EMT 214 - ALS Advanced Special Considerations

1. Demonstrate the advanced life support skills approach to emergency care of the emotionally disturbed.
2. Recognize the emotional aspects in an emergency situation with a special needs patient.
3. Demonstrate the steps to approach patients with special considerations.
4. Identify psychiatric emergencies and techniques of management.

1. Define behavior and distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior.
2. Discuss the prevalence of behavior and psychiatric disorders.
3. Discuss the psychopathology of behavioral and psychiatric disorders.
4. List and describe the categories of abuse.
5. Describe the characteristics associated with the profile of the typical abuser of a spouse, elder, child, or sexual assault.
6. Identify community resources that are able to assist victims of abuse and assault.
7. Differentiate the various etiologies and types of hearing impairments.
8. Describe mental illnesses.
9. Describe the various etiologies and types of speech impairments.
10. List pathologies and complications typical to home care patients.
11. Discuss the rights of the terminally ill.

1. Behavioral and Psychiatric Disorders
   1. Behavior
   2. Epidemiology
   3. Psychopathology
   4. Assessment
   5. Specific behavioral and psychiatric disorders
      1. Cognitive disorders
      2. Schizophrenia
      3. Anxiety disorders
      4. Mood disorders
      5. Substance related disorders
      6. Somatoform disorders
      7. Factitious disorders
      8. Dissociative disorders
      9. Eating disorders
      10. Impulse control disorders
      11. Personality disorders
   6. Special behavioral problems
      1. The suicidal patient
      2. The violent patient
      3. Behavioral problems in children
2. Abuse and Assault
   1. Epidemiology
   2. The battered spouse
      1. Battered women
      2. Battered men
      3. Homosexual relationships
      4. Identifying the battered patient
      5. Approaching the battered patient
      6. Legal considerations
      7. Victim-witness assistance programs
   3. The abused elder
   4. The abused child
      1. Overview
      2. Characteristics of abusers
      3. Characteristics of the abused child
      4. Physical examination
   5. Sexual assault
      1. Overview
      2. Legal aspect of sexual assault
      3. Characteristics of sexual assault
      4. Psychosocial aspect of care
      5. The child victim
3. Patients with Special Challenges
   1. Physical challenges
      1. Hearing impairments
      2. Visual impairments
      3. Speech impairments
      4. Obesity
      5. Paraplegia and quadriplegia
      6. Other physically challenged patients
   2. Mental challenges
      1. Mental illness
      2. Developmental disabilities
      3. Emotional impairments
      4. Emotional and Mental Impairments (EMI)           
   3. Pathological challenges
      1. Arthritis
      2. Cancer (malignant tumor)
      3. Cerebral palsy
      4. Cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis)
      5. Multiple sclerosis
      6. Muscular dystrophy
      7. Poliomyelitis
      8. Patients with previous head injuries
      9. Spina bifida
      10. Myasthenia gravis
   4. Culturally diverse patients
      1. Variables
      2. Recognition
      3. Accommodations
   5. Terminally ill patients
      1. Variables
      2. Accommodations
   6. Patients with communicable diseases
      1. Review of etiologies
      2. Accommodations
   7. Financial challenges
4. Acute Interventions for the Chronic Care Patient
   1. Epidemiology of home care
   2. Types of home care patients
   3. General system pathophysiology
   4. Assessment
   5. Management and treatment plan
   6. Specific acute home health situations
      1. Inadequate respiratory support
      2. Acute cardiovascular and vascular access
      3. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary (gi/gu) crisis
      4. Acute infections
      5. Maternal and child
      6. Hospice and comfort care