ASTM_F_1285_-_13.pdf

Designation:F128513Standard Guide forTraining the Emergency Medical Technician to PerformPatient Examination Techniques1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1285;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide covers the minimum patient examinationtechniques that the emergency medical technician shall betrained to use when assessing ill or injured patients of all ages.1.2 This guide is one of a series which together describe theminimum training standard for the emergency medical techni-cian.1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safetyconcerns associated with its use.It is the responsibility of theuser of this standard to establish appropriate safety and healthpractices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita-tions prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2F1031 Practice for Training the Emergency Medical Tech-nician(Basic)2.2 Other Referenced Standards:NHTSA National Scope of Practice Model3NHTSA National EMS Education Guidelines43.Terminology3.1 Emergency Medical Technician(EMT)(NHTSA)Theprimary duty of the Emergency Medical Technician is toprovide basic emergency medical care and transportation forcritical and emergent patients who access the emergencymedical system.This individual possesses the basic knowledgeand skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation.Emergency Medical Technicians function as part of a compre-hensive Emergency Medical Services response,under medicaloversight.Emergency Medical Technicians perform interven-tions with the basic equipment typically found on an ambu-lance.The Emergency Medical Technician is a link from thescene to the emergency health care system.Emergency Medi-cal Technicians scope of practice includes basic,non-invasiveinterventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associatedwith acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies.Emergency care is based on assessment findings.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 auscultationexamination by listening with a stetho-scope.3.2.2 inspectionexamination by careful visualization ofthe body or a part of the body.3.2.3 palpationexamination by touching with the hand.4.Significance and Use4.1 This guide establishes the minimum national standardfor training the emergency medical technician to performpatient examination techniques on patients of all ages.4.2 This guide shall be used by those who wish to identifythe minimum training standard for the emergency medicaltechnician as it relates to the performance of patient examina-tion techniques.4.3 This guide shall be used as the basis to revise PracticeF1031.4.4 Every person who is identified as an emergency medicaltechnician shall have been trained in accordance with thisguide.4.5 This guide does not stand alone and must be used inconjunction with the applicable documents cited in Section 2.5.Examination Techniques5.1 The emergency medical technician shall be trained toperform the following examination techniques and to recognizethe differences that exist because of age and sex:5.1.1 Assess respirations for rate,rhythm,and quality;5.1.2 Auscultate breath sounds;5.1.3 Assess rate and regularity of the following pulses:carotid,brachial,radial,femoral,and pedal;5.1.4 Palpate blood pressure;5.1.5 Auscultate blood pressure;1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F30 on EmergencyMedical Services and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F30.02 onPersonnel,Training and Education.Current edition approved Aug.1,2013.Published Spetember 2013.Originallyapproved in 1990.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as F1285 90(2008).DOI:10.1520/F1285-13.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from:http:/www.ems.gov/education/EMSScope.pdf4Available from:http:/www.ems.gov/pdf/811077a.pdfCopyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.1.6 Assess mental status and level of consciousness;5.1.7 Inspect the body;5.1.8 Palpate the body;5.1.9 Assess sensory perception;5.1.10 Assess motor function;and5.1.11 Assess airway patency.ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin this standard.Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights,and the riskof infringement of such rights,are entirely their own responsibility.This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed ever