Self Assessment 26

You are treating a man who was assaulted and has a closed-head injury. 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 for assistance if necessary.

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.

Gloves, a mask, eye protection, and a face shield should be used:

when performing endotracheal intubation.

Shortly after you load 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. The patient 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 or her consent to treat at any time.

Which of the following statements regarding a patient refusal is correct?

A mentally competent adult has the legal right to refuse EMS care and transport.

Which type of consent is involved when a 39-year-old, mentally competent female with a severe headache asks you to take her to the hospital?

Expressed

You arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident. The patient, a 13-year-old male, is unconscious and has multiple injuries. As you are treating the child, a law enforcement officer advises you that the child's parents will be at the scene in approximately 15 minutes. What should you do?

Transport the child immediately and have the parents meet you at the hospital.

When is forcible restraint permitted?

When the patient poses a significant threat to self or others

The official transfer of patient care does not occur until the EMT:

gives an oral report to the emergency room physician or nurse.

The best way to reduce your risk of contracting a work-related disease following exposure is to:

activate your department's infection control plan as soon as possible.

You are transporting a 40-year-old male with respiratory distress. The patient tells you that he recently had a positive tuberculosis (TB) skin test and is currently being evaluated for possible TB. You should:

apply a nonrebreathing mask on the patient and a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) respirator on yourself.

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:

ask the father to hold the child so you can assess him while your partner tries to calm the mother.

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.

When you begin an oral report, you should state the patient's age, sex, and:

chief complaint.

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. The PCR has a comprehensive series of drop-down boxes, which are used to identify your assessment findings and specify the treatment that you provided; it also has a section for your narrative. 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.

Determination of exposure is an important component of an infection control plan because it:

defines who is at risk for contact with blood and body fluids and which tasks pose a risk of exposure.

You are dispatched to the residence of an Asian family for a child with a high fever. When you assess the child, you note that he has numerous red marks on his back. The child's parents explain that these marks represent coining—a traditional Asian healing practice in which hot coins are rubbed on the back. You should:

document this finding on your patient care report and advise the emergency department staff of what the child's parents told you.

The compliance monitoring component of an infection control plan should:

ensure that employees understand what they should do and why it is important.

You and your partner arrive at the scene of a major 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, not breathing, and does not have a palpable carotid pulse. You should:

have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased.

If a person is partially immune to a particular disease, he or she:

might develop illness from germs that lie dormant from the initial infection.