Chapter 18 quiz EMT

Which of the following statements regarding the acute abdomen is correct?

The initial pain associated with an acute abdomen tends to be vague and poorly localized.

Which of the following is correct about the secondary assessment for a high-priority patient?

You may not have time to complete a secondary assessment.

Acute abdomen

A condition of sudden onset of pain within the abdomen, usually indicating peritonitis; immediate medical or surgical treatment is necessary

Severe back pain may be associated with which of the following conditions ...

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

.... commonly produces symptoms about 30 minutes after a particularly fatty meal and usually at night.

Cholecystitis

occur when there is excess pressure within the portal system and surrounding vessel; may lead to life-threatening bleeding

Esophageal Varices

When the abdominal muscles become rigid in an effort to protect the abdomen from further irritation, this is referred to as:

Guarding

A ... is the protrusion of a loop of an organ or tissue through an abnormal body opening.

Hernia

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 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

Which of the following may help reduce your patient's nausea?

Low-flow oxygen

A 29-year-old pregnant woman has had severe vomiting for the last 2 days. Today, she is vomiting large amounts of blood. Her skin is cool and pale and she is tachycardic. The EMT should suspect:

Mallory-Weiss tear.

referred pain

Pain felt in an area of the body other than the area where the cause of pain is located

Which of the following organs lies in the retroperitoneal space?

Pancreas

ileus

Paralysis of the bowel, arising from any one of several causes; stops contractions that move material through the intestine

Which of the following statements regarding dialysis is correct?

Patients who miss a dialysis treatment often present with weakness.

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

Which of the following helps filter the blood and has no digestive function?

Spleen

Complete obstruction of blood circulation in a given organ as a result of compression or entrapment

Strangulation

A 59-year-old male presents with sudden-onset 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 oxygen and prepare for immediate transport.

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.

Retroperitoneal

behind the peritoneum

Your patient complains of abdominal pain that occurs mostly at night or after eating fatty foods. You should suspect

cholecystitis

Peritonitis may result in shock because:

fluid shifts from the bloodstream into body tissues.

For a patient with a gastrointestinal complaint, it is most important for the EMT to ...

identify whether the patient requires rapid transport

peritonitis

inflammation of the peritoneum

... are solid crystalline masses formed in the kidney, resulting from an excess of insoluble salts or uric acid crystallizing in the urine

kidney stones

most patients with abdominal pain prefer to

lie on their side with their knees drawn into the abdomen.

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.

Your patient complains of chronic "burning" stomach pain that improves after eating. You should suspect:

peptic ulcer disease.

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.

An important aspect in the treatment of a patient with severe abdominal pain is to:

provide emotional support en route to the hospital.

Peritoneum

the membrane lining the abdominal cavity or parietal peritoneum and covering the abdominal organs or visceral peritoneum

... describes severe kidney failure resulting in the buildup of waste products within the blood

uremia

Urinary tract infections are more common in ...

women