraviolet (UV)…

INSECT AND ARTHROPOD BITES BEES, SPIDERS, SCORPIONS, AND OTHER SMALL BITERS Bees, Wasps, Hornets, and Ants This group of insects includes honeybees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets; each possesses…

HEAD (ALSO EYE, EAR, NOSE, THROAT, AND MOUTH) HEADACHE Tension or fatigue headache is characterized by throbbing pain in the temples, over the eyes, and in the posterior neck and…

ABDOMINAL PAIN The causes of abdominal pain are myriad, but may be categorized by classical symptom complexes. As with most disorders, there are serious causes and minor disturbances. The purpose…

MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OVERUSE SYNDROMES Whenever a muscle is overused—that is, exercised past its state of conditioning—there is actual destruction of the muscle tissue and generation of lactic acid. Given a…

SNAKEBITE POISONOUS SNAKES Two types of poisonous snakes are indigenous to the United States: pit vipers (rattlesnake, cottonmouth [water moccasin], copperhead) and coral snakes. Their distributions are as follows: Northeast….

INJURIES AND ILLNESSES DUE TO COLD HYPOTHERMIA (LOWERED BODY TEMPERATURE) The body generates heat through metabolic processes that can be maximized with involuntary shivering to roughly 5 times the basal…