You have been called for an 83-year-old female patient who is having difficulty breathing. She informs you that she has congestive heart failure and feels as though she is filling up with fluid. The primary assessment shows her to be alert and oriented with inadequate breathing. Her pulse is rapid and weak, and her skin is cool and dry. When performing a secondary assessment, which sign related to heart failure would you specifically look for when examining this patient's neck?

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) assess patients to determine if they are sick and if there are any life threats. The assessment is broken down into five blocks: Scene safety: This block includes: BSI, Standard precautions, Environment, No hazards noted - Primary survey: This is the first part of the assessment and should be completed in 10–15 minutes. It includes: Scene size up, Personal protective equipment (PPE) for body substance isolation (BSI), General impression of the patient, Determine level of consciousness (LOC), Determine chief complaint (CC) and any life threats - History... Show more

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) assess patients to determine if they are sick and if there are any life threats. The assessment is broken down into five blocks:
Scene safety: This block includes: BSI, Standard precautions, Environment, No hazards noted

- Primary survey: This is the first part of the assessment and should be completed in 10–15 minutes. It includes: Scene size up, Personal protective equipment (PPE) for body substance isolation (BSI), General impression of the patient, Determine level of consciousness (LOC), Determine chief complaint (CC) and any life threats
- History taking or Chief Complaint Assessment
- Vital Signs
- Treatment and Reassessment

The primary assessment includes identifying immediate life threats through the ABCs:
Airway: Assess for problems such as an airway obstruction or an airway occluded by blood or vomit
Breathing: Assess the patient's ability to ventilate and oxygenate
Circulation: Assess the patient's ability to perform internal respiration 

Other tips for EMTs include:
Look at the whole patient
Decide whether to oxygenate or ventilate
Determine shock
Search for the signs of Beck's triad
Check for Cushing's triad
Recognize that not all wheezes are asthma
List the causes of altered mental status 

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