emt ch 17

A 58-year-old male presents with confusion, right-sided weakness, and slurred speech. His airway is patent and his breathing is adequate. His wife is present and is very upset. Which of the following has the MOST immediately priority

1. Asking his wife when she noticed the symptoms

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when

1. a small clot in a cerebral artery causes temporary symptoms

The mental status of a patient who has experienced a generalized seizure

1. is likely to improve over a period of 5 to 30 minutes

Your patient answers your questions appropriately, although her eyes remain closed the entire time. She moves each extremity on command, although her left side is weaker than the right. You should assign a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of:

1.12

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

1.8

Which of the following MOST accurately describes the cause of an ischemic stroke

1.Blockage of a cerebral artery

Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?

1.Confusion and fatigue

Which of the following conditions is NOT a common cause of seizures?

1.Hypotension

Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?

1.Hypovolemia

Which of the following is a metabolic cause of a seizure

1.Poisoning

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

1.a ruptured cerebral artery.

When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for

1.a seizure.

An area of swelling or enlargement in a weakened arterial wall is called

1.an aneurysm

Febrile seizures

1.are usually benign but should be evaluated.

Components of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale include

1.arm drift, speech, and facial droop

When assessing for arm drift of a patient with a suspected stroke, you should

1.ask the patient to close his or her eyes during the assessment

Law enforcement has summoned you to a nightclub, where a 22-year-old female was found unconscious in an adjacent alley. Your primary assessment reveals that her respirations are rapid and shallow and her pulse is rapid and weak. She is wearing a medical alert bracelet that identifies her as an epileptic. There is an empty bottle of vodka next to the patient. You should:

1.assist ventilations, perform a rapid exam, and prepare for immediate transport.

Muscle control and body coordination are controlled by the

1.cerebellum

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

1.dimming the lights in the back of the ambulance and transporting without lights and siren.

A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:

1.dysarthria

he anterior aspect of the cerebrum controls

1.emotion

During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should

1.ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed.

The spinal cord exits the cranium through the

1.foramen magnum

A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy if he or she

1.has bleeding within the brain

You arrive at a local grocery store approximately 5 minutes after a 21-year-old female stopped seizing. She is confused and disoriented; she keeps asking you what happened and tells you that she is thirsty. Her brother, who witnessed the seizure, tells you that she takes valproate (Depakote) for her seizures, but has not taken it in a few days. He also tells you that she has diabetes. In addition to administering oxygen, you should

1.monitor her airway and breathing status and assess her blood glucose level

An absence seizure is also referred to as a

1.petit mal seizure

Status epilepticus is characterized by

1.prolonged seizures without a return of consciousness

When transporting a stable stroke patient with a paralyzed extremity, place the patient in a

1.recumbent position with the paralyzed side down

Successful treatment of a stroke depends on whether:

1.thrombolytic therapy is given within 3 hours of symptoms beginning

When you are obtaining medical history from the family of a suspected stroke patient, it is MOST important to determine:

1.when the patient last appeared normal