Читать книгу Emergency Medical Services - Группа авторов - Страница 350

Once the airway is secured and appropriate oxygenation and ventilation are established, the next steps are to accurately measure and frequently reassess the patient’s other vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Abnormalities in these may indicate various shock states or cardiac dysrhythmias, which can certainly cause AMS. Identification of significant fever, environmental hyperthermia, or hypothermia, with associated AMS, should also lead to immediate treatment for these life‐threatening conditions. Many of the newest generation cardiac monitors also can measure carbon monoxide and methemoglobin levels via co‐oximetry, which can provide clues to the cause of AMS in the right clinical setting (e.g., a house fire with smoke inhalation). Should vital signs that are taken automatically using the cardiac monitor be incongruent with the rest of the clinical picture, they should be assessed manually (e.g., blood pressure measurement via a manual cuff) to ensure accuracy.