EMT Cognitive Quizlet combo
What is the minute volume of a patient with a tidal volume of 500 mL, a dead space volume of 150 mL, and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/min?
5,600 mL
Kidney function declines by _______ between the ages of 20 and 90 years.
50%
An oxygen cylinder should be taken out of service and refilled when the pressure inside it is less than:
500 psi
You are performing mouth-to-mask ventilations with oxygen connected and set at a flow rate of 15 L/min. What percentage of oxygen is your patient receiving?
55%
The full-body scan of a patient that occurs following the primary assessment should take no longer than:
60-90 seconds
In the adult, bradycardia is defined as a pulse rate less than _______ beats/min, and tachycardia is defined as a heart rate greater than _______ beats/min.
60/100
Which of the following scenarios does NOT involve the administration of ALS?
64-year-old cardiac arrest pt defibrillated with an AED
The average pulse rate of individuals between 19 and 60 years of age is typically:
70 bpm
The pulse rate of a child from ages 6 to 12 years is approximately:
70-120 bpm
At present, the average life expectancy is ________ years, while the maximum life expectancy is estimated at ________ years.
78, 120
Your patient opens his eyes, moans, and pulls away from you when you pinch his trapezius muscle. You should assign a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of:
8
The anterior fontanelle fuses together between the ages of:
9-18 months
With a good mask-to-face seal and an oxygen flow rate of 15 L/min, the nonrebreathing mask is capable of delivering up to ______% inspired oxygen.
90
The low normal systolic blood pressure for a 30-year-old is:
90 mm Hg
A normal systolic blood pressure for a 30-year-old is between:
90-140 mm Hg
The pulse rate of a toddler is:
90-150 bpm
The goal of oxygenation for most patients is an oxygen saturation of:
94-99%
Which of the following statements regarding an emergency patient move is correct?
an emergency move is performed before the primary assessment and treatment
When providing bag-mask ventilations to an infant, what is most important to remember?
an infant's lungs are fragile
Which of the following statements regarding an infant's vital signs is correct?
an infant's normal BT is typically higher than a preschooler's
Which of the following is an anatomic difference between children and adults?
an infant's tongue is proportionately larger than an adult's
When faced with a situation in which a patient is in cardiac arrest, and a valid living will or DNR order cannot be located you should:
begin resuscitation at once
An appropriate demonstration of professionalism when your patient is frightened, demanding, or unpleasant is to:
continue to be nonjudgmental, compassionate and respectful
Weakening of the airway in patients with chronic bronchitis is the result of:
destruction of protective mechanisms that remove foreign particles
When performing his or her duties, the EMT is generally expected to:
exercise reasonable care and act prudently
Which of the following statements about health care in the United States is true?
expensive but does not necessarily provide better outcomes
It is common for young females who experience their first menstrual period to:
experience abdominal cramping, which may be misinterpreted
At the onset of an acute asthma attack, patients commonly experience difficulty breathing and:
expiratory wheezing
Based on current guidelines, in which of the following situations should supplemental oxygen be administered?
exposure to carbon monoxide and an O2 saturation of 95%
A(n) ___________ stretcher is a rigid carrying device when secured around a patient but can be folded or rolled when not in use.
flexible
bending of a joint vs. straightening of a joint
flexion vs. extension
A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:
fluid accumulation outside the lung
signs and symptoms of agitated delirium include all of the following EXCEPT:
hyperventilation (INCLUDE tachycardia, vivid hallucinations, dilated pupils)
Which of the following is a metabolic cause for a seizure?
hypoglycemia
Contraindications for using CPAP include:
hypotension
Which of the following conditions is NOT a common cause of seizures?
hypotension
Which of the following signs or symptoms would you NOT expect to encounter in a patient with congestive heart failure?
hypotension, flat jugular vein
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?
hypovolemia
The MOST significant complication associated with oropharyngeal suctioning is:
hypoxia due to prolonged suction
The backup system of respiratory control, which is based on low concentrations of oxygen in the blood, is called the:
hypoxic drive
Your patient has a chronic respiratory condition. His stimulus to breathe is triggered by low oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as the ___________.
hypoxic drive
The goal of the primary assessment is to:
identify and rapidly treat all life-threatening conditions
The continuous quality improvement (CQI) process is designed to:
identify areas of improvement and provide remedial training if needed
You should perform an urgent move in all of the following situations EXCEPT:
if the pt is complaining of neck pain
If you cannot palpate a pulse in an unresponsive patient, you should:
immediately begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Which of the following statements regarding pulse oximetry is correct?
measures percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with O2, but doesn't measure actual hemoglobin content of blood
The EMT's scope of practice within his or her local response area is defined by the:
medical director
The person who is responsible for authorizing EMTs to perform emergency medical care in the field is the:
medical director
Who is ultimately responsible for ensuring quality control for all EMTs at an EMS agency?
medical director
Which of the following is not an assessment parameter included in the Cincinnati Stoke Scale?
memory
If fertilization has not occurred in approximately 14 days postovulation:
menstruation will begin
At the scene of a mass-casualty incident, you identify a patient as an organ donor. When triaging the other patients, you:
may have to assign the donor a lower triage priority
A patient with vaginal bleeding _________.
may not have obvious signs of shock even if she has experienced significant blood loss
According to the terminal drop hypothesis:
mental function is presumed to decline in the 5 years preceding death
The diastolic pressure represents the:
minimum amount of pressure that is always present in the arteries
If an average-sized patient's chest barely moves during inhalation, even if his or her respiratory rate is normal, you should suspect that:
minute volume is decreased
Patients with mental health disorders are often ____________.
misunderstood
Which of the following describes a code of conduct that can be defined by society, religion, or a person, affecting character and conscience?
morality
Which of the following statements regarding positive-pressure ventilation is correct?
more volume is required to have the same effects as normal breathing
A transient ischemic attack occurs when:
normal body processes destroy a clot in a cerebral artery
"Rhino" in the word "rhinorrhea" means:
nose
Maintaining the chain of evidence at the scene of a crime should include:
not cutting through holes in clothing that were caused by weapons
in regard to therapeutic communication patient techniques, what does the term reflection mean?
restating a pt's statement made to you to confirm your understanding
Which of the following is a metabolic cause of a seizure?
poisoning
the transmission range of a(n) ________________ _________________ is more limited than that of mobile or base station radios.
portable radio
Tubular framed stretcher with rigid fabric stretched across it
portable stretcher
Which of the following statements regarding standing orders is correct?
should be followed when physician contact not possible
In which of the following circumstances can the EMT legally release confidential patient information?
pt is competent and signs a release form
A full-body scan should be performed on:
pts with significant MOI and unresponsive medical pts
Which of the following is a nationally recognized component of an EMS system?
public education
You can move a patient on his or her back along the floor or ground by using all of the following methods except:
pulling the pt by the legs
The EMT should perform a "rapid scan" to determine if the patient is __________ during the __________.
stable or unstable; primary assessment
While eating dinner, your partner suddenly grabs his throat and has a panicked look on his face. He has a weak cough, faint inspiratory stridor, and cyanosis around the lips. You should:
stand behind him and administer abdominal thrusts
The manner in which the EMT must act or behave when caring for a patient is called the:
standard of care
Protective measures that prevent health care workers from coming into contact with germs are referred to as:
standard precautions
Which of the following statements regarding communication with a child is correct?
standing over a child often increases his/her level of anxity
When assessing for fluid collection in the lungs during auscultation of lung sounds, you should:
start at the lower lung fields and determine at which level you start hearing clear breath sounds
The standards for prehospital emergency care and the individuals who provide it are typically regulated by the:
state office of EMS
A prolonged asthma attack that is unrelieved by epinephrine may progress into a condition known as:
status asthmaticus
The EMT should ensure that vaginal bleeding is _________.
taken seriously and the patient is transported for gynecologic evaluation
Motion of the mandible occurs at the:
temporomandibular joint
Physiological signs of stress include __________.
tensed muscles
In the eyes of the court, an incomplete or untidy patient care form indicates:
that inadequate pt care was administered
In which of the following situations is an emergency patient move indicated?
the EMT is unable to protect the pt from scene hazards
Which of the following is published by the U.S. DOT and provides guidance for hazardous materials incidents?
the Emergency Response Guidebook
When the myocardium requires more oxygen:
the HR decreases significantly
Which of the following statements regarding the mechanism of injury (MOI) is correct?
the MOI may allow you to predict the severity of a pt's injuries
Which of the following authorizes you, as an EMT, to provide emergency care to a patient?
the medical director
Which of the following statements regarding the EMS medical director and an EMT's scope of practice is correct?
the medical director may expand an EMT's scope of practice after proper training and state approval
if a patient misses a dialysis treatment, weakness and ____________________ can be the first in a series of conditions that can become progressively more serious.
pulmonary edema
During the primary assessment, circulation is evaluated by assessing:
pulse quality, external bleeding, skin condition
Observations made when forming a general impression of a patient would include all of the following, EXCEPT:
pulse strength
In most instances, you should move a patient on a wheeled ambulance stretcher by:
pushing the head of the stretcher while your partner guides the foot
A ___________ receives messages and signals on one frequency and then automatically retransmits them on a second frequency.
repeater
If you feel you have been harassed at work, you should first ___________.
report it to a supervisor
While treating a patient with a high fever and cough, you accidentally expose yourself to the illness. What should you do?
report it to the infection control officer
At what age can an infant normally start tracking objects with his or her eyes and recognizing familiar faces?
2 months
When you assess capillary refill time (CRT) in an infant, normal color to the tested area should return within:
2 seconds
The pressure of gas in a full cylinder of oxygen is approximately _______ pounds per square inch (psi).
2,000 psi
Today's EMS providers are trained according to the __________.
2009 National EMS Standards
With proper technique, you and your partner should be able to safely lift a patient who weighs up to ______ lb.
220
At what weight must 4 EMTs be used?
250 lbs
Normal respiratory rates should not exceed _______ breaths per minute in children and _______ breaths per minute in infants.
30/50
When testing a mechanical suctioning unit, you should turn on the device, clamp the tubing, and ensure that it generates a vacuum pressure of more than:
300 mm Hg
Which of the following patients should you place in the recovery position?
31-year-old semiconscious male w low blood sugar and adequate breathing
You see an infant capable of reaching out to people and drooling. She is most likely:
4 months old
After ________ minutes without oxygen, permanent brain damage is possible.
4-6 minutes
At a flow rate of 6 L/min, a nasal cannula can deliver an approximate oxygen concentration of up to:
44%
A patient in unstable condition should be reassessed at least every:
5 minutes
Which of the following statements regarding the medulla oblongata is correct?
the medulla is sensitive to pH changes and sends messages via the phrenic nerve to contract the diaphragm
Which of the following describes the Moro reflex?
the neonate opens his/her arms wide, spreads his/her fingers, and seems to grasp at something after being startled
EMTs receive a call for a possible sexual assault. The patient is a young female who is conscious and alert and has no apparent injuries. She states, "I cannot remember anything, but I know I was raped." The EMTs should suspect that:
the patient was given a drug prior to the incident
When obtaining patient care orders from a physician via a two-way radio, it is important to remember that:
the physician's instructions are based on the information you provide
EMRs such as fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and park rangers, are an integral part of the EMS system because:
the presence of a person to initiate BLS care cannot be ensured
Credentialing refers to:
the process by which the qualifications to practice are determined
Which of the following is not an indication for use of the rapid extrication technique?
the pt is in severe pain
Prompt transport of a patient with a suspected AMI is important because:
the pt may be eligible to receive thrombolytic therapy
The "Golden Period" begins when an injury occurs and ends when:
the pt receives definitive care
Reassessment is performed to determine all of the following, EXCEPT:
the reason why the pt called EMS
The term "pericardiocentesis" means:
the removal of fluid around the heart
Typical components of an oral patient report include all of the following, EXCEPT:
the set of baseline vitals taken at the scene
which of the following statements regarding the different stages of the grieving process is correct:
the stages of the grieving process may occur simultaneously
Which of the following entities controls licensure of EMTs?
the state in which the EMT practices
Which of the following suffixes mean "pertaining to"?
the suffixes "-al" and "-ic"
The main advantage of the Venturi mask is:
the use of its fine adjustment capabilities in the long-term management of physiologically stable pts
What is 'vital capacity'?
the volume of air moved during the deepest points of respiration
Infants often fall head first because ___________.
their head is large and heavy in proportion to their body
Infants are often referred to as "belly breathers" because:
their rib cage is less rigid and the ribs sit horizontally
A low ETCO2 reading, as measured by capnography, would MOST likely be observed if:
there is an absence or decrease in the level of CO2 in the lungs
Why do middle adults commonly experience financial concerns?
they are preparing for retirement but must still manage everyday financial demands
Which of the following is true of infants and children?
they consume O2 much faster than adults
EMRs such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and park rangers are an integral part of the EMS system because:
they often arrive at the scene before an ambulance and EMTs
Which of the following statements regarding agonal respirations is correct?
they're ineffective and need to be asissted
Your best protection against legal liability when a competent patient refuses EMS care and transport is to:
thoroughly document
Successful treatment of a stroke depends on whether:
thrombolytic therapy is given within 3 hours of symptoms beginning
When a patient's respirations are shallow:
tidal volume is markedly reduced
You have been tasked by your medical director with assisting in the development of your EMS agency's institutional standards. When developing these standards, it is important to:
to be reasonable and realistic to avoid overburdening EMS personnel
What is the purpose for providing Mobile Integrated Healthcare?
to facilitate improved access to health care at an affordable price
Which of the following statements regarding toddlers and preschoolers is correct?
toddlers and preschoolers commonly experience upper respiratory infections due to loss of passive immunity
Of the following choices, the onset of acute pulmonary edema would MOST likely develop as the result of:
toxic chemical inhalation
you are examining a pt who experienced a TIA. what does this mean?
transient ischemic attack
When assessing a 62-year-old female with crushing chest pain, you note that her pulse is rapid and irregular. In addition to administering oxygen, you should:
transport at once and consider requesting a ALS intercept
You arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The patient, a 13-year-old male, is unconscious and had multiple injuries. As you are treating the child, a law enforcement officer advises you that the child's parents will be at the scene is approximately 15 minutes. What should you do?
transport the child immediately and have the parents meet you at the hospital
The MOST important treatment for a patient with severe abdominal pain and signs of shock includes:
transporting the patient without delay
how many people should ideally be present to restrain a patient?
five
The respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute in an infant is ___________.
normal
which of the following is part of the male anatomy only?
prostate
During a 30-minute transport of a stable patient, you should reassess him or her at least ________ times.
2
Which of the following patient responses would establish the "E" in the SAMPLE history?
"I was mowing the lawn when the pain began"
Which of the following statements would be appropriate for an EMT to make when responding to a grieving patient?
"It's okay to be angry" "I'm sorry for your loss"
Which of the following questions is used to determine a patient's chief complaint?
"What seems to be the matter?"
Which of the following roots can mean "white"?
"alb" and "leuk/o" (NOT: "eryth" -- red)
A 60-year-old man complains of chest pain. He is conscious and alert and denies shortness of breath. Which of the following questions would be the MOST appropriate to ask him?
"do you have any heart problems or take any medications?"
_______________ in the word "erythrocyte" means red.
"erythro"
Signs and symptoms of bacterial vaginosis typically include _________.
"fishy," foul-smelling discharge
Which of the following statements is NOT appropriate to document in the narrative section of a PCR?
"general impression revealed that the pt was intoxicated"
The prefixes meaning "half" include:
"hemi-" and "semi-"
Which of the following questions would you ask a patient to ascertain the "M" in the SAMPLE history?
"how much Tylenol do you take each day?"
You are interviewing a 52-year-old man who complains of chest discomfort. The patient is a retired paramedic and is very anxious because he thinks he is having a heart attack. Which of the following statements would be appropriate to say?
"it is possible that you are experiencing a heart attack..."
The meaning "under" can be represented by the prefixes "____" and "infra-."
"sub"
When to use rapid extrication:
- condition requires immediate transport
Your patient has had laryngitis for almost a week. It has progressed to the point that she has difficulty swallowing. What is the suffix pertaining to eating or swallowing?
-phagia
From a mental health standpoint, an abnormal or disturbing pattern of behavior is a matter of concern if it lasts for at least:
1 month
if an abnormal or disturbing pattern of behavior lasts for at least _______________________, it is regarded as a matter of concern from a mental health standpoint.
1 month
Menstrual flow will typically last approximately _________.
1 week
Children of which age group are considered toddlers?
1-3 y.a.
What are the situations where the rapid extrication technique is used?
1. vehicle/scene unsafe
How far apart should your hands be when doing the power grip?
10"
At what age does separation anxiety typically peak in infants and small children?
10-18 months
What is the normal pulse rate for an infant?
100-160 bpm
The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli is _______ mm Hg, while the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveoli is _______ mm Hg.
104/40
While the ages can vary, women typically experience menstruation from approximately _________ to ____________ years of age.
11;40
An adolescent is a person between the ages of:
12-18 y.a.
An adult at rest should have a respiratory rate that ranges between:
12-20 breaths/min
The normal respiratory rate for an adult should range from:
12-20 breaths/min
A 29-year-old male with a head injury opens his eyes when you speak to him, is confused as to the time and date, and is able to move all of his extremities on command. His Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is:
13
How far apart should your legs be when lifting?
15"
You are dispatched to a public park in the middle of a sprawling for an arm injury. You arrive to find a crying 8-year-old boy cradling his swollen deformed left forearm. His friends tell you that he was holding onto the bars of the play structure and that his arm 'snapped' when he jumped into the sand below. You would expect to find a respiratory rate of between _______ and _______ breaths/min with this patient.
15-20 breaths/min (same as an adult)
When pulling a patient you should extend your arms no more than:
15-20" in front of your torso
When assessing the skin of an unconscious patient, you note that it has a bluish tint to it. This finding is called:
Cyanosis
One of the most important recent advances in prehospital emergency care is the _____________.
AED
A patient tells you that he has a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Which of the following conditions should you suspect that he has experienced?
AMI
Which of the following is a common MDI drug?
Alupent
Common causes of acute psychotic behavior include all of the following, EXCEPT:
Alzheimer's
Which of the following is considered an organic brain syndrome?
Alzheimer's
Which of the following statements regarding anaphylaxis is correct?
airway swelling + hypotension
An infant's blood pressure typically increases with age because:
BP corresponds with body weight
You and your partner have achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in a patient who was in cardiac arrest. An ALS unit will arrive in less than 2 minutes. The patient remains unresponsive and has slow, irregular breathing. Further treatment for this patient should include:
BVM ventilation at 10-12 breaths/min
Which of the following oxygen flowmeters is NOT affected by gravity and can be used in any position when attached to an oxygen cylinder?
Bourdon-gauge flowmeter
Treatment and transport priorities at the scene of a mass-casualty incident should be determined after:
all the pts have been triaged
Which of the following statements regarding a "dedicated line" is MOST correct?
a constantly open line of communication that cannot be accessed by outside users
In addition to angina and myocardial infarction, nitroglycerin can be used to treat:
CHF
You arrive at a residence where you find a woman in her early 60s. She is anxious, tachycardic, and her fingertips and lips are blue. As you assess her, she coughs up frothy sputum, and you hear crackles and some wheezing as you check for breath sounds. What condition do these findings indicate?
CHF
CPAP is generally used for which condition:
COPD & pulmonary edema
What is the most effective way to assist a person with CHF to breathe effectively and prevent an invasive airway management technique?
CPAP
Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing followed by periods of apnea are called:
Cheyne-Stokes respirations
You are treating a patient who is exhibiting slurred speech, facial droop, and an inability to move his left arm. Which neurologic examination emphasizes these possible stroke signs?
Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale
What did the EMS Agenda for the Future create?
a plan to standardize the levels of EMS education and EMS providers in an effort to ensure more seamless EMS care across the country
Pain that is localized to the lower back and/or lower abdominal quadrants is MOST suggestive of:
an aortic aneurysm
You are responding to an accident scene involving an overturned semi truck carrying diesel fuel. Which reference source will be most helpful in this case?
DOT's "Emergency Response Guidebook"
What organization is EMS administered through on the federal level?
Department of Transportation
Which organization developed and published the first curriculum that served as the guideline for EMT training?
Department of Transportation
Which of the following medications is not used to treat patients with a history of seizures?
Dilaudid (YES -- Tegretol, Dilantin, Phenobarbital)
At what level is an individual who has training in basic life support, including automated external defibrillation, use of a definitive airway adjunct, and assisting patients with certain medications?
EMT
The determination that prompt surgical care in the hospital is more important than performing time-consuming procedures in the field on a major trauma patient is based MOSTLY on:
EMT research
Why might EMTs encounter a larger proportion of violent patients than the population at large?
EMTs respond to patients who, by definition, are having an emergency
Which of the following can help reduce stress levels?
Exercise
When you are assessing for a stroke, which of the following neurologic tests should be included in the assessment as a minimum?
FAST (facial movement, arm movement, speech, TRANSPORT)
All radio communications in the United States are regulated by the _________.
FCC
A patient in a semi-reclined position with the head elevated to facilitate breathing is in the ___________ position.
Fowler
Which of the following medications would indicate that a patient has a history of seizures?
Levetiracetam (Keppra)
Which of the following is the most common type of high-risk call EMS providers respond to?
MVAs
a patient who presents with vomiting, signs of shock, and history of eating disorder and alcohol abuse is likely to be suffering from:
Mallory-Weiss Syndrome
Which of the following is the EMT required to wear when treating patients with suspected tuberculosis?
N95 Mask
EMT training in nearly every state meets or exceeds the guidelines recommended by the:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Which of the following agencies is the source of the "EMS Agenda for the Future," the multidisciplinary national review of all aspects of EMS delivery?
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Which of the following statements regarding oxygen is correct?
O2 supports combustion and may cause a fire
What agency is responsible for enforcement of safety guidelines in the workplace?
OSHA
Which of the following statements regarding pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is correct?
PID can scar the fallopian tubes, which increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy
You are attending to a 6-year-old female patient. Her parents tell you that she has been sick for the last three days with the respiratory infection that has been going around her school. They became concerned when she stopped drinking fluids, and they could not get her to take in any liquids. The patient is showing signs of significant dehydration. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:
RSV
The decline in cardiac function that commonly occurs in late adulthood is MOST often related to:
atherosclerosis
Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would MOST likely be contraindicated in which of the following situations?
SOB and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg
Dyspnea is MOST accurately defined as:
SOB or difficulty breathing
Which of the following statements regarding tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) immunizations is correct?
Tdap boosters are recommended every 10 years
Albuterol is a generic name for:
Ventolin; Proventil
Older patients with abdominal problems may not exhibit the same pain response as younger patients because of:
age-related deterioration of their sensory systems
EMS, as we know it today, has its origins in the 1966 __________.
White Paper ("Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society")
On which of the following patients would it be MOST appropriate to use the flow-restricted, oxygen-powered ventilation device?
a 21-year-old male with traumatic cardiac arrest
In which of the following patients would the head tilt-chin lift maneuver be the MOST appropriate method of opening the airway?
a 37-year-old female found unconscious in her bed
Which of the following patients would MOST likely require insertion of an oropharyngeal airway?
a 40-year-old unconscious pt with slow, shallow respirations
In which of the following situations is a pertinent negative identified?
a 59-year-old complains of crushing chest pain but denies SOB
Which of the following scenarios does NOT involve the presence of any symptoms?
a 61-year-old female, unconscious, w facial cyanosis
What is the difference between a stroke and a transient ischemic attack?
a TIA resolves completely within 24 hours of onset
which of the following would provide the EMT with the BEST cover in a situation involving active gunfire:
a concrete barricade
In which of the following situations would a direct ground lift be the MOST appropriate method of moving a patient?
a conscious pt complaining of abdominal pain
Crackles are caused by ________.
air passing through fluid
What program, often available for EMS personnel, involves contracted agencies that provide a wide array of mental health, substance abuse, crisis management, and counseling services?
a critical incident stress management program
Which of the following is required to work as an EMT?
a current BLS/CPR credential
Negative pressure breathing involves:
a drop in pressure within the chest cavity
Organic brain syndrome is MOST accurately defined as:
a dysfunction of the brain caused by abnormal physical or physiological function
A disorder in which the abnormal operation of an organ cannot be traced to an obvious change in the structure or physiology of the organ system is called ____________.
a functional disorder
You are assessing a 75-year-old woman with mild shortness of breath. As you are asking her questions about her chief complaint and medical history, you progressively move closer and closer to her. In doing this, it is important to remember that:
a greater sense of trust must be established as you move closer to a pt
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a term used to describe:
a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia
If the weight you are pushing is lower than your waist, you should push from:
a kneeling position
A decrease in the blood pressure may indicate:
a loss of vascular tone
During your assessment of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear wheezing when listening to breath sounds. This indicates:
a lower airway obstruction
Shortly after loading your patient, a 50-year-old man with abdominal pain, into the ambulance, he tells you that he changed his mind and does not want to go to the hospital. He is conscious and alert and has no signs of mental incapacitation. You are suspicious that the man has a significant underlying condition and feel strongly that he should go to the hospital. Which of the following statements regarding this situation is correct?
a mentally competent adult can withdraw his/her consent at any time
Hyperventilation could be associated with all of the following, EXCEPT:
a narcotic OD
Which of the following scenarios MOST accurately depicts abandonment?
a paramedic transfers pt care to an EMT
Which of the following is an example of a psychiatric emergency?
a person violently attacking family members
Which of the following statements regarding the physical examination of a patient with a behavioral problem is correct?
a physical examination for a behavioral problem may be difficult to perform but may provide clues to the patient's state of mind and thought processes
Information included in a radio report to the receiving hospital should include all of the following, EXCEPT:
a preliminary diagnosis of the pt's problem
The mental health care system in the United States functions on several levels. For patients with clinical depression, care is most often provided by:
a psychologist
Which of the following general statements regarding consent is MOST correct?
a pt can consent to transport but can legally refuse to be treated
Situations in which you should use the rapid extrication technique include all of the following, EXCEPT:
a pt who can be properly assessed while still in the vehicle
Which of the following patients does NOT have signs of an altered mental status?
a pt with an acute allergic reaction and dizziness
Signs of adequate breathing in the adult include all of the following, EXCEPT:
a reduction in tidal volume
In which of the following situations does the EMT not have a legal duty to act?
a response to a MVC while off-duty
Which of the following statements regarding the scoop stretcher is NOT correct?
a scoop stretcher will provide adequate immobilization of the pt's spinal column
A folding or portable stretcher is MOST beneficial when:
a second pt must be transported on the squad bench of an ambulance
Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?
a seizure that begins in one extremity
You are dispatched to a residence for a 40-year-old female who complains of lower abdominal pain, fever and chills, and a foul-smelling vaginal discharge. Which of the following additional assessment findings would increase your index of suspicion for pelvic inflammatory disease?
a shuffling gait when walking
The standards for prehospital emergency care and the providers who deliver it are governed by the law in each state and are typically regulated by__________.
a state office of EMS
You are providing a patient report via radio to medical direction. Your report should include _________.
a summary of care
A patient presents with severe erythema to his left lateral chest wall and a ruptured spleen. Upon arrival at the hospital, the surgeon performs a splenectomy. The suffix "-ectomy" means:
a surgical removal of
Which of the following descriptions MOST accurately portrays emergency medical services (EMS)?
a team of HCPs responsible for providing emergency care and transportation to the sick and injured
Gross negligence requires ___________.
a willful or reckless disregard for the standard of care
While evaluating a noncritical patient in the field, you receive a call from dispatch regarding a serious four-car accident. You inform the patient you are treating to have someone take him to his doctor to get checked out before leaving to attend to the more seriously injured people. This is an example of what?
abandonment
You are transporting a 67-year-old female patient to the hospital for investigation of abdominal pain. The patient care record indicates that the patient has a history of AAA. Based on this information, the patient care record includes an abbreviation for:
abdominal aortic aneurysm
a difference in pulse strength or BP in each arm indicates possible ______________.
abdominal aortic aneurysm
A patient with pelvic inflammatory disease will typically complain of _________.
abdominal pain associated with menstruation
Movement or motion away from the body's midline is called:
abduction
movement away from midline of body vs. towards midline of body
abduction vs. adduction
When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has:
abnormal breath sounds
peritonitis, with associated fluid loss, is the result of:
abnormal shift of fluid from the bloodstream into body tissue
Which of the following conditions or situations presents the MOST unique challenge to the EMT when immobilizing an elderly patient on a long backboard?
abnormal spinal curvature
A patient with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) tells you that the device's pump flow is continuous. Which of the following should you expect to encounter during your assessment?
absence of a palpable pulse
What do middle adults tend to focus their time and energy on?
achieving life goals
you are transporting an elderly woman who has possibly experienced a stroke. She is obviously scared but it unable to talk and cannot mover the entire right side of her body. In addition to providing the medical care that she needs, you should:
acknowledge that she is scared and tell her you'll take good care of her
In preconventional reasoning, children:
act almost purely to avoid punishment and to get what they want
A behavioral crisis interferes with which of the following? Select one:
activities of daily living
Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to cause an altered level of consciousness?
acute anxiety
A 35-year-old obese woman is complaining of localized pain in the right upper quadrant with referred pain to the right shoulder. The MOST likely cause of her pain is:
acute cholecystitis
what does AMI stand for?
acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Which of the following statements is true regarding asthma?
acute spasm of smaller air passages (bronchioles) associated with excessive mucus production and swelling of the mucous lining of respiratory passages
Why are prehospital emergency care guidelines updated on a regular basis?
additional information and evidence indicate the effectiveness of certain interventions has changed
Which of the following is the MOST reliable indicator of adequately performed bag-mask ventilations in an apneic adult with a pulse?
adequate rise of the chest when squeezing the bag
Which of the following statements regarding the one-person bag-mask device technique is correct?
adequate tidal volume is often difficult to achieve when one EMT is operating the BVM
When administering supplemental oxygen to a hypoxemic patient with a chronic lung disease, you should:
adjust the flow rate until you can see system improvement, but be prepared to assist ventilations
A 51-year-old female presents with a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. She is conscious and alert and able to speak in complete sentences. Her respirations are 22 breaths/min and regular. You should:
administer 100% O2 via a nonrebreathing mask
A 59-year-old male presents with a sudden onset of severe lower back pain. He is conscious and alert, but very restless and diaphoretic. Your assessment reveals a pulsating mass to the left of his umbilicus. You should:
administer O2 and prepare for immediate transport
administer O2, give her 324 mg of aspirin, and assess her further
administer O2, give her 324 mg of aspirin, and assess further
A 26-year-old female presents with heavy vaginal bleeding. She is conscious, but restless. Her blood pressure is 84/54 mm Hg, her pulse is 120 beats/min and weak, and her respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate depth. She tells you that she inserted a tampon about 2 hours ago. You should:
administer high-flow O2, place a sterile pad over her vagina, keep her warm, elevate her lower extremities, and transport without delay
High-risk behaviors usually peak during ________.
adolescence
Secondary sexual development occurs during _________________.
adolescence
Why should you be concerned about a 16-year-old patient who seems depressed?
adolescents are at a higher risk for suicide
Which of the following has training in limited advanced life support skills, such as IV therapy?
advanced EMT
In the presence of oxygen, the cells convert glucose into energy through a process called:
aerobic metabolism
When communicating with an older patient, it is important to remember that:
age-related changes diminish the effectiveness of the eyes and ears
During your assessment of a 20-year-old man with a severe headache and nausea, you ask him when his headache began, but he does not answer your question immediately. You should:
allow him time to think and responsd
Your protocols state that during the first few minutes of working on a cardiac arrest patient, you should provide passive ventilation. This means that you will:
allow recoil of the chest between compressions to draw air into the lungs
when decontaminating the back of your ambulance after a call, you should:
allow surfaces to air dry unless indicated in the product directions
When dealing with the family of a child that has just died, you should __________.
allow the loved ones to be with the child if possible
A 23-year-old male experienced severe head trauma after his motorcycle collided with an oncoming truck. He is unconscious, has rapid and shallow breathing, and has copious bloody secretions in his mouth. How should you manage his airway?
alternating 15 seconds of oral suctioning w 2 minutes of assisted ventilation
The actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the:
alveolar sacs
Which of the following errors is an example of a knowledge-based failure?
an EMT administers the wrong drug to the pt because she did not know pertinent information about the drug
Which of the following scenarios MOST accurately depicts informed consent?
an EMT advises a pt of the risks of receiving treatment
which of the following scenarios MOST accurately depicts a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaction:
an EMT becomes distracted at the scene of a MVC involving the same type of car in which a child was previously killed
What are the three stages of general adaptation syndrome?
an alarm response, reaction and resistance, recovery/exhaustion
You are part of the response to a motor vehicle collision on a busy highway. There are multiple vehicles involved and multiple casualties. The police and local fire department are all part of the same response. In order to facilitate effective communication among response agencies:
an interoperable communications system should be utilized
Erosion of the protective layer of the stomach or duodenum secondary to overactivity of digestive juices results in:
an ulcer
Which of the following would cause an increase in the amount of exhaled carbon dioxide?
anaerobic metabolism
Which stage of grieving commonly results in blame?
anger/hostility
You are treating a 50-year-old woman who has just finished a 10k run. She is complaining of crushing pain in the chest radiating down her left arm and nausea, which came on suddenly. She is sweating profusely. What condition should you suspect?
angina pectoris
Which of the following is a major difference between angina pectoris and AMI?
anginal pain subsides with rest
As an EMT, the performance of your duties will be compared to that of:
another EMT
chest side (2 words) vs. back side (2 words)
anterior/ventral vs. posterior/dorsal
Which of the following statements regarding psychosocial development in the adolescent age group is correct?
antisocial behavior and peer pressure peak around 14-16 y.a.
When a psychiatric emergency arises, a patient is most likely to exhibit which of the following behaviors?
any behaviors that are a violent threat to the patient, EMTs, or others
The term "behavioral crisis" is MOST accurately defined as:
any reaction that interferes with activities of daily living or is deemed unacceptable by others
When using the pulse oximeter as part of your assessment of a patient, it is important to remember that:
any situation that causes vasoconstriction or loss of RBCs (ex. anemia, bleeding) may result in an inaccurate value
Pain that radiates to the right lower quadrant from the umbilical area, nausea and vomiting, and anorexia are MOST indicative of:
appendicitis
Pain that radiates to the right lower quadrant from the umbilical area, nausea and vomiting, and lack of appetite are MOST indicative of:
appendicitis
A 62-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure presents with severe respiratory distress and an oxygen saturation of 82%. When you auscultate his lungs, you hear widespread rales. He is conscious and alert, is able to follow simple commands, and can only speak in two- to three-word sentences at a time. With all resources at your disposal, which of the following treatment plans will benefit the patient the MOST:
apply a CPAP device, monitor his BP, and observe for signs of improvement or deterioration
An unrestrained patient is sitting in his car after an automobile crash. He is conscious and alert, has no visible trauma, and is complaining of neck and back pain. Before removing him from his car, you should:
apply a cervical collar and immobilize him with a vest-style device
When performing the rapid extrication technique to remove a patient from their vehicle, you should:
apply a cervical collar and remove the pt on a long backboard
You arrive at a scene and you see a diamond-shaped placard on a transportation vehicle, what should you NOT do?
approach the driver side of the vehicle and offer help
During your monthly internal quality improvement (QI) meeting, you review several patient care reports (PCRs) with the staff of your EMS system. You identify the patient's name, age, and sex, and then discuss the treatment that was provided by the EMTs in the field. By taking this approach to the QI process, you:
are in violation of HIPAA because you did not remove PHI beforehand
When investigating the chief complaint of a psychiatric emergency, the EMT should attempt to determine which of the following?
are psychogenic circumstances or illnesses involved?
"Arterio" in the word "arteriosclerosis" means:
artery
Poor peripheral circulation will cause the skin to appear:
ashen
Despite your numerous, sincere efforts to convince a 40-year-old man to consent to EMS treatment and transport, he refuses. After explaining the potential consequences of his refusal and determining that the patient has decision-making capacity, you ask him to sign an EMS refusal form, but he refuses to do that as well. You should:
ask a family member, law enforcement officer, or bystander to sign the form verifying that the pt refused to sign
Medical control gives you an order that seems inappropriate for the patient's condition. After confirming that you heard the physician correctly, you should:
ask for clarification
A 66-year-old male presents with bizarre behavior. His daughter states that he did not seem to recognize her and was very rude to her. The patient is conscious, and has a patent airway and adequate breathing. You should:
ask how the father normally behaves
You are assessing a 45-year-old female who is severely depressed. She states that it seems as though her entire world is crashing down around her. She further states that she has had frequent thoughts of suicide, but is not sure if she can actually go through with it. How should you manage this situation?
ask the patient if she has developed a suicidal plan
When assessing for arm drift of a patient with a suspected stroke, you should:
ask the pt to close his/her eyes during the assessment
While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched "rattling" sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?
aspiration pneumonia
Which of the following medications is commonly given to patients with chest pain to prevent blood clots from forming or getting bigger?
aspirin
Acting in such a way as to make another person fear immediate bodily harm is called:
assault
You receive a call to a local daycare center for an unresponsive 8-month-old infant. Upon arrival, you perform an assessment and determine that the infant is not breathing. After delivering two rescue breaths, you should:
assess for the presence of a brachial pulse
A 49-year-old male presents with an acute onset of crushing chest pain and diaphoresis. You should:
assess the adequacy of his respirations
You are dispatched to an apartment complex for a young male with abdominal pain. Your priority upon arriving at the scene should be to:
assess the scene for potential hazards
A patient regains consciousness en route from his office to the emergency department. The patient tells you that he feels fine and does not want to go to the hospital. Under these circumstances, you should:
assess whether or not the pt's mental condition is impaired
common factors that influence how a patient reacts to the stress of an illness or injury include all of the following, EXCEPT:
assessment by the EMT
According to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model, an EMT should be able to:
assist a pt with certain prescribed medications
During your assessment of a young female with nontraumatic vaginal bleeding, you note that her level of consciousness is decreased, her respirations are rapid and shallow, her skin is cool and moist, and her pulse is rapid and weak. You should:
assist her ventilations when a BVM
You and your partner are treating a 66-year-old man who experienced a sudden onset of respiratory distress. He is conscious but is unable to follow simple verbal commands. Further assessment reveals that his breathing is severely labored and his oxygen saturation is 80%. You should:
assist his ventilations with a BVM
A general impression of the patient is formed by an EMT:
at a distance when the patient is first seen
What is atelectasis?
atelectasis is the collapse of the alveolar air spaces of the lungs
Most often, low blood flow to heart tissue is caused by what?
atherosclerosis
Narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by a buildup of fatty deposits is called:
atherosclerosis
You are caring for a very sick patient who is complaining of chest pain. You have him on your cardiac monitor which is showing AF. Suddenly, the patient goes into VF, so you attach your AED and shock him. What do the abbreviations AF, VF and AED stand for?
atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, automated external defibrillator
Which of the following situations requires you to notify the appropriate authorities?
attempted suicide
Which of the following is the MOST effective method of assessing the quality of air movement in the lungs?
auscultating breath sounds with a stethoscope
The ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract spontaneously without a stimulus from a nerve source is called:
automaticity
When palpating the carotid pulse of a responsive older patient, you should:
avoid compressing both carotid arteries simultaneously
To avoid injury when pushing a patient or other object, you should:
avoid pushing the pt with your elbows fully extended
Which of the following is a good guideline for physical examination of any patient?
avoid touching without permission
An EMT may injure his or her back, even if it is straight, if the:
back is bent forward at the hips
left untreated, _____________________ can lead to premature birth or low birth weight in pregnant women
bacterial vaginosis
the stage of the grieving process where an attempt is made to secure a prize for good behavior or promise to change one's lifestyle is known as:
bargaining
The branch of medicine concerned with the management of obesity and allied diseases is:
bariatrics
Radio hardware containing a transmitter and receiver that are located in a fixed place is known as what?
base station
The MOST appropriate carrying device to use when moving a patient across rough or uneven terrain is the:
basket stretcher
when restraining a patient without an appropriate order, legal actions may involve charges of:
battery
A 47-year-old male presents with severe abdominal pain of 3 hours' duration. His abdomen is distended and guarded. Your MOST important consideration for this patient should be to:
be alert for signs and symptoms of shock
When assessing a patient with a behavioral crisis, you should:
be direct and clearly state your intentions
It is MOST important for the EMT to remember that suicidal patients may:
be homicidal as well
In anticipation of receiving a fertilized ovum, the lining of the uterine wall:
becomes engorged with blood
When you and your partner arrive at the residence of a man in cardiac arrest, you immediately recognize the patient as the drunk driver who killed your brother several years earlier. A backup ambulance is en route to the scene. You should:
begin CPR/apply AED immediately
Age-related shrinkage of the brain increases the risk of ___________.
brain injury
You and your partner are caring for a critically injured patient. Your partner is controlling severe bleeding from the patient's lower extremities as you attempt ventilations with a bag-mask device. After repositioning the mask several times, you are unable to effectively ventilate the patient. You should:
begin ventilations using the mask-to-mouth technique (portable mask)
A person's response to their environment is defined as ____________.
behavior
if the interruption of daily routine tends to recur on a regular basis, the behavior is also considered a ________________________ crisis.
behavioral
General guidelines for managing a patient with a behavioral emergency include:
being prepared to spend extra time with the patient
Which of the follow statements is false regarding proper lifting?
bend at the waist
Which of the following should you do when lifting something heavy?
bend your legs, not your waist
A conscious and alert 29-year-old female with a history of asthma complains of difficulty breathing that began after her morning jog. The temperature outside is 40°F (5°C). On exam, you hear bilateral expiratory wheezing. After providing supplemental oxygen, you should:
beta-agonist inhaler
Which of the following factors would MOST likely cause a patient's pulse rate to be slower than normal?
beta-blocker medications
A patient has fractured both femurs. Anatomically, these injuries would be described as being:
bilateral
a pt was involved in a MVC. he has abrasions to both arms. what word is used to describe this?
bilateral
The root "melan/o" means:
black
injury to a solid organ causes ______________.
bleeding
Which of the following is Not a sign of a possible facial fracture?
bleeding from the forehead
Which of the following statements regarding gastrointestinal bleeding is correct?
bleeding within the gastrointestinal tract is a symptom of another disease, not a disease itself
Respiratory alkalosis is a condition that occurs when:
blood acidity is reduced by excessive breathing
Intrapulmonary shunting occurs when:
blood coming from the right side of the heart bypasses nonfunctional alveoli and returns to the left side of the heart in an unoxygenated state
To avoid injury to you, the patient, or your partners, you will have to learn how to lift and carry the patient properly, using proper __________ _________ and a power grip.
body mechanics
Which of the following pupillary changes would indicate depressed brain function?
both pupils dilate with introduction of a bright light
Common signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency include:
bounding pulse, severe headache, dizziness
When auscultating the blood pressure in a patient's upper extremity, you should place the diaphragm (head) of the stethoscope over the _________ artery.
brachial
while assessing a pt, you note a slow pulse, which is:
bradycardia
"Encephalo" in the word "encephalitis" means:
brain
His parents tell you that their son has had a chest infection for the past two days and when they took him to their family doctor, they were told it was likely due to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They have kept him well hydrated, but the infection seems to have gotten worse. On auscultation, you hear decreased air entry bilaterally with fine expiratory wheezes and the occasional coarse wet crackle. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:
bronchiolitis
Which of the following structures is NOT found in the upper airway?
bronchus
When performing a full-body scan on a trauma patient, you note the presence of Battle's sign. This is defined as:
bruising behind the ear
Which of the following is characteristic of peptic ulcer disease (PUD)?
burning or pain in the stomach that subsides immediately after eating and returns in 2-3 hours
Everyone exhibits some signs and symptoms of mental illness at some point in life ____________.
but that does not mean a person is mentally ill
In which manner should you act and speak with a patient?
calm and confident
A 40-year-old male intentionally cut his wrist out of anger after losing his job. Law enforcement has secured the scene prior to your arrival. As you enter the residence and visualize the patient, you can see that he has a towel around his wrist and a moderate amount of blood has soaked through it. You should:
calmly identify yourself to the patient
The nasopharyngeal airway is MOST beneficial because it:
can maintain a patent airway in a semiconscious pt with a gag reflex
what is carcinoma of the liver?
cancerous tumor of the liver
What prevents hemoglobin from transporting oxygen to tissues?
carbon monoxide
Which of the following incidents does NOT require a report to be filed with local authorities?
cardiac arrest
Which of the following statements regarding middle adults is correct?
cardiovascular health becomes an issue in this age group, as does cancer incidence
General treatment for a woman with vaginal bleeding and shock following sexual assault includes all of the following, EXCEPT:
carefully removing any foreign bodies from the vagina
You have responded to a 71 year old woman who is unresponsive. You try to get her to respond but have no success. Her airway is open, and she is breathing at a rate of 14 breaths/min. You know you can check her pulse on either side of the neck. You know that the jugular veins and several nerves run through the neck next to the trachea. What structure are you trying to locate to take a pulse?
carotid arteries
Oxygen toxicity is a condition in which:
cellular tissue damage occurs from excessive O2 levels in the blood
Interruption of cerebral blood flow may result from all of the following, EXCEPT:
cerebral vasodilation
Which of the following is the process in which a person, institution, or program is evaluated and recognized as meeting predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care?
certification
the process by which an individual, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain standards is called:
certification
Which of the following is an example of secondary prevention?
cervical spinal immobilization
The jaw-thrust maneuver is used to open the airway of patients with suspected:
cervical spine injuries
One consequence of the loss of neurons among elderly persons is a(n):
changes in sleep patterns
When would it be MOST appropriate for a patient to take his or her prescribed nitroglycerin?
chest pain that does not subside immediately with rest
When you begin an oral report, you should state the patient's age, sex, and:
chief complaint
Respiratory arrest usually occurs before cardiac arrest in __________.
children
With regard to the assessment of a patient's cardiovascular status, capillary refill time is MOST reliable in:
children who are younger than 6 years of age
Which of the following conditions would MOST likely lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated?
chlamydia
in rare cases, _____________________ causes arthritis that may be accompanied with skin lesions and inflammation of the eyes and urethra
chlamydia
____________________ commonly produces symptoms about 30 minutes after a particularly fatty meal and usually at night.
cholecystitis
The respiratory distress that accompanies emphysema is caused by:
chronic stretching of the alveolar walls
For a do not resuscitate (DNR) order to be valid, it must:
clearly state the pt's medical problem
What is typically the most important intervention that an EMT can provide to the victim of sexual assault?
comfort and reassurance
EMTs should have a strong working knowledge of medical terminology in order to:
communicate effectively with other members of the health care team
Which of the following is an example of a primary prevention strategy?
community awareness programs that emphasize the dangers of drinking and driving
Your EMS system uses a computerized PCR in which you fill in the information electronically and then send it to the emergency department via a secure Internet server. When completing your PCR after a call, you should:
complete a thorough and accurate narrative because drop-down boxes cannot provide all of the information that needs to be documented
You are examining a patient whose signs include lip smacking, jerking of the left arm, and agitation. Based on these signs, what type of seizure is this patient experiencing?
complex partial seizure
While en route to the scene of a shooting, the dispatcher advises you that the caller states that the perpetrator has fled the scene. You should:
confirm this information with law enforcement personnel at the scene
Immediately after being dispatched to a residence for an elderly patient with diabetic complications, you should:
confirm with dispatch that you received the call information
Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?
confusion and fatigue
Which of the following patients is breathing adequately?
conscious, pink skin, 19 breaths/min
A 4-year-old boy had an apparent seizure. He is conscious and calm and is sitting on his mother's lap. His father is sitting in a nearby chair. The child's mother suddenly begins crying uncontrollably, which causes the child to start crying. You should:
consider asking the father to hold the child so your partner can calm the mother
You are transporting a 49-year-old male with "tearing" abdominal pain. You are approximately 30 miles away from the closest hospital. During your reassessment, you determine that the patient's condition has deteriorated significantly. You should:
consider requesting a rendezvous with an ALS unit
When assessing a patient who is displaying bizarre behavior, the EMT should:
consider that an acute medical illness may be causing the patient's behavior
Empathy requires the EMT to ___________.
consider the needs of others
All information recorded on the PCR must be:
considered confidential
Inflammation and swelling of the pharynx, larynx and trachea resulting in a "seal bark" is typically caused by:
croup
General guidelines for carrying a patient on a stretcher include:
constant communication with your partners
When you shine a light into one pupil, the normal reaction of the other pupil should be to:
constrict
Esophageal varices MOST commonly occur in patients who:
consume a lot of alcohol
What should you do if a patient refuses treatment or transport?
contact medical control
While transporting a woman with diabetes, you inadvertently give her oral glucose even though her blood glucose level was high. You reassess the patient and note that her condition did not change; she remained stable. You should:
contact medical control and notify him/her of the error
You are caring for a patient with pancreatic cancer. The patient is emaciated and only responds to loud verbal stimulus with the occasional moan. He offers no other response. The family tells you that there is no DNR but they do provide you with a Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), which provides medical orders and is signed by the patient's physician. As you review the documentation, your partner reports that the patient has stopped breathing and has no carotid pulse. You should:
contact medical control for guidance
If an EMT candidate has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, he or she should:
contact the state EMS office and provide them with required documentation
Dead space is the portion of the respiratory system that:
contains no alveoli and does not participate in gas exchange
While transporting a stable patient with chest pain to the hospital, you come across a major motor vehicle crash involving several critically injured patients. Your MOST appropriate action should be to:
continue transporting your pt and notify the dispatcher of the crash
The patient care report (PCR) ensures:
continuity of care
You belong to a small volunteer EMS company and are treating a patient with chest pain, and you feel that the administration of aspirin is indicated. You ask the patient if he is allergic to aspirin and he says no. Shortly after you administer the aspirin, the patient develops signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. Later in the hospital, the doctor advises you that the patient's medical history indicates that the patient has an allergy to aspirin. The patient later sues you. Which of the following is your best defense strategy?
contributory negligence
You are dispatched to a public park in the middle of a sprawling for an arm injury. You arrive to find a crying 8-year-old boy cradling his swollen deformed left forearm. His friends tell you that he was holding onto the bars of the play structure and that his arm 'snapped' when he jumped into the sand below. An adult bystander tells you that the boy kept trying to impress his friends with more and more dangerous stunts on the play structure prior to the injury. This is an indication of ________ reasoning.
conventional
A school-age child looking for approval from his peers and society is demonstrating what kind of reasoning?
conventional reasoning
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) provide ________.
counseling services
The tactical use of an impenetrable barrier for protection that law enforcement agents use is called what?
cover
The lumen of an artery may be partially or completely blocked by the blood-clotting system due to a _______________ that exposes the inside of the atherosclerosic wall.
crack
Which type of breath sound are you more likely to hear in a person with congestive heart failure?
crackles
The __________ cartilage is a firm ring that forms the inferior part of the larynx.
cricoid
The _____ connects the cricoid cartilage and thyroid cartilage.
cricothyroid membrane
Recently you started noticing that a coworker is disinterested in his work. He has started coming in late and has taken to sitting alone and not socializing with other members of the team. The job has been stressful lately. Call volume has increased and you rarely have any downtime between calls. What is your coworker most likely experiencing?
cumulative stress reaction
When assessing the skin of an unconscious patient, you note that it has a bluish tint to it. This finding is called:
cyanosis
Which of the following is a late sign of hypoxia?
cyanosis
Which of the following is a genetic disorder that predisposes the patient to repeated lung infections?
cystic fibrosis
Which of the following conditions is more common in women than in men?
cystitis
Putrefaction is defined as:
decomposition of the body's tissues
It is essential that you ____________ your equipment to prevent the spread of disease.
decontaminate
Diastolic blood pressure tends to _______ with age.
decrease
Age-related changes in the renal system result in:
decreased ability to eliminate wastes and conserve fluids
Why does the incidence of diabetes mellitus increase with age?
decreased physical activity, increased weight gain, decreased insulin production
A young female is unconscious after intentionally ingesting a large amount of aspirin. You will MOST likely find her respirations:
deep and rapid
Which of the following would NOT cause a decrease in tidal volume?
deep respirations
When encountering a patient with depressed fontanelles, you should suspect:
dehydration
In contrast to an automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD), an external defibrillator vest:
delivers high-energy shocks similar to an AED
In contrast to a behavioral crisis, a psychiatric emergency occurs when a person:
demonstrates agitation or violence that becomes a threat to himself or herself, or to others
Which of the following signs and symptoms will help distinguish COPD from congestive heart failure?
dependent edema
Which of the following signs is commonly observed in patients with right-sided heart failure?
dependent edema
An obvious sign of death caused by discoloration of the body from pooling of the blood to the lower parts of the body is called what?
dependent lividity
You arrive at the scene of an apparent death. When evaluating the patient, which of the following is a definitive sign of death?
dependent lividity
A chronic feeling of sadness or despair is defined as:
depression
Which of the following is an example of a psychiatric disorder?
depression
A 50-year-old male is found unconscious in his car. There were no witnesses to the event. When gathering medical history information for this patient, the EMT should:
determine if the pt has a medical alert bracelet or wallet card
When communicating with a visually impaired patient, you should:
determine the degree of the pt's impairment
When evaluating a patient with multiple complaints, the EMT's responsibility is to:
determine which complaint poses the greatest threat to the pt's life
Which of the following MOST accurately defines negligence?
deviation from the standard of care that may result in further injury
Signs of excited delirium include:
diaphoresis, tachycardia, and hallucinations
A patient with profuse sweating is referred to as being:
diaphoretic
Inhalation occurs when the:
diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract and cause a decrease in intrathoracic pressure
what would not be an additional expected sign of kidney stones?
diarrhea
An EMT would MOST likely be held liable for abandonment if he or she:
did not make provisions for continued care of an injured pt
In addition to ensuring his or her own safety, the EMT's responsibility when caring for a patient with a behavioral emergency is to:
diffuse and control the situation and safely transport the patient
A 29-year-old male complains of a severe headache and nausea that has gradually worsened over the past 12 hours. He is conscious, alert, and oriented and tells you that his physician diagnosed him with migraine headaches. He further tells you that he has taken numerous different medications, but none of them seem to help. His blood pressure is 132/74 mm Hg, his pulse is 110 beats/min and strong, and his respirations are 20 breaths/min. Treatment should include:
dimming the lights in the back of the ambulance and transporting without lights/siren
The ________ ________ _________ is used for patients with no suspected spinal injury who are found lying supine on the ground.
direct ground lift
External bleeding from an extremity can usually be controlled by a combination of:
direct pressure and elivation
Upon arriving at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, you find a single patient still seated in his car. There are no scene hazards. As you approach the vehicle, you note that the patient is semiconscious and has a large laceration to his forehead. You should:
direct your partner to apply manual in-line stabilization of the pt's head
What is the best way to care for your patient once he tells you he does not want to go to the hospital?
encourage them to call 911 if the condition worsens
During the alert and dispatch phase of EMS communications, the dispatcher's responsibilities include all of the following, EXCEPT:
discouraging the caller from providing care until the EMS unit arrives
The suffix "-pathy" means:
disease
As an EMT, your objective when treating patients with face and neck injuries is to do all of the following Except:
disregard the cervical spine
A ventilation/perfusion (V/Q ratio) mismatch occurs when:
disruption of blood flow inhibits exchange of O2 and CO2 in the lungs, even though alveoli are filled with fresh O2
A fracture of the humerus just above the elbow would be described as a:
distal humerus fracture
further from body vs. closer to body
distal vs. proximal
Common sources of stress for EMTs include _________.
disturbing sights, smells and sounds
Which of the following considerations is the most important for the EMT during the scene size-up step of managing a psychiatric emergency?
do you need to call for law enforcement as additional resources?
a 72-year-old female underwent a pleurocentesis. what does this mean?
draining fluid from the chest
If you discover an error as you are writing your PCR, what should you do?
draw a single horizontal line through the error, initial it, and write the correct information next to it
What is the MOST appropriate method to use when moving a patient from his or her bed to the wheeled stretcher?
draw sheet method
You have been called to the scene of a high-speed motor vehicle collision involving two compact cars. The first vehicle was a roll-over, ejecting the driver. The second vehicle contained both a driver and a front-seat passenger who cannot be reached because the door is up against a building. You'll likely use the ________ to transfer the patient from your stretcher to the hospital bed.
draw sheet method
Where would you MOST likely find information regarding a patient's wishes to be an organ donor?
driver's license
Which of the following gives surrogates the right to make decisions for patients regarding their health care in the event that the patient is incapacitated and unable to make such decisions?
durable power of attorney for health care
When does acute stress occur?
during a stressful situation
Once your ambulance is dispatched to an emergency, you have an obligation to respond. What is this called?
duty to act
Which of the following components are needed to prove negligence?
duty to act, breach of duty, injury/damages, causation
A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:
dysarthria
you are reviewing a pt care report and note the abbreviation DOE. what does this mean?
dyspnea on exertion
______________ may be a cause of vaginal bleeding in a patient who states that she is NOT pregnant.
ectopic pregnancy
Causes of vaginal bleeding include which of the following?
ectopic pregnancy, vaginal trauma, spontaneous abortion
The pulse oximeter is an assessment tool used to evaluate the:
effectiveness of oxygenation
Breathing is often more difficult in older adults because the:
elasticity of the lungs decreases
Communicating with hearing-impaired patients can be facilitated by doing all of the following, EXCEPT:
elevating the tone of your voice and exaggerating word pronunciations
The anterior aspect of the cerebrum controls:
emotion
which of the following is NOT considered a possible cause of a psychiatric disorder?
emotional disturbance (NOT social disturbance, chemical disturbance, biologic disturbance)
A 37-year-old male has an apparent foreign body airway obstruction. He is conscious and alert and is coughing forcefully. His skin is pink, warm, and moist. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient includes:
encouraging him to cough and transporting
You are dispatched to an office building for a 49-year-old male with chest pain. When you arrive at the scene, you find the patient to be conscious and alert, but in obvious pain. He tells you that he did not call 911; a coworker did. He further states that he does not want to be treated or transported to the hospital. You should:
ensure he is aware of the risks of refusal
The purpose of the pin-indexing system for compressed gas cylinders is to:
ensure that the correct regulator is used for the cylinder
When approaching a 32-year-old male who is complaining of traumatic neck pain, you should:
ensure that the pt can see you approaching him
Upon arriving at a potentially unsafe scene, you should:
ensure that you are safe
The first step in assessing a patient with a behavioral emergency is to:
ensure your safety
which of the following is NOT an FCC principal EMS-related responsibility?
ensuring that all radios contain lithium batteries
Angina pain may be felt in the:
epigastrum
Structures of the lower airway include all of the following, EXCEPT the:
epiglottis
You are attending to a 28-year-old female patient in severe respiratory distress. The patient has had a high fever all day, and the respiratory distress came on very quickly. Your patient is now sitting in a chair, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. She is making high-pitched sounds with each breath and does not seem to be moving very much air. Based on this information, your patient is likely suffering from:
epiglottitis
A 40-year-old patient without a history of seizures experiences a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure. The LEAST likely cause of this seizure is:
epilepsy
____________________ occur(s) when there is excess pressure within the portal system and surrounding vessel; may lead to life-threatening bleeding.
esophageal varices
a patient complains of heartburn, pain with swallowing, and feeling like an object is stuck in the throat. which of the following is the most likely cause?
esophagitis
Which of the following structures is contained within the mediastinum?
esophagus
When a person considers his or her own cultural values as more important when interacting with people of a different culture, what is this referred to?
ethnocentrism
The middle ear is connected to the nasal cavity by the:
eustachian tube
Prior to applying medical restraints to a combative patient, you should:
evaluate the pt for potentially correctible causes of combativeness, such as head injury, hypoxia, or hypoglycemia
You suspect that a pregnant 16-year-old girl has a broken leg after she was hit by a car. You explain that you plan to splint her leg, and she agrees to treatment. What type of consent is her agreement considered?
expressed
You arrive at the scene of a call to find an elderly man complaining of chest pain. You introduce yourself and ask permission to examine him. He nods and extends his arm. Which type of consent is this?
expressed consent
The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood of the capillaries is called:
external respiration
A 56-year-old female is found supine in a narrow hallway of her mobile home. She complains of severe weakness and dizziness, and states that she is unable to walk. There is no evidence of trauma and the patient states that she did not fall. How should you and your partner move this patient to a more spacious area?
extremity lift
The _________ ________ ma be especially helpful when the patient is in a very narrow space or when there is not enough room for the patient and a team of EMTs to stand side by side.
extremity lift
The head is divided into two parts: the cranium and the:
face
Encouraging this patient to provide more information about his injury is an example of which therapeutic communication technique?
facilitation
Each ovary produces an ovum in alternating months and releases it into the:
fallopian tube
the sperm usually fertilizes the egg in the:
fallopian tube
The _____________ connect(s) each ovary with the uterus.
fallopian tubes
You have responded to a vehicle accident call. Initially, the male patient allows you to splint his broken arm and complete a primary assessment. However, he rescinds consent during transport and demands to be let out of the ambulance. If you refuse, which of the following might you be charged with?
false imprisonment
A blood pressure cuff that is too small for a patient's arm will give a:
falsely high systolic and diastolic reading
What is the most common misconception surrounding mental illness?
feeling "bad" or "depressed" means that you must be "sick"
In lifting with the palm down, the weight is supported by the _________ rather than the palm.
fingers
The mattress on a stretcher must be _________ ________ so that it does not absorb any type of potentially infectious material, including water, blood, or other body fluid.
fluid resistant
Peritonitis may result in shock because:
fluid shifts from the bloodstream into body tissues
You and your partner are attempting to resuscitate a middle-aged female in cardiac arrest. Because of the remote location you are in, you are unable to contact medical control. What should you do?
follow standing orders
After you submit the electronic PCR for a call, you realize that you accidentally documented the wrong vital signs. What should you do?
follow your agency's directions for making an amendment
if a sexual assault patient tells you that she would like to be transported to the hospital but refuses a physical examination, you should:
follow your system's refusal of treatment policy and respect the patient's wishes without judgment
The areas of the infant's skull that have not yet fused together are called ________.
fontanelles
The brain connects to the spinal cord through a large opening at the base of the skull known as the:
foramen magnum
Which of the following findings indicates that your patient has a patent airway?
forceful coughing
You should not attempt to lift a patient who weighs more than 250 lb with fewer than _______ rescuers, regardless of individual strength.
four
The direct carry is used to transfer a patient:
from a bed to the ambulance stretcher
Which of the following organs lies in the retroperitoneal space?
gallbladder
diarrhea is the principle symptom in:
gastroenteritis
Which of the following conditions does NOT typically present with vaginal discharge?
genital herpes
Among the safety precautions you can take at the scene are all of the following EXCEPT:
gently rocking a vehicle to ensure that it will not move before attempting to extricate the pt
Before any lifting is initiated, the team leader should do all of the following EXCEPT:
give a command of execution
Whenever possible, a female sexual assault victim should be:
given the option of being treated by a female EMT
The official transfer of patient care does not occur until the EMT:
gives an oral report in the ER
"Adeno" in the word "adenectomy" means:
gland
What are the minimum infection control precautions for all patient contact situations?
gloves and eye protection
Which of the following infections, when left untreated, may lead to infection of the blood and brain?
gonorrhea
painful urination associated with burning and a yellowish discharge is associated with:
gonorrhea
A patient successfully sued your EMS employer and was awarded compensatory and punitive damages. This means the agency was likely found guilty of ___________.
gross negligence
When abdominal muscles become rigid in an effort to protect the abdomen from further irritation, this is referred to as:
guarding
Which of the following has the weakest transmission signal and, as a result, is LEAST likely to be heard by the party being called?
hand-held portable radio
medical control guides the treatment of patients in the system through all of the following EXCEPT:
hands-on care
Which of the following precautions can always be taken by an EMT to reduce the risk of becoming ill?
handwashing, with or without water
A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy if he or she:
has bleeding in the brain
You should suspect that a patient is experiencing respiratory failure if he or she:
has bradycardia and diminished muscle tone
When a woman presents with abdominal pain or other vague symptoms, the EMT is often unable to determine the nature of the problem until he or she:
has gathered patient history information
Signs and symptoms of a hypertensive emergency would MOST likely be delayed in patients who:
have chronic hypertension
CPAP is indicated for patients who:
have pulmonary edema and can follow verbal commands
Bacterial vaginosis is a condition that occurs when:
normal bacteria in the vagina are replaced by an overgrowth of other bacterial forms
You are transporting a 54-year-old male in cardiac arrest. An EMR is driving the ambulance as you and your partner attempt to resuscitate the patient. What is the MOST logical way of notifying the hospital?
have the driver contact dispatch and relay pt information to the hospital
You and your partner arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. The driver, a young male, is severely entrapped in his car. He has an open head injury and massive facial trauma. He is unresponsive, is not breathing, and does not have a palpable carotid pulse. You should:
have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the pt is deceased
You are transporting a patient with angina and he loses consciousness on the way to the hospital. When you check, you cannot feel a pulse. What should you do?
have your partner pull over the ambulance and come help with CPR/AED
A 30-year-old male experienced a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure, which stopped before you arrived at the scene. The patient is conscious, is answering your questions appropriately, and refuses EMS transport. Which of the following would be the MOST compelling reason to disagree with his refusal of transport?
he is currently not prescribed any medications
Because of the weight distribution on backboards and stretchers, the stronger the EMTs should be at the:
head
Which of the following is an example of a symptom?
headache
Pulmonary edema can develop quickly after a major:
heart attack
Your patient's past medical history includes hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and seizures. Today, he presents with signs of acute renal failure. Which of his medical problems MOST likely caused this?
heart failure
As a woman approaches menopause:
her menstrual periods may become irregular and vary in severity
You suspect that a 75-year-old man has internal injuries after he fell and struck his ribs and abdomen on the corner of a table. When assessing and treating an injured patient of this age, you must recall that:
his ability to physiologically compensate for his injury may be impaired due to an inability to increase cardiac output
You receive a call for a domestic dispute. When you arrive at the scene, you find a young male standing on the front porch of his house. You notice that an adjacent window is broken. The patient has a large body, is clenching his fists, and is yelling obscenities at you. Which of the following findings is LEAST predictive of this patient's potential for violence?
his large body size
Which of the following findings should concern the EMT the MOST when assessing a patient who complains of a headache?
history of migraines
The ____________ deals with the well-being of the EMT, career progression, and EMT compensation.
human resources department
If ventilation is impaired, carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream will increase. This condition is called:
hypercarbia
The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:
hypertension
You respond to a call for a female pedestrian who has been struck by a car. As your partner maintains manual stabilization of her head, you perform a primary assessment. She is unconscious, has ineffective breathing, and has bloody secretions in her mouth. You should:
immediately suction her oropharynx
In cases of sexual assault, it is important to ensure that you do which of the following?
immediately write down your observations of the scene before assessing the patient, call for female EMT or ALS care, discuss with law enforcement any suspicions you may have about the perpetrator
You have two patients who were involved in a motor vehicle crash when their SUV struck a tree—one with neck and back pain, and the other with a deformed left femur. The patient with the deformed femur states that he does not want to be placed on a hard board, nor does he want a collar around his neck. What is the MOST appropriate and practical method of securing these patients and placing them into the ambulance?
immobilize the pt with neck and back pain on a long backboard and place him on the wheeled stretcher; place the pt with the deformed femur on a folding stretcher secured to the squad bench
Asthma is caused by a response of the:
immune system
Which of the following types of consent allows treatment of a patient who is unconscious or mentally incapacitated?
implied
Patients with chest pain or dyspnea should normally be transported __________.
in a position of comfort
When obtaining a 12-lead ECG, the patient should be:
in a supine position with legs uncrossed
Which of the following statements regarding oxygenation and ventilation is correct?
in mines or confined spaces where O2 levels are low, ventilation may continue despite adequate oxygenation
Hypoxia is MOST accurately defined as:
inadequate O2 to the tissues and cells
Breathing occurs as the result of a(n):
increase in CO2 which decreases the pH of CSF and stimulates chemoreceptors to initiate breathing
Physical changes that typically occur in early adults include an:
increase in fatty tissue, which leads to weight gain
Which of the following would cause the greatest increase in cardiac output?
increased HR and increased stroke volume
Headache, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures all are considered early signs of:
increased intracranial pressure
In contrast to typical wheeled ambulance stretchers, features of a bariatric stretcher include?
increased stability due to a wider wheelbase
Factors that contribute to a decline in the vital capacity of an elderly patient include all of the following, EXCEPT:
increased surface area available for air exchange
which of the following is a factor in peptic ulcer disease in older adults?
increased use of NSAIDs
Which of the following is NOT a common factor that would affect a 75-year-old patient's vital signs?
increased weight
In late adults, the amount of air left in the lungs after expiration of the maximum amount of air:
increases, which hampers diffusion of gases due to stagnant (residual) air remaining in the alveoli
All of the following will help minimize the risk of gastric distention when ventilating an apneic patient with a bag-valve mask, EXCEPT:
increasing the amount of delivered tidal volume
while providing care to a patient, blood got onto the ambulance stretcher. Because the stretcher was not properly cleaned afterward, a virus was transmitted to another EMT several days later. Which route of transmission does this scenario describe:
indirect contact (not with the pt him/herself)
Obtaining continuing medical education is the responsibility of the:
individual EMT
Children from 1 month to 1 year of age are called ________.
infants
The topographic term used to describe the parts of the body that are nearer to the feet is:
inferior
You respond to a 68 year old man who was involved in a motor vehicle collision. He is unresponsive, and as you approach you notice he is not breathing. He was unrestrained and has massive facial injuries. When you check his airway, it is obstructed. Which of the following is Not likely to cause an upper airway obstruction in a patient with facial trauma?
inflamed tonsils
you are caring for a 6-year-old with pharyngitis. what does this mean?
inflammation of the throat
A patient's refusal for EMS treatment and/or transport must be:
informed
The diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract during:
inhalation
Confined-space fires present a high risk of __________.
inhalation injury
The MOST serious consequence of a poorly planned or rushed patient move is:
injury to you or your pt
A 78-year-old female presents with an acute change in her behavior. The patient's son tells you that his mother has type 2 diabetes and was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease 6 months ago. The patient's speech is slurred and she is not alert to her surroundings. You should:
inquire about the possibility of head trauma
A 16-year-old female complains of vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping that began several hours ago. During your assessment interview, you should:
inquire about the possibility of pregnancy in private
You are dispatched to an apartment complex where a 21-year-old female has apparently overdosed on several narcotic medications. She is semiconscious and has slow, shallow respirations. You should:
insert a NP airway and begin assisted ventilation
Laypeople are often trained to perform all of the following skills, EXCEPT:
insertion of the oropharyngeal airway
Which of the following statements regarding age-related changes in the nervous system is correct?
interconnections between brain cells often prevent a loss of knowledge or skill, despite neuron loss
People at risk for suicide include all of the following, EXCEPT:
married males older than 30 years old
Upon arriving at the scene of a patient with difficulty breathing, you determine that the scene is safe. You enter the residence and find the patient sitting in a chair in obvious distress. Your first action should be to:
introduce yourself to the pt
In contrast to inhalation, exhalation:
is a passive process caused by increased intrathoracic pressure
A diabetic patient has polydipsia. This means that she:
is excessively thirsty
You are transporting a semiconscious patient to the hospital. en route, you note that the patient's mental status is not improving, despite 100% supplemental oxygen. you should suspect that this patient:
is hypoglycemic
If a woman with vaginal bleeding reports syncope, the EMT must assume that she:
is in shock
Chronic renal failure is a condition that:
is often caused by hypertension or diabetes
You receive a call to a residence, where a neighbor has found the resident, a 40-year-old female, semiconscious on her living room floor. during your assessment you discover a bottle of Dilantin on a nearby table. you should be most suspicious that this patient:
is postictal following a seizure
In many states, a minor may be treated as an adult for the purpose of consenting to or refusing medical treatment if the minor:
is self-supporting and lives by him/herself
In contrast to the parietal peritoneum, the visceral peritoneum:
is supplied by nerves of the autonomic nervous system, which are less able to localize pain or sensation
You have been dispatched to the home of a 52-year-old woman with severe flank pain. Which of the following would be an appropriate question to ask regarding the pain?
is the pain constant or intermittent?
A patient should be placed in the recovery position when he or she:
is unresponsive, uninjured, and breathing adequately
What happens when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage, resulting in tissue damage?
ischemic stroke
How does CPAP improve oxygenation and ventilation in patients with certain respiratory problems?
it forces the alveoli open and pushes more O2 across the alveolar membrane
You come upon an unresponsive patient who is not injured and is breathing on her own with a normal rate and an adequate tidal volume. What would be the advantage of placing her in the recovery position?
it helps to maintain a clear airway
How does positive-pressure ventilation affect cardiac output?
it increases intrathoracic pressure, which decreases venous return to the heart and causes a decrease in cardiac output
What was the focus of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's On Death and Dying?
it introduced the stages of grief
Which of the following statements regarding the power lift is correct?
it is the safest and most powerful method of lifting a pt
What is the primary feature of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?
it limits the availability of a pt's health care information
What purpose did The White Paper Serve?
it revealed the inadequacy of prehospital emergency care and transportation
You have been called to the scene of a high-speed motor vehicle collision involving two compact cars. The first vehicle was a roll-over, ejecting the driver. The second vehicle contained both a driver and a front-seat passenger who cannot be reached because the door is up against a building. Which of the following is an advantage of the diamond carry?
it uses an even number of people (less likely to drop)
If an action or procedure that was performed on a patient is not recorded on the written report:
it was not performed in the eyes of the law
Which of the following statements regarding stridor is MOST correct?
it's a high-pitched, crowing upper airway sound
You are assessing a patient with respiratory distress and are unsure if the cause is congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which of the following clinical signs would be the MOST helpful in determining whether the patient has CHF or COPD?
jugular vein distention
When carrying a patient on a backboard up or down stairs:
keep the head end elevated
When documenting a call in which a female was sexually assaulted, you should:
keep the report concise and record only what the patient stated in her own words
To minimize the risk of injuring yourself when lifting or moving a patient, you should:
keep the weight as close to your body as possible
The FIRST rule of safe lifting is to:
keep your back in a straight, vertical position
A young female presents with costovertebral angle tenderness. She is conscious and alert with stable vital signs. Which of the following organs is MOST likely causing her pain?
kidney (kidney infection)
a patient tells you that she has right flank pain that radiates into her groin. what is the most likely cause of her condition?
kidney stone
regulation of acidity and BP is largely attributed to the:
kidneys
When using a body drag to pull a patient who is on the ground, you should:
kneel to minimize the distance that you'll have to lean over
The __________ and _________ are folds of tissue that surround the urethral and vaginal openings.
labia majora; labia minora
Which of the following is a common characteristic of mental health problems?
lack of impulse control
In which position should you restrain a physically uncooperative patient?
lateral decubitus
Any attempt to physically restrain a patient should involve ____________.
law enforcement
When pulling a patient, you should do all of the following EXCEPT:
lean forward another 15-20" when you can pull no further
An 81-year-old female fell and struck her head. You find the patient lying on her left side. She is conscious and complains of neck and upper back pain. As you are assessing her, you note that she has a severely kyphotic spine. What is the MOST appropriate method of immobilizing this patient?
leave her on her side and use blanket rolls to immobilize her to the long backboard
You respond to the residence of a 70-year-old male who complains of weakness and severe shortness of breath. His wife tells you that he is a dialysis patient, but has missed his last two treatments. After applying oxygen, you auscultate his lungs and hear diffuse rhonchi. The patient is conscious, but appears confused. His blood pressure is 98/54 mm Hg, his pulse rate is 120 beats/min and irregular, and his respirations are 24 breaths/min and labored. You should:
leave him in a sitting position, keep him warm, and prepare for immediate transport
In contrast to bleeding caused by external trauma to the vagina, bleeding caused by conditions such as polyps or cancer:
may be relatively painless
You are dispatched to a home where you find a 70-year-old man. He is exhibiting facial drooping and, when you ask him to tell you what day it is, he says "January." Which part of the brain is most likely to have been affected?
left hemisphere; aphasia
rape is considered to be a ____________________ diagnosis, not a medical diagnosis
legal
Two EMTs witnessed a call in which a coworker gave adequate medical care but ignored the patient's emotional needs. The coworker was deliberately rude solely because the patient was thought to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The EMTs ignored the coworker's treatment of this patient and took no steps to prevent this behavior from happening again. This lack of action on the part of the two EMTs is considered:
legal but unethical
If you are alone and must remove an unconscious patient from a car, you should first move the patient's:
legs
Your patient is refusing care. Which of the following should you do first?
let him know what your concerns are
Most patients with abdominal pain prefer to:
lie on their sides with their knees drawn into the abdomen
When prioritizing care for the victim of a sexual assault, the EMT should focus on _________ first.
life-threatening injuries
The proper technique for using the power grip is to:
lift with your palms up
Which of the following steps is NOT proper procedure when performing an emergency move?
lifting the pt by the belt to move him/her
Law enforcement personnel request your assistance for a 30-year-old man whom they pulled over for erratic driving. The patient became acutely violent while he was being questioned, which required one of the officers to subdue him with a Taser. When you arrive and assess the patient, you find that he is very agitated and is experiencing apparent hallucinations. His skin is flushed and diaphoretic. You should:
limit physical contact with the patient as much as possible and avoid interrupting him if he is attempting to communicate with you
The physical examination of a sexual assault victim should be:
limited to a brief survey for life-threatening injuries
Which of the following can help improve the quality of sleep?
limiting caffeine intake
In patients with deeply pigmented skin, changes in color may be apparent only in certain areas, such as the:
lips or oral mucosa
"Hepato" in the word "hepatitis" means:
liver
Individuals with chronic alcoholism are predisposed to intracranial bleeding and hypoglycemia secondary to abnormalities in the:
liver
Which of the following organs would be MOST likely to bleed profusely if injured?
liver
The goal of the full-body scan that is performed during the secondary assessment is to:
locate injuries not found in the primary assessment
All of the following are considered to be protected health information (PHI), EXCEPT:
location of the call
You are dispatched to a residence where a middle-aged man was found unconscious in his front yard. There are no witnesses who can tell you what happened. You find him in a prone position; his eyes are closed and he is not moving. Your FIRST action should be to:
log roll him as a unit into a supine position
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate device to use when immobilizing a patient with a suspected spinal injury?
long backboard
A strangulated hernia is one that:
loses its blood supply due to compression by local tissues
The hypoxic drive—the primary stimulus to breathe for patients with certain chronic respiratory diseases—is influenced by:
low blood O2 levels
Which of the following may help reduce your patient's nausea:
low-flow O2
what is the most common presenting sign or symptom of PID?
lower abdominal pain
Which of the following clinical presentations is MOST consistent with PID?
lower abdominal pain, fever, general malaise, foul-smelling vaginal discharge
Which of the following must be assessed in every respiratory patient?
lung sounds
Complications associated with using a manually triggered ventilation device include:
lung tissue injury and gastric distention
You are dispatched to a 60-year-old man reporting chest pain and shortness of breath. The patient has angina and is taking nitroglycerin, furosemide, and atorvastatin. You hear crackles when listening to his breath sounds. The patient's difficulty breathing and crackles are due to blood backing up in which part of the body?
lungs
if a pt is lying prone on the ground, they are:
lying face down
When caring for a woman who is experiencing a gynecologic emergency, the EMT's main focus should be to:
maintain her ABCs and transport without delay
A critical aspect of the rapid extrication technique is to:
maintain stabilization of the spine at all times
Continuing education in EMS serves to:
maintain, update, and expand your knowledge and skills
Which of the following is NOT a function of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?
maintaining communications equipment on the ambulance
Calming and reassuring an anxious patient can be facilitated by:
maintaining eye contact
For which of the following patients is spinal immobilization clearly indicated?
man who was struck in the head and is now confused and has slurred speech
The prefix "multi-" means:
many
at the scene of an automobile crash, a utility pole has been broken and power lines are lying across the car. The patients inside the car are conscious. You should:
mark off a danger zone around the downed lines
You are dispatched to a public park in the middle of a sprawling for an arm injury. You arrive to find a crying 8-year-old boy cradling his swollen deformed left forearm. His friends tell you that he was holding onto the bars of the play structure and that his arm 'snapped' when he jumped into the sand below. You would expect this boy's pulse to be:
most likely above 90 bpm
When communicating with an older patient, it is important to remember that:
most older people think clearly and are capable of answering questions
Which of the following is false regarding the lifting and moving of geriatric patients?
most pts will be able to lie supine on a backboard without problems
Your patient has been involved in an MVA. The term MVA stands for:
motor vehicle accident
As the single EMT managing an apneic patient's airway, the preferred initial method of providing ventilations is the:
mouth-to-mask technique with a one-way valve
Tidal volume is defined as the volume of air that:
moves into/out of the lungs in a single breath
"Myo" in the word myocarditis means:
muscle
Which of the following organs or tissues can survive the longest without oxygen?
muscle
Angina pectoris occurs when:
myocardial O2 demand exceeds supply
An acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when:
myocardial tissue dies secondary to an absence of O2
The nasal cavity is divided into two chambers by the:
nasal septum
Which of the following statements regarding the NREMT is correct?
national standard for EMT testing
What is the name of the condition when the patient forgets about the injured side after a stroke?
neglect
When caring for a 65-year-old male with respiratory distress, you place him in a comfortable position but do not apply oxygen. The patient's condition continues to deteriorate and he develops cardiac arrest and dies at the hospital. This scenario is an example of:
negligence
From birth to 1 month old, a person is called a(n):
neonate
Which of the following statements regarding nitroglycerin is correct?
nitro usually relieves anginal chest pain within 5 minutes
A patient who is suspected of being hypoxic and is breathing adequately should be given supplemental oxygen with a:
nonrebreathing mask
a patient with an altered mental status is:
not thinking clearly or is incapable of being aroused
what does NPO mean?
nothing by mouth
You receive a subpoena to testify in court regarding a case that occurred two years ago in which you and your partner did not attempt resuscitation of a cardiac arrest patient. Upon receiving the subpoena, you should:
notify the director of your EMS system and obtain legal counsel
Typical methods of assessing a patient's breathing include all of the following, EXCEPT:
observing for nasal flaring during inhalation
You arrive at a grocery store shortly after a 35-year-old male stopped seizing. Your assessment reveals that he is confused and incontinent of urine. The patient's girlfriend tells you that he has a history of seizures and takes topiramate (Topamax). When obtaining further medical history from the girlfriend, it is MOST important to:
obtain a description of how the seizure developed
What type of medical direction do standing orders and protocols describe?
offline
When preparing to obtain a 12-lead ECG, the "LL" and "RL" electrodes should be placed:
on the thighs or ankles
Which of the following MOST accurately describes the correct position of the EMTs who are executing the diamond carry technique?
one at the head, one at the feet, one on each side of pt's torso
Approximately ______ of the nose is composed of bone. The remainder is composed of cartilage.
one-third
Which of the following MOST accurately describes paradoxical movement of the chest wall?
only one section of the chest rises on inspiration while another area falls
A patient with a pneumothorax has unilateral chest expansion. This means that:
only one side of his chest rises when he inhales
When responding to a psychiatric emergency, it is recommended that the EMT obtain vital signs ____________.
only when doing so will not exacerbate the patient's distress
A 22-year-old male with a history of clinical depression called 9-1-1 and stated that he has attempted to kill himself. Your unit and law enforcement officers arrive at the scene simultaneously. You find the patient lying supine on the living room floor. He is unconscious and cyanotic. An empty bottle of hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is found on an adjacent table. You should:
open the patient's airway and assess his respirations
You are transporting a 30-year-old female patient with a decreased level of consciousness. The patient care record includes the abbreviation OBS in the patient's past medical history. Based on this information, you may conclude that the patient has a history of:
organic brain syndrome
When dealing with a confused patient, you should __________.
orient the pt often
You respond to a construction site and find a worker lying supine in the dirt. He has been hit by a heavy construction vehicle and flew more than 15 feet (4.6 m) before landing in his current position. There is discoloration and distention of his abdomen about the right upper quadrant. He is unconscious and his respirations are 10 breaths/min and shallow, with noisy gurgling sounds. What method will you use to keep his airway open?
oropharyngeal
Potentially life-threatening consequences of PID include:
ovarian abscess and ectopic pregnancy
what is the primary female reproductive organ?
ovary
Which of the following conditions would MOST likely cause the pupils to remain significantly constricted?
overdose of an opiate drug
Which of the following symptoms would lead the EMT to believe that a patient's headache is caused by sinus congestion?
pain is worse when bending over
Which of the following statements regarding gonorrhea is correct?
painful urination is a common symptom of gonorrhea in men and women
In infants and small children, skin color should be assessed on the:
palms and soles
When assessing a patient with abdominal pain, you should:
palpate the abdomen in a clockwise direction beginning with the quadrant after the one the patient indicates is painful
____________________ can be caused by an obstructing gallstone, alcohol abuse, and other diseases.
pancreatitis
An EMS provider who has extensive training in various aspects of advanced life support (ALS) is called a(n):
paramedic
Cardiac monitoring, pharmacological interventions, and other advanced treatment skills are functions of the:
paramedic
The suffix "_________" means disease.
pathy
Doing what is best for the patient is known as ________.
patient advocacy
The right of a patient to make decisions concerning his or her health is called what?
patient autonomy
Which of the following statements regarding dialysis is correct?
patients who miss a dialysis treatment often present with weakness
Patient complaints of pain during intercourse, lower abdominal discomfort, and nausea may be indicative of which of the following?
pelvic inflammatory disease
The MOST serious complication associated with using a nasopharyngeal airway in a patient with trauma to the head or face is:
penetrating the cranium
Your EMS team is performing CPR on a 60-year-old male in cardiac arrest. You connect the AED, push the analyze button, and receive a "no shock advised" message. You should:
perform CPR for 2 minutes and reassess
The MOST effective way to determine whether your patient's problem is medical or traumatic in origin is to:
perform a careful and thorough assessment
According to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model, an EMT would require special permission from the medical director and the state EMS office in order to:
perform blood glucose monitoring
During your assessment of a 6-month-old male with vomiting and diarrhea, you note that his capillary refill time is approximately 4 seconds. From this information, you should conclude that the infant's:
peripheral circulation is decreased
peritoneal dialysis carries a high risk of _______________.
peritonitis
the most common significant complication associated with an acute abdomen is:
peritonitis
the EMT's first priority is:
personal safety
You are attending to a patient who was involved in a car crash. He was not wearing his seat belt when he ran off the highway and hit a tree. You correctly assume that he has cardiac tamponade. On arrival at the hospital the doctor performs pericardiocentesis. The suffix "-centesis" means:
pertaining to puncturing an organ or body cavity
your abdominal pain patient denies chest pain or vomiting. these findings are considered _________________.
pertinent negatives
You are attending to a 5-year-old male patient who has had a cold and fever for the last two days. His parents became concerned when he started having coughing spells that would last for over a minute, during which he would turn blue. After the coughing attack, his parents reported that he seemed to be sucking the air back in. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:
pertussis (whooping cough)
Signs and symptoms of possible seizure activity include all the following EXCEPT:
petechiae
The diaphragm is innervated by the _________ nerve, which allows it to contract.
phrenic
The two basic categories of diagnosis that a physician will use for behavioral crises or psychiatric emergencies are ____________.
physical and psychological
what should you do if you suspect your patient has TB?
place a particulate air respirator on yourself and a surgical mask on the pt
When caring for a female patient who has been sexually assaulted, you should:
place any bloodstained clothing or other articles in separate paper bags
Which of the following represents the MOST appropriate method of assisting a patient with his or her prescribed nitroglycerin tablet?
place sublingually and have pt keep mouth closed until it's dissolved and absorbed
when performing a physical exam on a victim of sexual assault, you should:
place the patient's clothes into a paper bag
Which of the following is the MOST accurate guide to palpating a pulse?
place the tips of your index and long fingers over the pulse point
When moving a conscious, weak patient down a flight of stairs, you should:
place the wheeled stretcher at the bottom of the stairs and carry the pt down with a stair chair
Which of the following are noticeable characteristics of a 9-month-old infant?
places objects in the mouth, pulls himself/herself up
A young male jumped from a tree and landed feet first. Which aspect of his body has sustained the initial injury?
plantar
You are assessing a 72-year-old man with abdominal pain. The patient is sitting in a chair; he is conscious, alert, and calm. As you are talking to the patient, your partner discreetly directs your attention to a handgun, which is located on a nearby table. You should:
position yourself in between the pt and gun and ask your partner to request law enforcement assistance
When performing a full-body scan on a supine patient, what part of the body is typically assessed last?
posterior
Which of the following anatomic terms is synonymous with the word "dorsal"?
posterior
Which of the following is an advantage of enhanced 9-1-1 systems over regular 9-1-1 systems?
potential use of GPS technology
Stealing from a parent's wallet and denying it when caught is an example of _______ reasoning.
preconventional
During a psychiatric emergency, the EMT should be able to ____________.
predict whether the patient will become violent
You are transporting a 26-year-old female patient who is 7 months pregnant. The patient care record indicates that the patient is primigravida. The prefix in this term indicates that the patient is:
pregnant for the first time
A palpable pulse is created by:
pressure waves through the arteries caused by cardiac contraction
Public health examines the health needs of entire populations. In the United States, public health focuses on education and what else?
prevention
A proactive approach to public health focuses on _________.
prevention of injury and illness
You are treating a man with a closed head injury following an assault by a burglar. The patient, who has slurred speech, becomes verbally abusive and tells you to leave him alone. You should:
proceed with treatment and utilize law enforcement if necessary
Which of the following statements regarding anaerobic metabolism is correct?
produces lactic acid and occurs when cellular O2 is limited
Functions of the liver include:
production of substances necessary for blood clotting
Dressing and acting properly while on duty are examples of ___________.
professional attributes
definitive or conclusive signs of death that are obvious and clear to even nonmedical people include all of the following EXCEPT:
profound cyanosis
The criteria to be licensed and employed as an EMT include:
proof of immunization against certain communicable diseases
A 30-year-old woman with a history of alcoholism presents with severe upper abdominal pain and is vomiting large amounts of bright red blood. Her skin is cool, pale, and clammy; her heart rate is 120 beats/min and weak; and her blood pressure is 70/50 mm Hg. Your MOST immediate action should be to:
protect her airway from aspiration
What section of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA) most affects EMS personnel?
protecting pt privacy
White blood cells, which are also called leukocytes, function by:
protecting the body from infection
In order to treat a patient, what will you need to follow?
protocols
To minimize the risk of litigation, the EMT should always:
provide competent care that meets current standards
Law enforcement personnel request your assistance to assess a 31-year-old female who was sexually assaulted. When you arrive at the scene, you find the patient sitting on a curb outside her apartment. She is conscious, alert, and crying. When you ask her what happened, she tells you that she does not want to be treated or transported to the hospital. She further tells you that all she wants to do is clean up. You should:
provide emotional support and visually assess her for obvious trauma
An important aspect in the treatment of a patient with severe abdominal pain is to:
provide emotional support en route to the hospital
You and your partner are the first to arrive at a potential crime scene with a critically injured patient involved. The scene is safe. Your first priority is to:
provide immediate pt care
You are dispatched to a middle school for a 16-year-old female experiencing an asthma attack. She is conscious and alert, but in severe respiratory distress. The school nurse informs you that she has tried several times to contact the patient's parents but has not been successful. You should:
provide treatment up to your level of training and transport the child at once
An infant or small toddler would MOST likely gain trust in a person who:
provides an organized, routine environment
Which of the following is a unique function of the emergency medical dispatcher (EMD)?
providing callers with life-saving instructions
Roles and responsibilities of the EMT include __________.
providing on-scene leadership
patients may show agitation, violence, or become a threat to themselves or others when they experience a(n) _______________________ emergency.
psychiatric
Which of the following terms applies to a state of delusion in which the patient is out of touch with reality?
psychosis
upon arriving at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, you note that two small cars collided head-on; the occupants are still in thier vehicles. The fire dept is in the process of stablizing the vechicles and law enforcement personnel are directing traffic. after parking the ambulance at a safe distance, you and your partner should:
put on high-visibility safety vests
The responsibility of the medical director to ensure the appropriate medical care standards are met by EMTs on each call is called what?
quality control
You are dispatched to an apartment complex for a shooting. Law enforcement personnel are present and have the suspect in custody. You find the patient lying in a narrow space between the couch and coffee table of his small apartment. He is semiconscious and has a large gunshot wound to his chest. You should:
quickly move the coffee table to access and treat the pt
In responsive patients that are older than 1 year of age, you should palpate the pulse at the ________ artery.
radial
Pain that moves from its point of origin to another body location is said to be:
radiating
Which of the following statements regarding rape is correct?
rape is a legal diagnosis, not a medical diagnosis
When palpating a patient's pulse, you note that there is a short interval between pulsations. This indicates that the pulse is:
rapid
Which of the following is NOT a common sign or symptom associated with malfunction of an implanted cardiac pacemaker?
rapid HR
You are assessing a conscious 55-year-old male with a sudden change in behavior. Which of the following clinical findings would be MOST suggestive of dysfunction of this patient's central nervous system?
rapid eye movement
In the immediate postictal state you should anticipate:
rapid, deep respirations and fast HR
You and your partner enter the residence of an elderly couple, both of whom are found unconscious in their bed. There is no evidence of trauma. As you begin your assessment, you and your partner notice the smell of natural gas in the residence. Which of the following should be your MOST appropriate action?
rapidly remove the pts from their residence using a blanket or clothes drag
When log rolling a patient, you should do all of the following except:
reach as far as possible to maintain stability
What is the second stage of response in the stress response known as the general adaptation syndrome?
reaction and resistance
After assisting your patient with his or her nitroglycerin, you should:
reassess BP within 5 minutes to detect hypotension
When performing a reassessment of your patient, you should first:
repeat the primary assessment
If a defibrillator manufacturer claims that its device terminates ventricular fibrillation on the first shock 95% of the time, you should:
recognize that this does not mean the device will save more lives
You are caring for a 68-year-old man with sudden onset of left-sided paralysis and slurred speech. His airway is patent, his respirations are 14 breaths/min with adequate depth, and his oxygen saturation is 98%. Treatment for this patient should include:
recovery position + transport
When transporting a stable stroke patient with unilateral hemiparalysis, it is best to place the patient in a:
recovery position with the paralyzed side down
If a patient develops difficulty breathing after your primary assessment, you should immediately:
reevaluate his/her airway status
You are ventilating a 40-year-old uninjured man who is apneic but has a pulse. When your partner reassesses his blood pressure, he notes that it has decreased significantly from previous readings. You elevate the patient's legs, but this action has no effect. You should:
reevaluate the rate and volume of your ventilations
Pain that may be perceived at a distant point on the surface of the body, such as the back or shoulder, is called:
referred pain
what are some tactics you can use to have a psychiatric patient cooperate with your assessment?
reflective listening
Which of the following is included in the narrative section in a PCR?
refusal of care
Many effects of aging can be diminished by ___________.
regular exercise
You respond to a call for an unknown emergency. When you arrive at the scene, the patient's husband meets you at the door and states that his wife has been depressed and has locked herself in an upstairs bedroom. He further tells you that he keeps his handgun in the bedroom. You should:
remain in a safe place and request law enforcement
As you radio the hospital to give a report on your patient, which of the following should you do?
remain objective and impartial
You are ventilating an apneic woman with a bag-mask device. She has dentures, which are tight-fitting. Adequate chest rise is present with each ventilation, and the patient's oxygen saturation reads 96%. When you reassess the patency of her airway, you note that her dentures are now loose, although your ventilations are still producing adequate chest rise. You should:
remove her dentures, resume ventilations, and assess for adequate chest rise
While providing CPAP to a patient in severe respiratory distress, you note that his heart rate has increased by 20 beats/min. He is conscious, but is no longer following verbal commands. You should:
remove the CPAP device and ventilate him with a BVM
A 19-year-old female is found unconscious by her roommate. Your primary assessment reveals that her breathing is inadequate. As you insert an oropharyngeal airway, she begins to gag violently. You should:
remove the airway and be prepared to suction her oropharynx
You are assessing a 49-year-old man who complains of chest pressure that began the night before. He is conscious, but anxious, and tells you he has a history of angina and hypertension. After applying high-flow oxygen, you expose his chest to auscultate his lungs and note that he has a nitroglycerin patch on his right upper chest. His skin is cool and pale, his blood pressure is 78/50 mm Hg, and his pulse is 110 beats/min and irregular. You should:
remove the nitro patch, place him in a supine position and elevate his lower extremities, and prepare for immediate transport
The kidneys help to regulate blood pressure by:
removing Na+, and thus water, from the body
After receiving online orders from medical control to perform a patient care intervention, you should:
repeat the order to medical control word for word
You and your partner respond to the scene of a 49-year-old male with acute abdominal pain. As you enter his residence, you find him lying on the floor in severe pain. He is conscious and alert. The patient appears to weigh in excess of 350 lb. Your FIRST action should be to:
request additional personnel before making any attempts to lift him
quid pro quo, a type of sexual harassment, occurs when the harasser:
requests sexual favors in exchange for something else
An unconscious patient found in a prone position must be placed in a supine position in case he or she:
requires CPR
The amount of air that remains in the lungs simply to keep them open is called:
residual volume
Most AEDs are set up to adjust the voltage based on the impedance, which is the:
resistance of the body to electrical flow
How does respiration differ from ventilation?
respiration is the process of gas exchange; ventilation is the simple movement of air between the lungs and environment
When the level of arterial CO2 rises above normal:
respirations increase in rate and depth
Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing in an adult?
respirations of 20 breaths/min w bilateral chest rise
"PASTE" is an alternate assessment tool for ___________.
respiratory pts
As you are wheeling your patient through the emergency department doors, you receive another call for a major motor vehicle crash. You should:
respond only after giving a verbal pt report to a nurse or physician
You are dispatched to the residence of a person who frequently calls 9-1-1 for nonemergency care. You should:
respond under the assumption that an acute emergency exists
You are assessing a 13-month-old female who is running a fever and has been vomiting. While you are performing your physical examination on this child, you will MOST likely find that she:
responds to her name but is fearful of your presence
A 38-year-old male with a history of schizophrenia is reported by neighbors to be screaming and throwing things in his house. You are familiar with the patient and have cared for him in the past for unrelated problems. Law enforcement officers escort you into the residence when you arrive. The patient tells you that he sees vampires and is attempting to ward them off by screaming and throwing things at them. He has several large lacerations to his forearms that are actively bleeding. The MOST appropriate way to manage this situation is to:
restrain the patient with appropriate force in order to treat his injuries
The right coronary artery supplies blood to the:
right ventricle and inferior wall of the left ventricle
Which of the following drugs is commonly referred to as "roofies"?
rohypnol
You have inserted an oral airway and are ventilating an apneic woman with a bag-valve mask. She suddenly begins regurgitating large amounts of vomit. You should:
roll her onto her side and remove the oral airway
You are assessing a 49-year-old man who, according to his wife, experienced a sudden, severe headache and then passed out. He is unresponsive and has slow, irregular breathing. his blood pressure is 190/94 mm Hg and his pulse rate is 50 beats/min. his wife tells you that he has hypertension and diabetes. he has MOST likely experienced:
ruptured cerebral artery
The _________ is both the mechanical weight-bearing base of the spinal column and the fused central posterior section of the pelvic girdle.
sacrum
You are attending to a 24-year-old male patient who is delusional. His family tells you that his hallucinations started as a teenager and have gotten progressively worse over time. The patient is difficult to communicate with because his speech is erratic and he appears to have his own rules of logic. Based on this information, the patient is most likely suffering from:
schizophrenia
_________ is a critical stage in the development of conscience-based decision making.
school age
A(n) ________ ________ may be used for patients who have been struck by a motor vehicle.
scoop stretcher
You are ventilating a patient with a stoma; however, air is escaping from the mouth and nose. To prevent this, you should:
seal the mouth and nose
The hypoxic drive is the _____________.
secondary respiratory drive
When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for:
seizure
organic brain syndrome may be caused by:
seizure disorder
What criteria must be met for a patient to have status epilepticus?
seizures that recur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes
Which of the following situations would require an urgent patient move?
semiconscious pt with shallow respirations and signs of shock
Which of the following situations or conditions warrants immediate transport?
severe chest pain; cool, pale skin
A generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure is characterized by:
severe twitching of all the body's muscles
Chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, and gonorrhea are all examples of _________.
sexually transmitted diseases
Which of the following factors will cause a decreased minute volume in an adult?
shallow breathing
Clinical signs of labored breathing include all of the following, EXCEPT:
shallow chest movement
A pregnant patient is diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. This means that:
she has excessive vomiting
When a female has reached menarche:
she is capable of becoming pregnant
You are transporting a 34-year-old male who is unresponsive, and his patient care record includes the abbreviation BS. Based on this information, the patient care record:
should define the abbreviation to ensure clarity
When a person is standing upright, the weight of anything being lifted and carried in the hands is FIRST reflected onto the:
shoulder girdle
In contrast to secure attachment, anxious-avoidant attachment occurs when a child:
shows little emotional response to a parent or caregiver following repeated rejection
Two-way communication that requires the EMT to "push to talk" and "release to listen" describes which mode of communication?
simplex
Jugular venous distention suggests a problem with blood returning to the heart if the patient is:
sitting up at a 45 degree angle
The diaphragm functions as an involuntary muscle when a person:
sleeps
Some women experience ___________ during ovulation.
slight cramping
Central chemoreceptors located in the medulla provide feedback to increase the rate and depth of breathing when they sense:
slight elevations in CO2 or a decrease in the pH of the CSF
You are dispatched to a call for a 4-month-old infant with respiratory distress. While you prepare to take care of this child, you must remember that:
small infants are nose breathers and require clear nasal passages at all times
which of the following is a solid organ?
spleen
Solid abdominal organs include the:
spleen, kidney and pancreas
A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition?
spontaneous pneumothorax
By definition, pandemic illnesses have ___________.
spread throughout the world
In the mnemonic PASTE, what does the "S" stand for?
sputum
You are attending to a 27-year-old patient with a history of depression. The patient's family tells you that she has been openly talking about harming herself and suicide, and they got scared when she tried to overdose on some medications. The patient did not take the pills and is alert and oriented. Despite all of your best efforts to convince her, the patient refuses to go to hospital for treatment. Based on this information, you should:
stay with the patient while you arrange for other transport options as a potentially life-threatening emergency exists
"Gastro" in the word "gastroenteritis" means:
stomach
Harsh, high-pitched inspiratory sounds are characteristic of:
stridor
Which of the following abnormal breath sounds indicates obstruction of the upper airway?
stridor
Which of the following statements regarding CHF is false?
stridor upon inhalation is typically heard
A crackling sound produced by air bubbles under the skin is called:
subcutaneous emphysema
The presence of air in the soft tissues of the neck that produces a crackling sensation is called:
subcutaneous emphysema
When assessing a patient's abdomen, you will typically evaluate for all of the following, EXCEPT:
subcutaneous emphysema
Patients with acute abdominal pain should not be given anything to eat or drink because:
substances in the stomach increase the risk of aspiration
the MOST serious consequence of drug or alcohol abuse among EMS personnel is:
substandard or inappropriate pt care
Which of the following statements regarding Good Samaritan laws is correct?
such laws will not protect the EMT in cases of gross negligence
After performing a head tilt-chin lift maneuver to open the airway of an unresponsive patient, you should:
suction as needed and insert an airway adjunct
When caring for a patient experiencing excited delirium, the EMT should remember that:
sudden death can occur if the patient's violence is not controlled
Which of the following clinical signs is MOST suggestive of a ruptured aneurysm?
sudden severe headache
top vs. bottom
superior vs. inferior
The suffix "-ectomy" means:
surgical removal of
When the battery wears out in a pacemaker, the patient may experience:
syncope
Which of the following signs/symptoms is considered particularly significant in gynecological emergencies?
syncope
Which of the following would the EMT most likely not perform on a responsive patient with a headache and no apparent life-threatening conditions?
systemic head-to-toe exam
When you use the palpation method to obtain a blood pressure, the measurement you obtain is the:
systolic BP
You are treating a 63-year-old patient whose vital signs are as follows: pulse, 140 beats/min and irregular; respiratory rate, 28 breaths/min; and blood pressure, 90/50 mm Hg. He is complaining of chest pain. Given this information, why would nitroglycerin be contraindicated?
systolic BP at or below 90 mm Hg
A patient experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure exhibits:
tachycardia, hyperventilation, sweating, intense salivation
Common signs and symptoms of acute hyperventilation syndrome include:
tachypnea, tingling in the extremities
Older adults frequently ___________.
take multiple medications
During gynecologic emergencies, in addition to the standard SAMPLE questions, the EMT should attempt to determine which of the following?
the amount of time since last menstrual cycle, possibility patient may be pregnant, if the patient is sexually active
Which of the following might help the EMT differentiate between "normal" depression and mental illness?
the amount of time that the patient remains feeling "blue"
Atherosclerosis is defined as ________.
the blockage of a coronary artery
With increasing age, the heart must work harder to move the blood effectively because:
the blood vessels become stiff
To avoid the strain of unnecessary lifting and carrying, you should use _________ or assist an able patient to the stretcher whenever possible.
the extremity lift
After being dispatched on an emergency call, you should expect the dispatcher to provide you with all of the following information, EXCEPT:
the general geographic location of the incident
Denial, anger, and bargaining are stages of __________.
the grieving process
Which of the following statements regarding acute abdomen is correct:
the initial pain associated with an acute abdomen tends to be vague and poorly localized
A dissecting aortic aneurysm occurs when:
the inner layers of the aorta become separated
Which of the following statements regarding the neonatal isolette is correct?
the isolette serves to keep the neonate warm and protects him/her from excess handling
information given to the responding unit(s) should include all of the following EXCEPT:
the list of all pt medications
A patient with atherosclerotic heart disease experiences chest pain during exertion because:
the lumen of the coronary artery is narrowed and cannot accommodate increased blood flow
Which of the following statements regarding patient weight distribution is correct?
the majority of a horizontal patient's weight is in the torso
You suspect that a 6-year-old girl has broken her leg after falling from a swing at a playground. Shortly after you arrive, the child's mother appears and refuses to allow you to continue treatment. You should:
try to persuade the mother that treatment is needed
You are attending to a 54-year-old female patient in a homeless shelter. The patient tells you that she had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and she has not gotten over it. She has been tired and keeps waking up at night, sweating. She has been coughing up green sputum occasionally and has been experiencing episodes of chest pain that get worse when she breathes. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:
tuberculosis
what is the first thing you should do if exposed to a patient's blood or body fluids?
turn over pt care to another EMS provider
A patient who is experiencing aphasia is:
unable to produce or understand speech
PID typically does NOT affect the:
urinary bladder
In order to facilitate a safe and coordinated move, the team leader should:
use preparatory commands to initiate any moves
You and your partner are dispatched to a residence for an "ill person." When you arrive, you find that the patient, a 44-year-old man, does not speak English. There are no relatives or bystanders present who can act as an interpreter. You should:
use short simple questions and point to specific body parts to determine the source of the pt's complaint
While at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, you determine that there are two critically injured patients and that another ambulance is needed. You attempt to contact the dispatcher with your portable radio but are unsuccessful. You should:
use the mobile radio in the ambulance to contact dispatch
When communicating information over the radio, you should:
use the words "affirmative" and "negative" instead of "yes" or "no"
General guidelines for effective radio communications include all of the following, EXCEPT:
using 10 codes
When carrying a patient up or down stairs, you should avoid:
using a wheeled stretcher whenever possible
The principal clinical difference between a stroke and hypoglycemia is that patients with hypoglycemia:
usually have an altered mental status or decreased LOC
Which of the following statements regarding the blood pressure is correct?
usually not measured in children < 3 y.a.
You are attending to a 3-year-old female who fell off her bicycle and struck her head on the curb. The patient is alert and crying. When you attempt to immobilize her on a backboard, she becomes very upset and agitated. The most suitable alternative to the backboard is to:
utilize a vacuum mattress
Which of the following cardiac arrhythmias has the greatest chance of deteriorating into a pulseless rhythm?
v-tach
Which of the following involves the spread of infection by animals or insects that carry an organism from one person or place to another?
vector-borne transmission
While evaluating a patient with chest pain, your partner tells you that the patient's blood pressure is 140/94 mm Hg. The lower number represents the pressure from the:
ventricles relaxing
What is therapeutic communication?
verbal and nonverbal communication techniques that encourage pts to express their feelings and to achieve a positive relationship
You are attending to a 3-year-old male patient who is presenting with severe shortness of breath. His parents report that he has had a cough and cold with a low grade fever for the past two days. They became worried today, as his level of distress has increased dramatically. On assessment, the patient is sitting upright and making high-pitched noises with each breath. Based on this information, the patient is most likely suffering from:
viral infection of the upper respiratory tract
What type of mode does an interoperable communications system use?
voice-over-internet protocol
Emesis" in the word "hyperemesis" means:
vomit
In the presence of ileus, the only way the stomach can empty itself is by:
vomiting
You are attending to a 32-year-old male patient. The patient's wife tells you that he returned from Afghanistan last year. While he initially seemed fine, lately he has become withdrawn and distanced himself from his family and friends. He does not talk about it, but she knows that he has been having terrible nightmares that wake him up. The most appropriate question to ask regarding his experience in Afghanistan is:
were you shot at or under fire?
Which of the following is Not a sign or symptom of a laryngeal injury?
wheezing
When does care end:
when the physician declares it
The nasal cannula is MOST appropriately used in the prehospital setting:
when the pt cannot tolerate a nonrebreathing mask
Situations in which you should use an emergency move include all of the following except:
when the pt feels like he/she may pass out
When you are obtaining medical history from the family of a suspected stroke patient, it is MOST important to determine:
when the pt last appeared normal
When should you start protecting yourself so that you can remain safe on the scene?
when you are dispatched
When is it MOST appropriate to consider requesting additional ambulances at an accident scene?
when you determine there are multiple pts
Nitroglycerin is contraindicated in patients:
who have experienced a head injury
When assessing motor function in a conscious patient's lower extremities, you should expect the patient to:
wiggle his/her toes on command
The extremity lift would NOT be appropriate to use on a patient:
with a deformed humerus
Supplemental oxygen via nonrebreathing mask should be administered to patients:
with difficulty breathing and adequate tidal volume
A nasopharyngeal airway is inserted:
with the bevel facing the septum (if inserted into the right nare)
Palpating the carotid pulse is not recommended in infants because:
you may inadvertently compress the trachea
Which of the following statements regarding the secondary assessment is correct?
you may not have time to perform a secondary assessment if you must continually manage life threats that were identified during the primary assessment
When you use a body drag to move a patient:
your back should always be locked and straight
As an EMT, you may be authorized to administer aspirin to a patient with chest pain based on:
your local EMS protocols
