Question

read the scenario and answer the questions that follow. you are finishing morning chores at the firehouse when the dispatcher announces a call on the pa system: \squad 1, report of a 73 - year - old female having difficulty breathing at the twin oaks senior center. an als ambulance has been dispatched with an eta of 15 minutes. the time is now 0915 hours.\ you arrive at the scene in five minutes and find your patient sitting on the edge of her bed, leaning forward. she is very pale. when you ask her name, she seems to be able to answer you only in a whisper. you perform an initial assessment and decide to administer oxygen to the patient. as you do so, your partner takes her vital signs. he finds that her respiratory rate is 32 breaths per minute, with increased effort to breathe. her pulse rate is 100 beats per minute. 1. are these vital signs normal? explain your answer. while your partner continues to monitor the patients vital signs, you radio your assessment findings to the incoming paramedics. they tell you to continue administration of oxygen and to make sure that the aed is immediately available. 2. when you hand off the patient to the paramedics, will a patient history be helpful? why or why not?

Explanation:

1. For the first question, normal respiratory rate for adults is 12 - 20 breaths per minute. The patient's respiratory rate of 32 breaths per minute is elevated (tachypnea), likely due to difficulty breathing. Normal pulse rate for adults is 60 - 100 beats per minute. While 100 is at the upper limit, combined with respiratory distress, it may indicate a problem.
2. For the second question, a patient history (e.g., pre - existing conditions like heart disease, lung disease, recent illnesses, medications) helps Paramedics understand the context of the current symptoms (difficulty breathing). It guides further treatment decisions (e.g., if a patient has a history of COPD, treatment might differ from a patient with a new - onset heart failure).

Answer:

1. No. The respiratory rate (32 breaths per minute, normal 12 - 20) is abnormal (tachypnea). The pulse rate (100 beats per minute) is at the upper normal limit but in the context of respiratory distress, it may not be a normal compensatory response.
2. Yes. A patient history (e.g., pre - existing medical conditions, medications, recent health changes) helps Paramedics understand the underlying cause of symptoms (difficulty breathing) and plan appropriate treatment.