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48
year old Jason Dixon had not been feeling well all day and around
10:00 p.m he went to bed. At around 4:00 a.m. his wife awakened
to see him slump to the floor, breathing with difficulty and drenched
in perspiration. Alarmed when he told her of the pain in his
chest, neck and arm, she called 911. Within 12 minutes,
emergency response team personnel (EMTs)
were on the scene. During this critical period, EMT personnel
performed the
standard emergency treatment
protocol for a patient with symptoms of a myocardial infarction,
commonly referred to as a heart attack.
1.
What symptoms did Jason exhibit?
2. If you were an
emergency medical technician treating a suspected myocardial
infarction (heart attack), what would you do for initial assessment
of the patient?
3. What initial treatment would you give
the patient?
The
patient carried several risk factors related to both lifestyle and
family history. He was 80 lbs. over his ideal weight and worked long
hours in a high stress environment as an advertising agency manager.
He was also a moderate cigarette smoker. According to his wife,
he exercised very little and paid virtually no attention to diet,
often eating fast food, as well as eating late at night. His
father died at age 56 from heart disease.
4.
Summarize the lifestyle risks of the patient.
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