You arrive on the scene of a motor vehicle collision and are presented with a patient who complains of chest pain after striking his chest on the steering wheel. On-scene Emergency Medical Responders are maintaining cervical spine motion restriction manually. The patient is alert and oriented and has a patent airway. His respirations are 24 breaths/min with good chest rise and fall, and his skin is warm and dry. He describes some shortness of breath, his heart rate is 96 beats/min, and his SpO2 is 92% on room air. At this time you should:

Question

A) Apply a cervical collar
B) Provide oxygen via nasal cannula at 2-4 liters per minute
C) Obtain a blood pressure and medical history
D) Start positive pressure ventilation

Answer 1

B) Provide oxygen via nasal cannula at 2-4 liters per minute