Chapter 33

For sweating to be an effective cooling mechanism:

It must evaporate from the body

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

90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius)

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

Barometric pressure

Covering a patient's ____________ will significantly minimize radiation heat loss

Head

An air embolism associated with diving occurs when

The driver holds his or her breath during a rapid ascent

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

a swimmer hyperventilates prior to entering the water.

The most prominent symptom of decompression sickness is

abdominal or joint pain.

After being stung on the leg by a jellyfish, a man complains of severe pain to his leg, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. He has a red rash covering his trunk and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. The EMT should:

administer oxygen and epinephrine and prepare for rapid transport.

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

assess for a carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds.

The diving reflex may allow a person to survive extended periods of submersion in cold water secondary to:

bradycardia and a slowing of the metabolic rate.

The transfer of heat to circulating air, such as when cool air moves across the body's surface, is called:

convection

All of the following snakes are pit vipers, except for the

coral snake

Drowning is MOST accurately defined as:

death from suffocation after submersion in water.

High humidity reduces the body's ability to lose heat through:

evaporation

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

exhibit poor thermoregulation

Common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include all of the following, EXCEPT:

hot, dry skin

A frost bitten foot can be identified by the presence of

mottling and blisters.

The venom of a black widow spider is toxic to the:

nervous system

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

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

High air temperature reduces the body's ability to lose heat by:

radiation

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

rapid breathing

Burns associated with lightning strikes are typically:

superficial

A 31-year-old male was bitten on the leg by an unidentified snake. The patient is conscious and alert and in no apparent distress. Your assessment of his leg reveals two small puncture marks with minimal pain and swelling. In addition to administering oxygen and providing reassurance, further care for this patient should include:

supine positioning, splinting the leg, and transporting.

The two most effective ways for the body to eliminate excess heat are

sweating and vasodilation

Heat loss from the body through respiration occurs when:

warm air is exhaled into the atmosphere.