EMT Chapter 3

In a state requiring EMTs to report​ child, elder, or domestic​ abuse, which of the following situations is the EMT required to​ report?

A child appears to have been burned on the arm deliberately.

Which of the following is TRUE about organ​ donation?

A donor must complete a legal document registering as an organ donor.

Which of the following is likely to be inscribed on a medical identification device worn as a​ bracelet?

Allergies

Which of the following situations involves a HIPAA​ violation?

An EMT discusses patient cases with his physician.

Which of the following situations BEST illustrates the act of abandonment by the​ EMT?

An EMT transports a patient to the emergency​ department, leaves the patient in the waiting​ room, but does not advise the ED staff.

If the EMT is in doubt as to whether a patient in cardiac arrest should be​ resuscitated, which of the following is the best​ decision?

Begin resuscitative measures.

Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime​ scene?

Blood spatter

Sharing information about a​ patient's medical history with your neighbor after you hear a call on a radio scanner would constitute which of the​ following?

Breach of confidentiality

Your patient is a​ 10-year-old boy who suffered a possible fractured arm while rollerblading at a​ friend's house. Which of the following is the BEST way to obtain consent for​ treatment?

Call the patient's to consent as an emancipated minor

You respond to a bus accident with multiple patients. As you arrive at the​ scene, you are approached by a local politician who states that his wife has been involved. He tells you that if you will take care of her​ first, he will ensure that you get the promotion you are up for. This is what type of decision for you as an​ EMT?

Ethical

Which type of consent must be used by the EMT when seeking to treat a mentally competent​ adult?

Expressed consent

Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime​ scene?

Fingerprints

Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime​ scene?

Footprints

You are on the scene with a​ 72-year-old male patient with chest pain. The patient is complaining of shortness of breath but also refuses to go to the​ hospital, even after multiple attempts urging him to go. Which of the following should you do​ next?

Fully inform the patient about his situation and the implications of refusing care.

Laws that have been developed by states to minimize the risk of individuals being held liable for providing emergency care to victims of illness or injury are​ called:

Good Samaritan laws.

Which of the following information may be important to law enforcement officers investigating a crime​ scene?

How you gained access to the scene

Your patient is a​ 40-year-old known diabetic who was found unconscious at work by a coworker. What type of consent allows you to treat this​ patient?

Implied consent

In a​ kindergarten, the teachers can give consent for EMT care of their students. Which form of consent applies​ here?

In loco parentis

You respond to a middle school for a​ 12-year-old male patient who has been hit by a car. You get consent to treat the patient from the school principal. What concept allows the principal to speak for the​ parents?

In loco parentis

While documenting a​ call, you add a false statement that was made about a local doctor. This could constitute which of the​ following?

Libel

What is an​ EMT's primary ethical​ consideration?

Making patient care and the​ patient's well-being a priority

You respond to the report of an unconscious female patient. You can acquire important medical information about the patient through which of the​ following?

Medical identification device

As you enter a hectic possible crime​ scene, you find that a coffee table is blocking your access to the patient. Which of the following is the BEST way to manage this​ situation?

Move the table as little as​ possible, wearing​ gloves; notify police on the​ scene; and document your actions precisely in your patient care report.

To which of the following situations would Good Samaritan laws generally​ apply?

Personnel responding to an emergency when off duty

You arrive on the scene of a​ 55-year-old male patient. The​ patient's wife called 911 because he is having chest pains. The patient is very angry with his wife for calling 911 because he states he only has heartburn and adamantly refuses any treatment or transport. After signing the patient refusal​ form, the patient collapses and goes into sudden cardiac arrest. The wife is crying uncontrollably and begging you to do something. What should you​ do?

Provide emergency care under implied consent.

Which of the following is the​ EMT's primary responsibility at a secured crime​ scene?

Providing patient care

The administration of oxygen and the application of spinal immobilization are part of which of the following for the​ EMT?

Scope of practice

What is a set of regulations and ethical considerations that define the extent and limits of the​ EMT's job?

Scope of practice

Which of the following refers to the set of regulations that defines the legal actions expected of and limitations placed on the​ EMT?

Scope of practice

Two EMTs respond to the scene of a syncopal episode. A​ 50-year-old patient passed out and cut his lip. The EMTs talk the patient out of an expensive ambulance ride and suggest he will save money by driving himself to urgent care instead. The patient agrees and signs a refusal form. The patient dies from sudden cardiac arrest at home the following day. Which of the following statements is​ true?

The EMTs may be negligent if there is evidence of proximate cause.

A patient sues an EMT for​ negligence, citing that the EMT failed to act appropriately in caring for the​ patient, that the patient suffered from the​ EMT's negligence, and the EMT violated the standard of care for the specific situation. The patient claims to have feared bodily harm at the time of the incident in question. Which of the following of the​ patient's claims is NOT required to prove a claim of negligence against an​ EMT?

The patient was in fear of bodily harm at the time of the incident.

What may interfere with an​ EMT's ability to care for a patient at a crime​ scene?

The police want to interview the patient.

Which of the following would MOST likely be considered evidence at a crime​ scene?

The position in which the patient is found

Which of the following statements is true concerning protection by Good Samaritan​ laws?

The purpose of Good Samaritan laws is to protect people who are trying to help in an emergency.

In which of the following situations is it legal to share information about treatment you provided to a​ patient?

The triage nurse at the emergency department asks about the care you provided to the patient.

In which of the following situations should an EMT withhold resuscitative measures from a patient in cardiac​ arrest?

The​ patient's caregiver presents a DNR order signed by the patient and his physician.

Which of the following could be a source of information to let the EMT know that a patient is an organ​ donor?

The​ patient's driver's license

You are treating an elderly male patient in the back of your ambulance. En​ route, the patient becomes unresponsive. Upon​ arrival, the ED nurse asks you several questions about his condition. What should you​ do, and​ why?

You should answer her questions because you may legally share the​ patient's medical condition with other pertinent health care providers.

You are providing care to a​ 54-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. The patient asks to speak to you privately. He tells you he is taking Cialis for erectile​ dysfunction, and his wife does not know he is taking it. He does not want his wife to find out. As you are putting the EMS bags back in the​ ambulance, the wife corners you and insists that you tell her what her husband said. What should you​ do, and​ why?

You should not tell her. By​ law, your conversation with your patient is confidential.

Which of the following incidents is it likely for the EMT to be legally required to report to law​ enforcement?

Your patient has facial and head injuries and states that her husband beat her with a screwdriver.

An EMT called to the scene of a​ multiple-vehicle collision​ has:

a clear duty to act.

The person who is legally designated to make health care decisions for the patient if the patient is unable to do so is​ called:

a health care proxy.

Good Samaritan laws dictate​ that:

a rescuer must provide care in good faith, to the level of that rescuer's training, and to the best of that rescuer's ability

You suspect that a pediatric patient is being abused. You decide not to report this to the appropriate authorities because the parent is very upset and remorseful. This​ is:

a violation of professional ethics and possibly a crime.

An EMT who turns the care of a multisystem trauma patient over to a doctor of dermatology has​ likely:

abandoned the patient

Leaving a patient after initiating care and before the patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training is known​ as:

abandonment

If you stop providing care to a patient without ensuring that equivalent or better care will be​ provided, you could be legally liable​ for:

abandonment.

Wheeling a​ non-emergency patient into the hospital emergency​ department, placing him in a​ bed, and leaving without transferring care directly to ED staff​ constitutes:

abandonment.

Documents signed by a patient that communicate his or her wishes regarding medical care are​ called:

advance directives.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act​ (HIPAA):

allows you to discuss​ patient-specific information only with individuals with whom it is medically necessary to do so.

A legal document allowing the health care provider to withhold resuscitation from a chronically or terminally ill patient is the known​ as:

an advance directive.

What is the term for placing a person in fear of bodily​ harm?

assault

A patient who called 911 is now refusing transport. You​ should:

assess the​ patient, advise the patient of the risks of​ refusal, and clearly document everything in the patient care report.

EMS is on the scene of the cardiac arrest of a terminally ill cancer patient. The family states that the patient has a valid DNR but they are unable to locate it. The family is upset and adamant that the patient does not want resuscitation. The EMS crew​ should:

begin resuscitation and consider establishing​ on-line medical direction.

You are on the scene with a patient who is complaining of chest​ pain, and you have administered medication. Your partner brings in the​ stretcher, and the patient tells you that she does not want to be transported to the ED. You​ should:

contact medical direction for a consult

You explain a risky procedure to a patient. He​ says, "As long as​ it's guaranteed to​ work, you can do​ it." You​ should:

explain that a risky procedure is not guaranteed.

When an EMT takes the time to ask permission from a conscious adult to do an assessment and​ procedures, this is respecting the legal principle​ of:

expressed consent

While treating a patient involved in a shooting at the​ patient's vacation​ home, which of the following actions is unlikely to interfere with the investigation of a crime​ scene?

failing to take notes on scene

You and your partner have arrived on the scene of a person injured as a result of a gunshot wound during a burglary. When police later arrive and secure the​ scene, one of the police tells you to file a complete report describing what you saw when you arrived on​ scene, as required by law in your area. You​ should:

file the report and leave out no details.

You are on the scene of a cardiac arrest. You have begun resuscitation as family members arrive and present you with a valid DNR order. You​ should:

follow your local protocols and contact medical direction if unsure how to proceed

The concept of res ipsa loquitur would be MOST relevant to a situation​ involving:

harm to a patient in the care of EMTs

An EMT is off duty and near a patient in a restaurant who appears to suffer a choking​ episode, but another person in the​ patient's group helps dislodge the obstruction so that the patient can begin breathing normally. The EMT provides no care to this patient. In most​ states, this​ EMT:

has no legal obligation to provide care.

A patient appears to be in the midst of a psychotic episode and is unable to make a rational decision about consenting to emergency care. The EMT may care for the patient on the basis​ of:

implied consent

You are on the scene of a motor vehicle collision where a​ patient's car struck a utility pole. Witnesses reported to you that the patient was unconscious after the impact.​ However, the patient is now​ conscious, alert and​ oriented, and refusing care and transport. You​ should:

inform the patient of your concern and try to persuade her to go to the ED and receive treatment

You proceed to treat a patient who has consented to​ care, but you have NOT explained the risks and benefits of what you are going to do. This is MOST likely a violation​ of:

informed consent.

You are at the scene of a patient with obvious signs of traumatic death. You are required by law in your state to report violent deaths. Your duty as an EMT is to​ notify:

law enforcement

A patient is injured but refuses to be transported by ambulance. He is competent to make​ decisions, and you have exhausted all avenues to convince him to be​ transported, so you have him sign a refusal of treatment form. This form is intended to release you​ from:

liability for not providing care.

If an EMT were to release information about how intoxicated a patient was onto a social networking​ site, this could be​ considered:

libel

You document on your run sheet that your patient with altered mental status is​ "just another​ drunk." This would likely be​ considered:

libel.

You are transporting a patient from a​ doctor's office and see that the patient has not been well cared for. On your​ documentation, you write that the doctor seemed to be​ "a quack." This comment could be viewed​ as:

libelous.

Why does the​ EMT's scope of practice vary from state to​ state?

local legislation

A patient injured in a car chase from the police is conscious and issuing threats to the police and EMS personnel on the scene. He attempted to physically strike your partner while you and your partner were providing the patient with care. The police assist you in restraining the​ patient, and you secure him safely in a stretcher with straps across his arms and legs. Your primary duty in this situation is​ to:

monitor the​ patient's status and vital signs carefully and frequently.

You observe what appears to be elder abuse in a call to a nursing home. You have a​ clear:

moral obligation to report the abuse

An EMT fails to properly care for a patient despite having a duty to act. The EMT is most likely guilty​ of:

negligence.

While providing patient care at a secured crime​ scene, you​ should:

not cut through holes in clothing that might have been caused by bullets or stabbing.

You have just arrived at the station to start your​ shift, and you notice that your partner is asleep in a chair. You proceed to check out your ambulance. Your partner comes in drinking a cup of​ coffee, and you notice that she has a strong alcohol smell on her breath. Your duty as an EMT is​ to:

notify dispatch that you are out of service and have your supervisor come to meet you.

Upon​ arrival, you discover a deceased patient who apparently committed suicide. You must​ first:

notify law enforcement.

You are transporting a victim from a motor vehicle​ collision, and the​ patient's condition is deteriorating rapidly. From your​ experience, you do not think this patient will survive transport. You noticed on the​ patient's driver's license that the patient is an organ donor. You can help to facilitate the​ patient's wishes​ by:

notifying medical direction of the patients organ donor status

At a crime​ scene, which of the following is the first priority of the​ EMT?

patient care and transport

Good Samaritan laws were enacted​ to:

protect individuals who try to help people in emergencies.

A suicidal​ 14-year-old who has critically injured herself is trying to get you to withhold care. She is screaming that she wants to die and that you should not touch her or come near her. You​ should:

provide the care she needs.

Good Samaritan laws are based​ on:

providing care in good faith.

Ethical​ considerations:

relate primarily to making patient care and​ well-being a priority.

A​ 42-year-old patient who is mentally competent has refused care but appears to be experiencing respiratory difficulty. He demands you get into your ambulance and go. You​ should:

remain on the scene and try to persuade the patient to consent to care.

A photo of a pair of EMTs on a call shows them laughing and looking casual and relaxed a few feet away from a patient in apparent distress. This would most likely be used to​ demonstrate:

res ipsa loquitur.

The actions and care that are legally allowed for the EMT are called​ the:

scope of practice

Which is concerned generally with what you can​ do, as opposed to what you should do and how you should do​ it?

scope of practice

You are at the dinner table with your crew and mention to everyone that a coworker on the opposite shift is moving up the administration chain​ quickly, probably because​ she's sleeping with the company CEO. This comment could be​ considered:

slander.

The care that would be expected to be provided to the same patient under the same circumstances by another EMT who had received the same training is called​ the:

standard of care

Quality improvement relates primarily​ to:

standard of care.

You have been under a lot of family stress​ lately, and you have not been sleeping well. When you got to work this​ morning, you realized that you had forgotten to place your badge on your uniform shirt. You tell your partner that you cannot seem to think clearly. Your partner tells you that he is concerned about your​ well-being. After hearing​ this, you know that your duty as an EMT is​ to:

take off work until you can straighten out your family problem and make sure that you are mentally prepared to work.

You have just returned to the station after completing a call in which you transported an elderly female patient to the hospital for nausea and vomiting. Upon exiting the​ ambulance, you are approached by an adult male who indicates that the patient you just transported was his mother and he wants to know the details of the run. You​ should:

tell him that you can pass his contact information along to the privacy officer at your department.

An EMS​ provider's standard of care represents and​ defines:

the care that would be expected to be provided on the basis of training.

The actions that an EMT is legally allowed to perform while caring for an injured or ill patient are known​ as:

the scope of practice.

Even if the Good Samaritan laws in a particular state cover the actions of EMTs as​ rescuers, they can still be held liable and are NOT protected by these laws​ if:

their actions demonstrate gross negligence

Standard of care refers generally

to what you should​ do; scope of practice refers to what you can do.

If emergency care providers discover that a seriously injured patient is an organ​ donor, they​ should:

treat the patient the same as a nondonor

You are caring for a patient who was stabbed. During your​ assessment, you find a small knife impaled in one of the stab wounds. You determine that removing the weapon now would be dangerous for the patient. You​ should:

treat the wound as​ usual, but notify police that you must transport the weapon with the patient.

Your patient is a​ 45-year-old man who is suffering from chest pain. Upon your​ arrival, the patient is​ pale, sweaty, and seems short of breath. The patient is angry with his daughter for calling 911. He says that he had some spicy sausage for breakfast and has​ indigestion, and he​ doesn't want to go to the hospital. Which of the following is an appropriate means of getting the patient the care he​ needs?

try to find out why the patient does not want to go to the hospital

An​ EMT's scope of practice would​ encompass:

what an EMT may do.

You have not breached a​ patient's confidentiality​ if:

you only share information specific to that patient when medically necessary.

Which of the following is MOST clearly a HIPAA​ violation?

you provide a personal injury attorney with a copy of a patient care report

A​ 13-year-old patient involved in a collision who appears to be under the influence of drugs refuses care. Regarding the issue of providing care to this​ patient, you must consider that this​ patient:

​can't legally refuse care.