Answer :
Final answer:
In emergency care, resuscitation for hemorrhagic shock, due to its immediate threat to life by loss of blood volume, takes precedence over splinting fractures. This involves fluid resuscitation, including the transfusion of type O blood in critical cases where the blood type is unknown, to stabilize the patient's condition. The correct answer is c) Splinting fractures.
Explanation:
Resuscitation for hemorrhagic shock takes precedence over splinting fractures. In the context of emergency medical care, managing a hemorrhagic shock involves restoring blood volume to prevent organ failure and death. This condition is caused by a significant loss of blood, often seen in situations such as multiple traumatic injuries following a motor vehicle accident. Addressing hemorrhagic shock is crucial as it pertains to circulatory shock; a life-threatening condition where the circulatory system fails to supply enough blood to tissues, causing insufficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to maintain cellular metabolism. Hemorrhagic shock is typically treated with immediate fluid resuscitation, including the transfusion of blood products, to restore the patient’s blood volume and improve blood pressure.
Hemorrhage, or severe bleeding, prompts the body to initiate mechanisms aimed at increasing blood pressure and maintaining blood flow. However, if these compensatory mechanisms fail, medical intervention to restore blood volume is necessary. In extreme emergencies where the patient's blood type is unknown, type O blood is often used for transfusion due to its universal donor status, being compatible with all other blood types. Therefore, in the hierarchy of emergency medical procedures, the management of hemorrhagic shock, which focuses on stabilizing the patient’s circulatory system by replenishing lost blood volume, takes priority over other interventions such as pain management, airway management, and splinting fractures.