Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/medical-emergencies-cpr-toxicology-wilderness

Introduction

**Course Review: Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness** Are you looking to enhance your knowledge and skills in medical emergencies? If so, the Coursera course "Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness" is an excellent choice. Presented by esteemed instructors specializing in emergency medicine, this course offers a comprehensive approach to various critical situations that professionals, volunteers, or even everyday individuals might face. ### Course Overview The "Medical Emergencies" course is designed to equip participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to assess and stabilize patients in emergencies. With a focus on three core areas—cardiac arrest, toxicology, and environmental emergencies—this course provides a well-rounded education that is applicable in healthcare settings and wilderness scenarios alike. ### Learning Objectives By the end of the course, learners will be able to: 1. **Recognize and manage shock**: Understand the signs and symptoms associated with patients showing signs of shock, identify the major categories of shock, and develop effective plans for their treatment. 2. **Execute high-performance CPR**: Identify the characteristics of cardiac arrest and demonstrate the components of effective CPR to increase the likelihood of patient survival. 3. **Analyze toxicology cases**: Gain insights into common poisons, their effects on the body, and the use of antidotes. 4. **Manage environmental emergencies**: Learn about the physiological impacts of extreme temperatures, altitude sickness, and other wilderness-related health issues. 5. **Understand other critical conditions**: Gather knowledge about various medical issues that emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may encounter, including abdominal and reproductive system problems. ### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Cardiac Arrest and Shock**: This module dives into critical clinical states, providing foundational knowledge on shock as a life-threatening condition and the principles of effective resuscitation. The content is not only theoretical; it draws on the latest scientific research to ensure you are learning best practices applied in real-life scenarios. 2. **Toxicology and Substance Abuse**: Focused on poisonings and the medical implications of substances, this module is essential for understanding emergency response to toxicologic ingestions. The ability to identify common toxins and comprehend their effects on human health could be life-saving in critical situations. 3. **Not All Who Wander Are Tox**: This module tackles environmental emergencies, a critical area for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals operating in varied environments. The knowledge gained here can help you manage heat stroke, hypothermia, and other conditions that arise from environmental factors. 4. **Blood and Guts**: Often overlooked, this module covers less common but important topics in emergency medicine. Understanding a patient’s history and the potential issues arising from abdominal and reproductive systems is key to comprehensive patient care. ### Recommendation I highly recommend the "Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness" course for anyone interested in enhancing their emergency response skills, whether you’re an aspiring healthcare professional, an EMT, or someone simply looking to be better prepared in emergencies. The course is well-structured, informative, and provides practical insights that can be applied in real-world situations. This course not only fosters knowledge but also builds confidence in handling medical emergencies through engaging video lectures, quizzes, and further readings. Plus, the flexibility of online learning allows you to progress at your own pace. In summary, this course offers a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding of critical medical situations, making it an asset for any career trajectory in healthcare, outdoor activity, or community service. Don't miss the chance to develop these essential skills!

Syllabus

Cardiac Arrest and Shock

In this module you will be learning about states of shock and the principles of resuscitation. Unlike our common use of the word shock referring to a mental state of feeling overwhelmed or alarmed, shock is a state of crisis within the body, involving one or more of the organ systems. If left uncorrected, shock can lead to death. The other topic, resuscitation, will cover the principles of treating and reversing shock, and most importantly, the treatment of cardiac arrest. We will discuss the latest scientific research and best practices of cardiac arrest resuscitation.

In this module we are going to learn about poisonings, or toxicologic ingestions. There is a whole field of medicine dedicated to the study of how the thing we ingestion, usually accidentally or in an attempt of self-harm, impact our bodies. This field is called toxicology. A poison is any substance that impairs health or causes death. A toxin is a drug or substance that is poisonous to a human, and will cause an adverse event, maybe even death. An antidote is a substance that will neutralize the effect of the poison or toxin. With an understanding of the basic terminology, we can further explore the most common poisons you will encounter in the field, how they affect the body, and how we treat these patients.

In this module you will learn how environmental emergencies are caused when the body’s physiological functions are disrupted by the patient’s natural surroundings. Many of the body’s functions only function properly at a normal temperature, so a change in the body’s temperature can cause them to fail. Some examples of environmental emergencies include cold or hot temperature changes, illness and injuries caused by other animals, high altitude illnesses and injuries or illness related to water such as drowning.

In this module we will capture topics an EMT might come across that don’t fit into the sections so far. The important “other” things that can cause patients problems. The role of an EMT is as an advocate for your patient to provide the best care possible. Part of that is taking the time to understand your patient’s story as well as to think critically about the complaint especially if difficult to diagnose. Also, we will focus of problems in the abdomen involving the gastrointestinal track, renal system and reproductive system.