Which statement about the secondary assessment is correct?

• A. The secondary assessment should focus on a certain area or region of the body as determined by the chief complaint.
• B. During the secondary assessment, the EMT's primary focus should be on taking the patient's vital signs and obtaining a SAMPLE history.
• C. The secondary assessment should be performed en route to the hospital, regardless of the severity of the patient's condition.
• D. A secondary assessment should always be performed, even if you must continually manage life threats that were identified in the primary assessment.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the secondary assessment is guided by the patient's chief complaint. After life threats are addressed in the primary survey, you tailor your exam to the area most likely involved, based on what the patient is reporting or what the mechanism of injury suggests. This focused approach helps you uncover injuries that might not be obvious from a general check, while still allowing you to assess other body regions as time allows. Vital signs and a SAMPLE history are part of the secondary assessment, but the main emphasis is on evaluating the region indicated by the chief complaint—examining that area first and then, if possible, proceeding to a broader head-to-toe assessment. The other statements don’t fit because they either misstate the focus of the secondary exam, imply it must be done regardless of the patient’s condition, or suggest it should occur in a fixed way without regard to the chief complaint.