You respond to a boat dock for a diving injury.You find a 22-year-old female patient unresponsive with frothy blood in the mouth and lung sounds absent on the right side.The patient is breathing 28 times a minute.The patient's friends state they were diving when she unexpectedly came out of the water complaining of chest pains and then collapsed.The nearest hospital is 25 minutes away and the nearest specialty resource center with a hyperbaric chamber is 30 minutes away.What is the best decision when determining transport?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is unresponsive with frothy blood in the mouth and lung sounds absent on the right side. This suggests a possible pulmonary embolism, which is a medical emergency. The nearest specialty center with a hyperbaric chamber is 30 minutes away, which is too long to wait. Therefore, the best decision is to transport the patient by air medical to the specialty center.

You Respond to a Boat Dock for a Diving Injury