Why would an Emt ask a young adult female patient who is complaining of abdominal discomfort where she is in her menstrual cycle?

Answer 1

An EMT is trained to try to discover possible reasons for a patient's emergency in order to give appropriate treatment/ transport. In young women of childbearing age, abdominal pain can be caused normally during ovulation, which occurs midway through the menstrual cycle and may be accompanied by 'spotting' or a small amount of vaginal bleeding. This pain is sometimes referred to as"Mittelschmerz", a German word for "middle pain". Pain caused by ovulation may be uncomfortable but it is rarely an emergency. The pain may be moderate to severe if the woman has developed an ovarian cyst. The cyst develops on the ovary near the ripening follicle containing the ova, or egg. The cyst swells as it grows causing pressure and pain, usually experienced just before a period or soon afterwards. If the ruptured cyst contained blood rather than plasma, the irritation and pain can be greater. This is not an emergency unless accompanied by fever and vomiting, but it does require medical followup with a gynecologist. Abdominal pain late in the cycle may or may not be related to menses. The EMT may also ask the same patient whether or not she is sexually active, and whether she has missed a period recently. Abdominal pain not related to menses can be caused by everything from intestinal gas to peritonitis. The questions asked by the EMT are intended to be helpful in determining the nature of a response to a call for immediate help. In some areas, if an EMT believes no emergency exists, the client may be referred to her own doctor or to a clinic for followup within a few days. If an emergency is suspected or confirmed then the EMT will begin treatment as needed and will transport her to the ED of a local hospital immediately for medical assessment and care. Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg has implanted in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus, may signal a true emergency. Early warning signs can include cramping pain on one side or the other, pain in the lower abdomen and light vaginal bleeding. These warning signs would tend to occur in the last half of the cycle or later. The true emergency comes when the fallopian tubes are stretched by the growing embryo to the point of rupture. Signs of rupture include bleeding which causes sharp, stabbing pain in the abdomen, pelvis and possibly the shoulder and neck. As bleeding continues and the blood pressure drops signs of shock such as lightheadedness and dizziness worsen. These symptoms usually indicate a serious emergency requiring immediate transport to a hospital where surgery is performed as soon as possible on arrival to stop the bleeding. For information on ovarian cysts go to:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cysts/DS00129/DSECTION=symptoms For information on ectopic pregnancy see: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ectopic-pregnancy/DS00622/DSECTION=symptoms