Chapter 14 Medical Overview

In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to utilize an air medical transportation service?

61-year-old man with signs and symptoms of a stroke and a ground transport time of 50 minutes Chapter 14, page 568, Management, Transport, and Destination

Which of the following patients is at greatest risk for complications caused by the influenza virus?

68-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes Chapter 14, page 575, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases

An infectious disease is MOST accurately defined as:

a medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body. Chapter 14, page 569, Infectious Diseases

Which of the following medications would the EMT be LEAST likely to administer to a patient with a medical complaint?

Ibuprofen Chapter 14, Management, Transport, and Destination, Page 567

Which of the following assessment findings is MOST indicative of a cardiovascular problem?

Jugular venous distention Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 565

Which of the following is bacterium resistant to most antibiotics and causes skin abscesses?

MRSA Chapter 14, page 569, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases

Most patients with an infectious disease will have _________.

a fever Chapter 14, page 596, Infectious Diseases

Which of the following statements regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is correct?

MRSA is a bacterium that causes infections and is resistant to most antibiotics. Chapter 14, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases, Page 575

When assessing a patient with a medical complaint, which of the following would MOST likely reveal the cause of the problem?

Medical history Chapter 14, pages 562 and 564, Patient Assessment

Which of the following conditions is NOT categorized as a psychiatric condition?

Substance abuse Chapter 14, page 561, Types of Medical Emergencies Categorized as a psychiatric condition: -Schizophrenia -Alzheimer disease -Depression

Most treatments provided in the prehospital setting are intended to _________.

address the patient's symptoms Chapter 14, page 567, Management, Transport, and Destination

The determination of whether a medical patient is a high-priority or low-priority transport is typically made:

after the primary assessment has been completed. Chapter 14, page 568, Management, Transport, and Destination

In addition to looking for severe bleeding, assessment of circulation in the conscious patient should involve:

checking the radial pulse and noting the color, temperature, and condition of the skin. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 564

You are attending to a 27-year-old male driver of a car. According to his passenger, the patient had been acting strangely while driving, then slumped forward against the steering wheel, apparently unconscious. The car drove off the road and struck a telephone pole. The patient remains unconscious, and physical assessment reveals only a large hematoma on his right forehead with no other physical signs. Your patient is a diabetic who had been under a lot of stress lately and may have missed meals. This is an example of a:

combination of a medical and trauma emergency. Chapter 14, page 561, Introduction

Patients with tuberculosis pose the greatest risk for transmitting the disease when they:

cough Chapter 14, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases, Page 574

When performing a secondary assessment on a conscious patient with nontraumatic abdominal pain and stable vital signs, you should:

focus on his or her chief complaint. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 565

The BEST way to prevent infection from whooping cough is to:

get vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Chapter 14, page 575, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases

Hepatitis B is more virulent than hepatitis C, which means that it:

has a greater ability to produce disease. Chapter 14, page 573, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases

The secondary assessment of a medical patient:

is not practical if the patient is critically ill or your transport time is short. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 565

When caring for a patient with an altered mental status and signs of circulatory compromise, you should:

limit your time at the scene to 10 minutes or less, if possible. Chapter 14, page 567, Management, Transport, and Destination

You and your EMT partner arrive at the residence of a 50-year-old man who complains of weakness. Your primary assessment reveals that he is critically ill and will require aggressive treatment. The closest hospital is 25 miles away. You should:

manage all threats to airway, breathing, and circulation and consider requesting an ALS unit. Chapter 14, page 564, Patient Assessment

Assessment of the medical patient is usually focused on the _________.

nature of illness (NOI) Chapter 14, page 562, Patient Assessment

It is especially important to assess pulse, sensation, and movement in all extremities as well as pupillary reactions in patients with a suspected ___________ problem.

neurologic Chapter 14, page 565, Patient Assessment

Assessment of a patient's blood pressure with an automatic BP cuff reveals that it is 204/120 mm Hg. The patient is conscious and alert and denies any symptoms. The EMT should:

obtain a manual blood pressure. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 566

In 2009, the H1N1 virus accounted for over 200,000 deaths worldwide in the form of the swine flu. In 1919, a similar outbreak of the H1N1 occurred in the form of the Spanish flu. Starting in Kansas City, the virus spread rapidly worldwide, claiming up to 50 million lives. These are both examples of:

pandemics. Chapter 14, page 569, Infectious Diseases

Reassessment of a patient with a medical complaint should begin by:

repeating the primary assessment. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 566

End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) monitoring is clearly indicated for patients who present with:

respiratory distress. Chapter 14, Patient Assessment, Page 566

After sizing up the scene of a patient with a possible infectious disease, your next priority should be to:

take standard precautions. Chapter 14, page 569, Infectious Diseases

When forming your general impression of a patient with a medical complaint, it is important to remember that:

the conditions of many medical patients may not appear serious at first. Chapter 14, page 563, Patient Assessment

Ten days after treating a 34-year-old patient with tuberculosis, you are given a tuberculin skin test, which yields a positive result. This MOST likely indicates that:

you were exposed to another infected person prior to treating the 34-year-old patient. Chapter 14, page 574, Common or Serious Communicable Diseases