Negligence

Step-by-Step Procedure

Protocol steps for negligence:

Stroke recognition: Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (facial droop, arm drift, speech) then last known well time then transport to stroke center

Patient Communication

Communication about negligence in the prehospital setting includes: explaining procedures to the patient in simple terms, obtaining informed consent when possible (implied consent for unresponsive patients), providing a calm and reassuring presence, and delivering a structured handoff report (SBAR: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to the receiving facility.

Common Errors

Critical errors in prehospital application of negligence:

• Failing to reassess after intervention. Vital signs must be rechecked every 5 minutes for unstable patients
• Incorrect medication dosing. Always use length-based estimation (Broselow tape) for pediatric patients
• Tunnel vision on one finding while missing the complete clinical picture
• Not communicating changes to receiving facility during transport

Clinical Significance

In prehospital care, understanding negligence can mean the difference between a positive patient outcome and a critical miss. An 8-month-old infant is found unresponsive. Parents report fever of 104 F for 2 days. Fontanelle is bulging. Suspect meningitis: manage airway, IV access, rapid transport.

Related pharmacology: albuterol at 2.5mg nebulized, can repeat, indicated for Bronchospasm, asthma, COPD.