EMT Chapter 15

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: A) acute hypoglycemia. B) a ruptured cerebral artery. C) a complex partial seizure. D) an occluded cerebral artery.

a ruptured cerebral artery

a 58-year-old male presents with confusion, right-sided weakness, and slurred speech. as your partner is applying oxygen, it is most important for you to

ask his wife when she noticed symptoms

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: A) place a bite block in her mouth in case she has a seizure and transport at once. B) apply oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, place her on her left side, and transport. C) assist ventilations, perform a rapid exam, and prepare for immediate transport. D) apply oxygen via nonrebreathing mask and transport her for a blood-alcohol test.

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

a 35-year-old mildly obese woman is complaining of localized pain in the upper right quadrant with referred pain to the right shoulder. the most likely cause of her pain is

cholecystitis

during the initial assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should

ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed

you are dispatched to a residence for a 66-year-old male who, according to family members, has suffered a massive stroke. your initial assessment reveals that the patient is pulseless and apneic. you should

initiate CPR and attach an AED as soon as possible

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

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

you arrive at the residence of a 33-year-old woman who is experiencing a generalized seizure. she has a small amount of vomitus draining from the side of her mouth. after protecting her from further injury, you should:

maintain her airway with manual head positioning, suction her airway to remove the vomitus, insert a nasopharyngeal airway, and administer high-flow oxygen

you are caring for a conscious, confused patient with left-sided hemiparalysis. his airway is patent and his respirations are 22 breaths/min with adequate tidal volume. treatment for this patient should include

oxygen via nonrebreathing mask, left lateral recumbent position, and transport

you are caring for a 70-year-old female with signs and symptoms of an acute stroke. she is conscious, has secretions in her mouth, and is breathing as a normal rate with adequate depth. you should

suction her oropharynx and apply 100% oxygen

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 phenytoin (Dilantin) for her seizures, but has not taken it in a few days. He also tells you that she has diabetes. In addition to applying high-flow oxygen, you should: A) administer one tube of oral glucose and prepare for immediate transport. B) place her in the recovery position and transport her with lights and siren. C) monitor her airway and breathing status and assess her blood glucose level. D) give her small cups of water to drink and observe for further seizure activity.

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

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 had a history of seizures and takes Tegretol. when obtaining further medical history from the girlfriend, it is most important to

obtain a description of how the seizure developed

you respond to a residence for a child who is having a seizure. upon arrival at the scene, you enter the residence and find the mother holding her child, a male 2-year-old. the child is conscious and crying. according to the mother, the child had been running a high fever and then experienced a seizure that lasted approximately 3 minutes. you should

transport the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route