EMT AAOS Chapter 11 Pharmacology

Which of the following statements regarding the metered-dose inhaler (MDI) is correct?

An MDI delivers the same amount of medication every time it is used.

With the flowmeter set at 6 L/min, the nasal cannula will deliver up to _______ oxygen.

44%

The process of binding or sticking to a surface is called

Adsorption

After taking diphendydramine (Benadryl) for an allergic reaction, a person begins experiencing drowsiness and a dry mouth. These findings are an example of a(n): A)side effect. B)untoward effect. C)therapeutic effect. D)unpredictable effect.

A. Side effect

Which of the following is an example of a trade name of a drug. A. Tylenol B. Ibuprofen C. Furosemide F. Nitroglycerin

A. Tylenol

Your patient is complaining of chest pain. He states it feels just like his last heart attack. You have applied oxygen with no relief. He does not take any medications. His BP is 88/64, pulse is 100, and respirations are 20. Your treatment should include. A. Asprin B. Nitroglycerin C. albuterol MDI D. epinephrine

A. aspirin

A medication with antagonistic properties is one that: A. blocks receptor sites and prevents other chemicals from attaching to them. B. produces a cumulative effect when mixed with the same type of medication. C. stimulates receptor sites and allows other chemicals to attach to them. D. enhances the effects of another medication when given in a higher dose.

A. blocks receptor sites and prevents other chemicals from attaching to them.

A drug is contraindicated for a patient when it: A. may cause harm or have no positive effect. B. produces actions other than the desired ones. C. is used to treat a multitude of conditions. D. is used to treat a specific medical condition.

A. may cause harm or have no positive effect.

Which of the following medication routes has the slowest rate of absorption? A. oral B. inhalation C. rectal D. sublingual

A. oral

Aspirin is beneficial to patients suspected of having a heart attack because it: A. prevents the aggregation of platelets. B. dissolves the coronary artery clot. C. causes direct coronary vasodilation. D. reduces the associated chest pain.

A. prevents the aggregation of platelets.

When given to patients with cardiac-related chest pain, nitroglycerin: A. relaxes the walls of the coronary arteries. B. increases blood return to the right atrium. C. constricts the veins throughout the body. D. increases myocardial contraction force.

A. relaxes the walls of the coronary arteries.

While assisting a paramedic in the attempted resuscitation of a 55 year old male in cardiac arrest, you should expect the paramedic to

Administer drugs via the IV route to achieve the fastest effect

A 62 year old male presents with crushing chest pain, which he describes as being the same kind of pain that he had with a previous heart attack. He has prescribed nitroglycerin but states that he has not taken any. After administering 100% oxygen and contacting medical control, you should

Assist him with his nitroglycerin unless his systolic blood pressure is less than 100

A 37 year old male is found unconscious in his car. His airway is patent and his respirations are rapid and labored. As you and your partner are assessing and treating the patient, a police officer hands you a medication named alupent, which he found in the backseat of the patients car. This medication suggests that the patient has a history of

Asthma

You arrive at a residence approximately 20 minutes after a 7-year-old boy, who weighs 22 kg, ingested a bottle of Advil. He is conscious and alert and has stable vital signs. Medical control orders you to administer activated charcoal and then transport the child at once. The appropriate maximum dose of activated charcoal for this child is: A. 22 g. B. 44 g. C. 11 g. D. 36 g.

B. 44 g.

The _____ of a medication usually dictates the route by which it will be administered. A. type B. form C. class D. name

B. Form

Subcutaneous injections deliver the medication: A. directly into the muscle tissue. B. between the skin and the muscle. C. below the first layer of muscle. D. through the mucosa under the tongue.

B. between the skin and the muscle.

You are treating a middle-aged man with chest discomfort. He has a history of three previous heart attacks and takes nitroglycerin as needed for chest pain. You have standing orders to administer aspirin to patients with suspected cardiac-related chest pain or discomfort. While your partner is preparing to give oxygen to the patient, you should: A. contact medical control, apprise him or her of the patient's chief complaint and vital signs, and request permission to give him aspirin. B. confirm that the patient is not allergic to aspirin, give him the appropriate dose of aspirin, and document the time and dose given. C. assist the patient in taking one of his prescribed nitroglycerin, assess his vital signs, and give him aspirin if he is still experiencing chest discomfort. D. ensure that the patient's systolic blood pressure is at least 100 mm Hg since aspirin dilates the blood vessels and can cause a drop in blood pressure

B. confirm that the patient is not allergic to aspirin, give him the appropriate dose of aspirin, and document the time and dose given.

You are dispatched to a movie theater for a 39-year-old female with signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. As you are assessing her, she pulls an epinephrine auto-injector out of her purse and hands it to you. After confirming the drug's name and expiration date, you should: A. administer the drug. B. contact medical control. C. ask her if she takes other medications. D. request an ALS ambulance to administer the drug.

B. contact medical control

Shortly after assisting a 65-year-old female with her prescribed nitroglycerin, she begins complaining of dizziness and experiences a drop of 30 mm Hg in her systolic blood pressure. The patient remains conscious and her breathing is adequate. You should: A. transport her in a sitting position. B. place her supine and elevate her legs. C. assist ventilations with a bag-mask device. D. wait 5 minutes and reassess her blood pressure.

B. place her supine and elevate her legs.

A 31-year-old female is experiencing an acute asthma attack. She is conscious and alert, but in obvious respiratory distress. After assisting her with her prescribed MDI, you should: A. check the drug's expiration date to ensure that it is still current. B. reassess the patient and document her response to the medication. C. administer another treatment in 30 seconds if she is still in distress. D. contact medical control and apprise him or her of what you did.

B. reassess the patient and document her response to the medication.

You are dispatched to a state park for a young female experiencing an allergic reaction. Your assessment reveals that her breathing is severely labored and her blood pressure is very low. You carry epinephrine auto-injectors on your ambulance and have been trained and approved by your medical director to administer them. As your partner gives the patient high-flow oxygen, you attempt to contact medical control but do not have a signal from your cell phone. You should: A. immediately load the patient into the ambulance, begin transport, and reattempt to contact medical control when you receive a cell signal. B. notify dispatch and request that a paramedic unit respond to the scene so they can administer epinephrine to the patient. C. administer epinephrine to the patient, begin immediate transport, and attempt to contact medical control en route to the hospital. D. elevate the patient's legs 6″ to 12″, keep her warm, begin transport to the hospital, and request a paramedic intercept en route.

C. administer epinephrine to the patient, begin immediate transport, and attempt to contact medical control en route to the hospital.

You are dispatched to a movie theater for a 39-year-old female with signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. As you are assessing her, she pulls an epinephrine auto-injector out of her purse and hands it to you. After administering 100% oxygen, you should: A. verify the medication name. B. administer the drug. C. contact medical control. D. check the drug's expiration date.

C. contact medical control.

Generally, parenteral medications are more commonly used in the emergency setting as opposed to enteral medications. The characteristic that separates the two routes with respect to administration in the emergency setting is: A. Enteral medications are often liquid and can be administered using syringes and needles. B. Enteral routes offer a more predictable and measurable response. C. Parenteral routes tend to be absorbed more quickly than enteral. E. Parenteral medications tend to have fewer side effects.

C. parenteral routes tend to be absorbed more quickly than enteral.

When assessing an elderly male who complains of nausea and generalized weakness, you find that he takes simvastatin (vytorin) and clopidoherl(plavix). This medication regimen suggests a history of

Cardiovascular disease

You are treating a 45-year-old woman who was stung by a hornet and has a rash. She tells you that she is allergic to hornets and has her own epinephrine auto-injector. She also tells you that she takes medication for hypertension. Her breath sounds do not reveal any wheezing, her breathing is unlabored, and her blood pressure is 154/94 mm Hg. What should you do if you are not able to make contact with medical control? A. Begin immediate transport and request an intercept with a paramedic ambulance. B. Administer her epinephrine, reassess her condition, and transport her promptly. C. Give her half the dose of her epinephrine in case her allergic reaction is delayed. D. Give her oxygen, transport her to the hospital, and monitor her condition en route.

D. Give her oxygen, transport her to the hospital, and monitor her condition en route.

a 49-year-old-male with an extensive cardiac history presents with 2 hours of crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. He is pale and diaphoretic and tells you that he feels like he is going to die. His medications include nitroglycerin, sildenafil (Viagra), and enalapril (Vasotec). His blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to administering supplemental oxygen if needed, you should: A. administer one nitroglycerin and call medical control. B. obtain physician approval to give the nitroglycerin. C. place him in a supine position and transport at once. D. ask him if he took his Viagra within the past 24 hours.

D. ask him if he took his Viagra within the past 24 hours.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of epinephrine

Decreases heart rate and blood pressure

What medication form does oral glucose come in

Gel

A mucosal atomizer device (MAD) is used to deliver certain medication via the

Intranasal route

Which of the following medications routes would be the most appropriate to use in an unconscious patient when intravenous access cannot be obtained

Intraosseous (IO)

Which of the following is the MOST rapidly acting medication administration route?

Intravenous (IV)

Which of the following medication routes has the slowest rate of absorption

Oral

After taking Benadryl for an allergic reaction a person begins experiencing drowsiness and a dry mouth. These findings are an example of an

Side effect

How is nitroglycerin usually given by the emt

Sublingually

Activated charcoal is an example of

Suspension

Which of the following statements regarding the epinephrine auto injector is correct?

The epinephrine auto injector delivers a preset amount of the drug

The term pharmacology is most accurately defined as

The study of drugs and their actions on the body

Which of the following medication routes delivers a drug through the skin over an extended period of time , such as a nitroglycerin it nicotine patch

Transcutaneous

When administering naloxone (Narcan) via the intranasal route, the EMT should administer:

a half dose into each nostril.

Which of the following is an example of a drugs generic name

asprin

Activated charcoal is frequently suspended in sorbitol, a complex sugar that: A. significantly slows the process of digestion. B. binds to any chemicals that are in the stomach. C. facilitates movement through the digestive system. D. disguises the unpleasant taste of the activated charcoal.

c. facilitates movement through the digestive system.

You are attending to a 26-year-old suspected overdose patient who is unresponsive. As part of your care you administer naloxone to reverse the effects of the suspected opioid overdose. Immediately after administering the drug you realize that while the dose and the route were correct, the patient condition did not warrant Naloxone as per your local protocols. Your most appropriate next step should be to:

continue to provide care for the patient and address any issues that the naloxone administration may have caused.

Advil, Nuprin, and Motrin are brand(trade) names for the generic medication

ibuprofen

EMTs arrive at the scene of a patient who was "found down." A family member states that she gave naloxone (Narcan) to the patient before the ambulance arrived. The EMTs should suspect that the patient:

overdosed on an opioid drug.

You are attending to a 24-year old male asthmatic complaining of shortness of breath and wheezing. There are several by standers in a crowded room. The patient tells you that he would have taken his own albuterol but he was so embarrassed and upset that he could not hold his MDI steady. In helping the patient to self administer his medication in accordance with local protocols you are:

performing patient-assisted medication administration.

You are attending to a 52-year old female patient who appears to have suffered a stroke. The patient is alone in her apartment and is unable to speak or communicate with you. In determining her medical history, it is most appropriate to:

search for and document all medications (prescription and nonprescription) that the patient may be taking.

You are attending to a 54-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain that appears to be cardiac in origin. As part of your management of the patient, you administer nitroglycerin as long as the patient meets defined conditions. This is an example of:

standing orders