EMT Basic Chapter 30

Drowning is MOST accurately defined as: a. water in the lungs following submersion in water b. temporary survival after submersion in water c. death beyond 24 hours after submersion in water d. death from suffocation after submersion in water

death from suffocation after submersion in water.

Which of the following medications increases a person's risk of a heat-related emergency? A. Tylenol B. diuretics C. Aspirin D. Motrin

diuretics

When the body loses sweat, it also loses:

electrolytes.

High humidity reduces the body's ability to lose heat through: A. conduction B. radiation C. convection D. evaporation

evaporation.

The body's natural cooling mechanism, in which sweat is converted to a gas, is called:

evaporation.

Geriatric patients, newborns, and infants are especially prone to hyperthermia because they:

exhibit poor thermoregulation.

All of the following terms are used to describe a cold body part that is not frozen, EXCEPT: A. chilblains. B. frostnip. C. frostbite. D. trench foot.

frostbite

Covering a patient's _________ will significantly minimize radiation heat loss. A. abdomen B. head C. extremities D. chest

head

Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to increase a person's risk of hypothermia? A. hyperglycemia B. severe infection C. hypoperfusion D. spinal cord injury

hyperglycemia

Shivering is a mechanism in which the body generates heat by: A. retaining excess CO2 B. increasing the metabolic rate C. decreasing the use of O2 D. decreasing the metabolic rate

increasing the metabolic rate.

To obtain the MOST accurate reading of a patient's core body temperature, you should place a special hypothermia thermometer: A. behind pt's knee B. under patient's armpit C. under patient's tongue D. into patient's rectum

into patient's rectum *

A 48-year-old male was stung on the leg by a jellyfish while swimming in the ocean. He is conscious and alert, but complains of intense pain at the wound site. Specific treatment for this patient includes: A. irrigating the wound with vinegar, and immersing his leg in hot water B. immersing his leg in cold fresh water, scraping away stingers C. pulling nematocysts out with tweezers and bandaging wound D. applying chemical ice pack to wound and encouraging movement

irrigating the wound with vinegar and immersing his leg in hot water.

In contrast to the brown recluse spider, the black widow spider: a. is large and has a red-orange hourglass mark on its abdomen b. has a bite that is typically painless until a blister develops c. has a bite that usually produces local pain but no systemic signs or symptoms d. is very small and has a violin-shaped marking on its back

is large and has a red-orange hourglass mark on its abdomen.

In order for sweating to be an effective cooling mechanism: a. several layers of clothing must be worn b. the body must produce at least 1 L per hour c. the relative humidity must be above 90% d. it must be able to evaporate from the body

it must be able to evaporate from the body.

You receive a call to a residence for a sick patient. Upon your arrival, you find the patient, a 53-year-old diabetic male, lying down on his front porch. His wife tells you that he had been mowing the lawn in the heat for the past 3 hours. The patient is confused and has hot, moist skin. His pulse is weak and thready, and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. In addition to administering 100% oxygen, you should A. place him in a sitting position and have him drink 1 L of water B. perform a rapid assessment and look for signs of trauma C. administer one tube of oral glucose and reassess his mental status D. load him into the ambulance and begin rapid cooling interventions

load him into the ambulance and begin rapid cooling interventions.

Which of the following is an early sign of pit viper envenomation? A. local swelling and ecchymosis B. signs and symptoms of hypoperfusion C. general weakness and diaphoresis D. syncope and bleeding at distal sites

local swelling and ecchymosis

A frostbitten foot can be identified by the presence of: a. gross deformity b. mottling and blisters c. soft, smooth skin d. blanching of the skin

mottling and blisters.

You and your partner are standing by at a large social event at a river resort when a frantic woman tells you that she found a young male floating face-down in the water. Nobody claims to have witnessed the event. After you and your partner enter the water and reach the patient, you should:

move him as a unit to a supine position.

You are dispatched to a local high school track and field event for a 16-year-old male who fainted. The outside temperature is approximately 95°F (35°C) with high humidity. Upon your arrival, the patient is conscious, alert, and complains of nausea and a headache. His skin is cool, clammy, and pale. You should:

move him into the cooled ambulance.

The venom of a black widow spider is toxic to the: a. respiratory system b. nervous system c. cardiovascular system d. renal system

nervous system.

You and your partner respond to a park where several people were reportedly struck by lightning. When you arrive, you find three patients. The first patient is lying supine on the ground; he is unresponsive and does not appear to be breathing. The second patient is ambulatory, appears confused, and is holding his arm against his chest. The third patient is sitting on the ground holding the sides of his head. After calling for backup, you should: a. open the unresponsive patient's airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver, assess his ABC's, and begin CPR and attach the AED as soon as possible b. recognize that the patients who are conscious are at high risk for developing cardiac arrest and quickly assess them for potentially life-threatening injuries c. immediately begin CPR on the unresponsive patient, but cease resuscitation if there is no response after 5 minutes of treatment d. focus your initial treatment efforts on the patients who are conscious because the unresponsive patient is likely in irreversible cardiac arrest

open the unresponsive patient's airway with the jaw-thrust maneuver, assess his ABCs, and begin CPR and attach the AED as soon as possible.

Signs and symptoms of an air embolism include all of the following, EXCEPT: A. dysphasia B. dizziness C. joint pain D. pale skin

pale skin.

Your assessment of a 23-year-old female reveals a core body temperature of 93.4°F (34°C). She is conscious, answers your questions appropriately, is shivering, and complains of nausea. Her skin is cold and pale, her muscles appear rigid, and her respirations are rapid. In addition to monitoring her ABCs, administering oxygen, and turning up the heat in the back of the ambulance, you should: a. apply the AED in case she develops cardiopulmonary arrest, cover her with layers of blankets, and transport carefully b. place heat packs to her groin, axillae, and behind her neck; cover her with warm blankets; and avoid rough handling. c. cover her with warm blankets and let her move about on the stretcher in order to generate body heat and increase her temperature d. sit her up and give her small sips of warm water to drink, place heat packs to her axillae and groin, and cover her with blankets

place heat packs to her groin, axillae, and behind her neck; cover her with warm blankets; and avoid rough handling.

The EMT must assume that any unwitnessed water-related incident is accompanied by:

possible spinal injury.

You are transporting a 28-year-old man with a frostbitten foot. The patient's vital signs are stable and he denies any other injuries or symptoms. The weather is treacherous and your transport time to the hospital is approximately 45 minutes. During transport, you should: A. rewarm foot in 100 degree F to 105 degree water B. cover his foot with chemical heat compresses C. administer oxygen via nonrebreathing mask D. protect the affected part from further injury

protect the affected part from further injury *

You are transporting a 28-year-old man with a frostbitten foot. The patient's vital signs are stable and he denies any other injuries or symptoms. The weather is treacherous and your transport time to the hospital is approximately 45 minutes. During transport, you should:

protect the affected part from further injury.

A 20-year-old male was pulled from cold water by his friends. The length of his submersion is not known and was not witnessed. You perform a primary assessment and determine that the patient is apneic and has a slow, weak pulse. You should:

provide rescue breathing, remove wet clothing, immobilize his spine, keep him warm, and transport carefully.

High air temperature reduces the body's ability to lose heat by: a. evaporation b. conduction c. convection d. radiation

radiation.

A patient with a core body temperature of 95°F (35°C) will MOST likely experience:

rapid breathing.

You respond to a local lake where a diver complains of difficulty breathing that occurred immediately after rapidly ascending from a depth of approximately 30′. On assessment, you note that he has cyanosis around his lips and has pink froth coming from his nose and mouth. You should:

suction his mouth and nose, apply high-flow oxygen, position him on his left side with his head down, and contact medical control regarding transport to a recompression facility.

Burns associated with lightning strikes are typically: a. full-thickness b. superficial c. partial-thickness d. third-degree

superficial.

While drinking beer with his friends near a creek, a 31-year-old male was bitten on the leg by an unidentified snake. The patient is conscious and alert and in no apparent distress. Your assessment of his leg reveals two small puncture marks with minimal pain and swelling. In addition to administering oxygen and providing reassurance, further care for this patient should include: A. elevating lower extremities and giving antivenom B. transporting only with close, continuous monitoring C. applying ice to wound and transporting quickly D. supine positioning, splinting the leg, and transporting.

supine positioning, splinting the leg, and transporting.

The two MOST efficient ways for the body to eliminate excess heat are: A. respiration and bradycardia B. sweating and dilation of skin blood vessels C. hyperventilation and tachycardia D. perspiration and tachycardia

sweating and dilation of skin blood vessels.

Breath-holding syncope is caused by a decreased stimulus to breathe and occurs when:

swimmer hyperventilates before entering water

Which of the following would be the LEAST likely to occur in a patient with a core body temperature of between 89°F (32°C) and 92°F (33°C)? A. bradypnea B. stiff muscles C. confusion D. tachycardia

tachycardia

Heatstroke occurs when

the body's heat-eliminating mechanisms are overwhelmed.

An air embolism associated with diving occurs when:

the diver holds his or her breath during a rapid ascent.

Most of the serious injuries associated with scuba diving are caused by:

to rapid of an ascent

The body's natural protective mechanisms against heat loss are:

vasoconstriction and shivering.

Rough handling of a hypothermic patient with a pulse may cause:

ventricular fibrillation.

Heat loss from the body through respiration occurs when: A. air temperature is greater than body temperature B. cool air is inhaled and displaces warm air C. warm air is exhaled into the atmosphere D. core body temperature is greater than 98F

warm air is exhaled into the atmosphere.

Signs of late heatstroke include:

weak, rapid pulse

A person's ability to shiver is lost when his or her body temperature falls below:

90°F (32°C).

Hypothermia occurs when the core body temperature falls below:

95°F (35°C).

Common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include all of the following, EXCEPT: A. hot, dry skin B. headache C. nausea D. tachycardia

A. hot, dry skin

Which of the following statements regarding drowning is correct? A. Hypoxia in the drowning victim initially occurs due to water in the lungs. B. Laryngospasm following submersion in water makes rescue breathing difficult. C. Artificial ventilations can easily be performed in patients with a laryngospasm. D. Large amounts of water enter the lungs in a small number of drowning victims.

Laryngospasm following submersion in water makes rescue breathing difficult.

Which of the following statements regarding lightning strikes is correct?

Lighting often results in a brief period of asystole that resolves spontaneously.

You are dispatched to a residence for a young female who is sick. The patient complains of a rash to her lower extremities and truncal area. Your assessment reveals a small, painful blister on her inner thigh. As your partner is taking the patient's vital signs, she states that she and her family returned from a camping trip two days ago. On the basis of this patient's presentation, you should suspect: A. Rocky Mountain spotted fever B. exposure to poison ivy C. Lyme disease D. allergic reaction

Lyme disease.

Which of the following MOST accurately describes hyperthermia? A. The body is exposed to more heat than it can lose. B. Heat evaporates a significant amount of body water. C. The core body temperature exceeds 99.5°F (37°C). D. The body eliminates more heat than it can generate.

The body is exposed to more heat than it can lose.

You are assessing a 33-year-old male who complains of severe abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea. He tells you that he was gathering wood to build a fire when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on the back of his hand. Your assessment reveals that the patient's abdomen is rigid and painful to palpation. You should suspect: A. brown recluse spider bite B. envenomation from a pit spider C. Rocky Mountain spotted fever D. black widow spider bite

a black widow spider bite

Compared to adults, infants and children are at higher risk for hypothermia for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT: A. a decreased ability to shiver. B. a relatively small surface area. C. a smaller amount of body fat. D. a smaller overall muscle mass.

a relatively small surface area.

Signs of late heatstroke include: a. a weak, rapid pulse b. a change in behavior c. nausea and vomiting d. hot, moist skin

a weak, rapid pulse.

To assess a patient's general temperature, pull back on your glove and place the back of your hand on his or her skin at the: a. abdomen, underneath clothing b. forehead c. forearm, on the inside of the wrist d. neck, at the area where you check the carotid pulse

abdomen, underneath clothing

The MOST prominent symptom of decompression sickness is:

abdominal or joint pain.

A 30-year-old male was rescued after being lost in the woods for approximately 18 hours. The outside temperature is 30°F (-1°C). He is immediately placed in the warmed ambulance, where you perform a primary assessment. He is unconscious, pale, and apneic. You should:

assess for a carotid pulse for up to 45 seconds.

A dysbarism injury refers to the signs and symptoms related to changes in:

barometric pressure.

Hypothermia can worsen internal bleeding secondary to: A. blood clotting abnormalities B. cardiac arrhythmia C. a decreased heart rate D. severe muscular rigidity

blood clotting abnormalities.

Patients with generalized hypothermia are at an increased risk of a local cold injury because: A. peripheral vasodilation brings warm blood to the skin's surface B. blood is shunted away from the extremities to the body's core C. major muscles of the body became rigid during hypothermia D. patient is usually unable to escape the cold ambient temperature

blood is shunted away from the extremities to the body's core

The diving reflex may allow a person to survive extended periods of submersion in cold water secondary to: a. increases in the metabolic rate and oxygen demand b. tachycardia and a lowering of the blood pressure c. laryngospasm that protects the lungs from water d. bradycardia and a slowing of the metabolic rate

bradycardia and a slowing of the metabolic rate.

The venom of a brown recluse spider is cytotoxic, meaning that it: A. weakens the structure of the bones B. causes severe local tissue damage C. suppresses the respiratory drive D. destroys the body's red blood cells

causes severe local tissue damage.

Geriatric patients are at a higher risk for heatstroke because

circulation to the skin is reduced.

When a warm hand is immersed in water that is 70°F (21°C), heat is transferred from the hand to the water through a process called:

conduction.

The transfer of heat to circulating air, such as when cool air moves across the body's surface, is called: a. evaporation b. conduction c. convection d. radiation

convection.

All of the following snakes are pit vipers, EXCEPT for the: A copperhead. B. coral snake. C. cottonmouth. D. rattlesnake.

coral snake