You are on the scene of a motor vehicle collision in which a car has driven off the roadway and is resting at the bottom of an e
mbankment. The driver is in severe respiratory distress and is unable to speak. His skin is flushed and he has hives. A Medic-Alert bracelet indicates an allergy to peanuts. You notice a candy bar wrapper on the floor of the car. Which of the following should you do first? a. Perform rapid extrication.
b. Administer high-concentration oxygen.
c. Read the candy wrapper to see if it contains peanuts.
d. Search the patient for an epinephrine auto-injector.
Performing Rapid Extrication would increase the rate at which this patient will survive. Looking at every other option to see if it's the most important or could boost the chance of survival the most.
B. Administering Oxygen is dependent on availability, which we cannot assume is available always. But what is available? You as a rescuer.
C. Time is of the essence, and reading the candy wrapper can be tantamount to wasting prescious time.
