Don appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) based on the patient’s signs and symptoms and indications for isolation precautions. Show Refer to the American Heart Association (AHA) interim guidelines for resuscitation of the patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or a person under investigation (PUI) (Box 1).undefined#ref5">5 The presence of an environmental hazard (e.g., fire, noxious fumes, potential for explosion, active shooter) that mandates immediate evacuation of the area takes priority over the primary assessment. Stabilize the cervical spine throughout the procedure if injury is suspected. Do not proceed to the next assessment step until interventions for life-threatening conditions have been implemented. OVERVIEWThe primary assessment is intended to assess and intervene rapidly for life-threatening conditions in critically ill or injured patients. The primary assessment is done at the initial point of patient contact and may be done again after the patient is transferred from the care of one team to another (e.g., when the emergency medical services team hands off the patient to the emergency department [ED] team members). To ensure that the primary assessment is thorough, a systematic approach should be taken, for example, following the widely used A-B-C-D-E mnemonic outlined in the procedure steps. EDUCATION
PROCEDURE
A = Airway and Alertness with Simultaneous C-spine Restriction
B = Breathing and Ventilation
C = Circulation and Control of Hemorrhage
D = Disability (Neurologic Status)
E = Exposure and Environmental Control
Completing the Procedure
MONITORING AND CARE
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES
DOCUMENTATION
PEDIATRIC CONSIDERATIONS
OLDER ADULT CONSIDERATIONS
REFERENCES
*In these skills, a “classic” reference is a widely cited, standard work of established excellence that significantly affects current practice and may also represent the foundational research for practice. Elsevier Skills Levels of Evidence
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