Restrain and Treat is the recommended action in which scenario?

• A. AMS and combative head trauma patient refusing treatment
• B. Ambulatory patient with anxiety
• C. Stable patient with minor injuries
• D. Non-urgent call

Answer: (A)

The scenario tests the use of implied consent and safety restraints when a patient cannot make informed decisions. If someone has altered mental status from head trauma and is combative or refusing care, they lack the capacity to consent. In such cases, the EMS team may proceed with life-saving treatment to protect the patient and themselves, using restraints only to the extent needed to safely assess and treat and to transport. The goal is to deliver essential care—airway, breathing, circulation—while keeping restraints as brief and least restrictive as possible, and to document the necessity and duration of restraint. In contrast, an ambulatory patient with anxiety who is able to understand and refuse care, a stable patient with minor injuries, or a non-urgent call would not require restraining for treatment.