Okay, so you already got the drunk patient running on O2, took vitals, history, and now you're repeating. However, when do you call an ambulance?
Well I've been researching this and my peers tell me that it all depends on the LOA, GCS ,and LOC.
The patient must have a LOA (level of awareness) that is rated at alert.
A GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), a neurological scale) of 15.
and a LOC (level of consciousness) that is impeccable.
They are all key deciding factors, but the most important are LOA and LOC.
If the patient has an LOA of "verbal", "pain", "unresponsiveness" then consider calling EMS.
If the patient has fails to confirm his LOC (who he is, where he is, what is he doing) then call EMS.
Both of the two points above proves the patient cannot make an informed decision and both LOA and LOC go hand-in-hand of each other usually.
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