Chapter 36: Patients with Special Challenges

When assessing or providing care to a patient with an intellectual disability, you should: a. be observant for signs of fear or reluctance from the patient. b. frequently reassure him or her that everything will be okay. c. move swiftly and deliberately to quickly accomplish the task. d. explain procedures while in the process of performing them.

a. be observant for signs of fear or reluctance from the patient.

Cerebral palsy is a condition that results from damage or injury to the: a. brain. b. voluntary muscles. c. spinal cord. d. peripheral nervous system.

a. brain.

Because hearing-impaired patients typically have more difficulty hearing high-frequency sounds, it is important for you to: a. lower the pitch of your voice. b. speak in a monotone voice. c. try basic sign language first. d. increase the pitch of your voice.

a. lower the pitch of your voice.

General care for a patient with a tracheostomy tube includes all of the following, EXCEPT: a. removing the tube if the area around it appears to be infected. b. maintaining the patient in a position of comfort when possible. c. suctioning the tube as needed to clear a thick mucous plug. d. ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation at all times.

a. removing the tube if the area around it appears to be infected.

When enlisting the help of an interpreter who signs, it is important for you to ask the interpreter to: a. report exactly what the patient signs and not to add any commentary. b. voice what he or she is signing while communicating with the patient. c. document the answers to the questions that the patient has responded to. d. avoid any kind of lip movement while he or she is signing with the patient.

a. report exactly what the patient signs and not to add any commentary.

Airway management can be challenging in patients with Down syndrome because their: a. teeth are misaligned and they have a large tongue. b. tongue is relatively small and falls back in the throat. c. occiput is round, which causes flexion of the neck. d. mandible is large, which inhibits a mask-to-face seal.

a. teeth are misaligned and they have a large tongue.

EMTs are dispatched for a fall. The patient, a 16-year-old female with Down syndrome, is experiencing difficulty walking and says that her fingers "feel like needles." The EMTs should suspect: a. a seizure. b. a cervical spine injury. c. an intracranial hemorrhage. d. hydrocephalus.

b. a cervical spine injury.

A tube from the brain to the abdomen that drains excessive cerebrospinal fluid is called a: a. CS tube. b. shunt. c. G-tube. d. cerebral bypass.

b. shunt.

Patients with autism: a. prefer to maintain eye contact with whomever is talking with them. b. use and understand nonverbal means of communicating messages. c. have extreme difficulty with complex tasks that require many steps. d. often speak with speech patterns that alternate in tone and speed.

c. have extreme difficulty with complex tasks that require many steps.

Which of the following does NOT usually contribute to or cause obesity? a. Low metabolic rate b. Genetic predisposition c. High caloric intake d. Rapid metabolism

d. Rapid metabolism